{"title":"Ginger Johnson and his African Messengers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGinger Johnson and his African Messengers are a legendary Afrobeat band known for their energetic performances and infectious rhythms. With their unique blend of traditional African music, jazz, funk, and soul, they have captivated audiences around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSimilar to other Afrobeat pioneers such as Manu Dibango and Fela Kuti, Ginger Johnson's music is characterized by its powerful horn sections, driving percussion, and irresistible grooves. Their sound is a celebration of African culture and heritage, with lyrics that often touch on social issues and political commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome notable tracks from Ginger Johnson and his African Messengers include \"I Jool Omo\", \"Talking Drum\", and \"Witchdoctor\". These songs showcase the band's incredible musicianship and ability to create a vibrant atmosphere wherever they perform.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"african-party","title":"African Party","description":"\u003cp\u003eGinger Johnson's life is one of the greatest untold stories of African music in Europe. Born George Folunsho Johnson in Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria in 1916. Aged just 18 he joined the Nigerian Navy, and made his first visit to Britain. After World War II Ginger decided to make London his home, working with many artists including British saxophone legend Ronnie Scott who first really utilised Gingers amazing technique to full effect, featuring him in not only his live concerts, but also several recordings for the Esquire jazz label in the 1940's \u0026amp; 50's. In the 60's Ginger was mentor \u0026amp; guru to a young Fela Kuti. Gingers London home became a vibrant hub of African music activity for Fela and an entire host of musicians who would gather there to exchange news, talk, eat and jam for hours on end. To Fela, and all who gravitated towards Ginger's home, he was simply known and addressed as 'Father'. Aside from his music, Ginger was something of a social activist. Not only was he a musical educator, and instrumental in the beginnings of The Notting Hill Carnival, he also opened his own venue Club Iroko in Haverstock Hill, North London, which was a creative hub for groups like Osibisa, and also a welcoming hang out for visiting legends like Sun Ra, George Clinton and Funkadelic, and British group Cymande (3 members of Cymande cut their teeth playing in Gingers group). Ginger and his group performed at The Royal Variety Performance, his music featured in the James Bond film 'Live \u0026amp; Let Die' and Ginger himself appears on screen drumming in the Hammer Films cult classic 'She'. As a session musician he played for a bewilderingly wide range of acts such as Georgie Fame, Osibisa, Madeleine Bell and Quincy Jones. Ginger \u0026amp; his group also collaborated with many early rock bands such as Hawkwind, Argent, Thunderclap Newman, Genesis and Little Free Rock. Perhaps Ginger Johnson \u0026amp; His African Messengers most high profile live engagement was performing with The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park in 1969, as Ginger his troupe provided the percussive, high energy rhythmic bedrock to the infamous live version of Sympathy For The Devil.Freestyle Records is incredibly proud to reissue the music of Ginger Johnson \u0026amp; His African Messengers. Its bedrock of African drums, hi life, and jazz was in fact the precursor to Afrobeat - and Gingers direct and vital influence upon Afrobeat, as guide \u0026amp; mentor to it's undisputed champion Fela Kuti is just one part of a fascinating and underappreciated story that only now is being recognised for its significance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Freestyle","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50435680403787,"sku":"390736","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/6d09c73d-587d-4f0d-b857-18328431358a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726906284"},{"product_id":"witchdoctor","title":"Witchdoctor","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis is a Record Store Day 2019 item. It will be available to purchase from our stores from 8am 13th April. Remaining stock will be available to purchase from this page at 00.01 20th April.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 2015, Freestyle Records re-issued the groundbreaking \u003ci\u003eAfrican Party\u003c\/i\u003e album by the somewhat mysterious figure of Ginger (George Folunsho) Johnson. Recorded in 1967, nearly 20 years after he first arrived in post war London and immediately began performing and recording with London jazz stalwarts Ronnie Scott and Pete King. Credited by those in the know (including Giles Peterson, Louie Vega, Fela Kuti's drummer Tony Allen and writer David Toop) as the godfather of afrobeat, Ginger and his group, The African Messengers enjoyed a varied career as the go to afro-cuban percussion group for recording sessions in the UK, working with Georgie Fame, Osibisa, Madeleine Bell and Quincy Jones - as well as acting us mentor to a young Fela Kuti and members of Cymande who cut their teeth as members of his ensemble. They also performed at The Royal Variety Performance, Ginger's music featured in the James Bond film \u003ci\u003eLive and Let Die\u003c\/i\u003e and Ginger himself appears on screen drumming in the Hammer Films cult classic \u003ci\u003eShe\u003c\/i\u003e, and famously performed with The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park in 1969. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAside from \u003ci\u003eAfrican Party\u003c\/i\u003e, and several Hi Life singles released on the Melodisc label in the 50's, it was thought that there were no further recordings by this hugely influential musician . Eventually, prompted by the attention afforded the Freestyle re-issues - Ginger's son Dennis Dee Mac Johnson was contacted by Uchenna Ikonne, a renowned African music collector, who told him he had discovered one rather battered original copy of a 45 single, released in the mid 70's on the short lived 'Afrodesia' label, For Record Store Day 2019, Freestyle are proud to release the 2 tracks on a fresh vinyl 45. \u003ci\u003eWitchdoctor\u003c\/i\u003e is not the track of the same name on \u003ci\u003eAfrican Party\u003c\/i\u003e, but it and \u003ci\u003eNawa\u003c\/i\u003e (written by Dizzy Gillespie cohort Chano Pozo) demonstrate a musical progression as funk had stamped it's indelible footprint on Ginger's music along with afro-cuban rhythms and jazz. Thanks to Claudio Passavanti at Doctor Mix Studios in London, who has done quite an amazing restoration and re-mastering job on this long lost music.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Freestyle","offers":[{"title":"7\"","offer_id":50465343177035,"sku":"1059042","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"african-party-deluxe-edition-3","title":"African Party - Deluxe Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003eA very special and historically significant record is imminent on our partner label, Greg Boramans' Impressive Collective. The story of percussionist, band leader, teacher, club owner Ginger Johnson and his African Party album is a fascinating tale that is only now being recognised for its significance. Born George Folurunsho Johnson in Nigeria,1916, of a Yoruba background, by the late 1940s Ginger was living in London and made an immediate impact playing live and recording with British jazz legends Ronnie Scott, drummers Phil Seaman and Tony Crombie, pianist Victor Feldman, and Kenny Graham’s Afro-Cubists. In the 1950s he was the featured percussionist for the Edmundo Ros Orchestra, and also released several of his own 78s and 45s for Melodisc which were among the first examples of African music recorded and released in Britain. From his base in Pimlico, Ginger became the lynchpin of the African and West Indian expat musical community, including being mentor to a young Fela Kuti when he first came to London in 1957. By the mid-1960s Ginger was the highest profile Afro Cuban percussionist in Europe, with the ‘talking drum’ being his speciality, this led him to feature on all styles of recording sessions, from pop to jazz, also appearing in films, children's television shows and live at The Royal Variety Performance and he was also instrumental in helping establish and expand the Notting Hill Carnival.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Impressive Collective","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50987329782091,"sku":"2236625","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_66548cd2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1734478035"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_be201d47_thumbnail_4096_833cee14-b2cf-4162-9e92-8aef00915a68.jpg?v=1726906264","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/ginger-johnson-and-his-african-messengers.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}