{"product_id":"the-bristol-meets-africa-sound","title":"The Bristol Meets Africa Sound","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt’s more than a special moment when you discover music you’ve never heard (of) before or ever knew existed. 1982 was a critical spark for the development of wider (world) musical styles, both in Bristol and the UK at large. The central event from that year was the first WOMAD festival, held in the unlikely surroundings of the agricultural themed Bath and West Showground near Shepton Mallet in Somerset. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne common thread in Bristol to all of these discoveries was the Ekome Dance Company and most notably Artistic Director, Barrington ‘Barry’ Anderson. Barry had also recruited musicians from African countries such as Cameroon and Ghana, from Jamaica and others from the Bristol area. This was to form the Ekome Arts Band which would offer music with either a specific African or Caribbean focus. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis kickstarted a process and practice in the West Country city where musicians brought over from African countries would collaborate with those from the locality. It is those\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e activities - a sound clash and culture clash, producing material of real depth - that constitute the three different combinations, along with one connection originating in London, that make up material on the first The Bristol Meets Africa Music Sound album, released on Bristol Archive Records. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBest known of the triumvirate from Africa was the former Bhundu Boys frontman, Biggie Tembo. The experiment that would yield the tracks that make up the long lost “House of Stone” album with sonic sculptors, Startled Insects, came about after both Tembo and the group had left their respective band and label situations and needed a new way forward creatively. The Africa Sound presents a trio of songs which are a snapshot from the album, also now available on Bristol Archive Records. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Rudo” has that widescreen, cinematic and haunting call of the veldt. The textures within the track are lush, verdant and moving. “Patrice Lumumba” is a paean to the memory of the first Congolese post-independence leader, assassinated by supporters of the Belgian former colonial power. “The Curse of Columbus” is a powerful, soul searing lesson in history and the effect it has on a given belief, custom and tradition within an individual and families. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCameroonian expat Charlie Asaah Papa put together the Graffi Jazz band comprising of several stand-out local players. These included Marco Anderson on drums, Simon Preston on percussion, with Glaxo Babies members Dan Catsis and Graham Egan-Andrew on bass and guitar. The wonderfully joyous “Time” and “Home” are vibrant demos recorded at Crescent studio in Bath. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBeverley Gage, one of the sisters of Grant Marshall from Massive Attack, shares vocal duties with Charlie as does another sister Jenny, who became Charlie’s partner. “Home” could equally be a tribute to where Charlie came from in Cameroon or his newly adopted city of Bristol. “Time” has an Ecclesiastes feel to the way the seasons change. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Ghanaian Ben Baddoo is another story that links into Ekome as he moved to Bristol from Gloucester to work with the troupe. It was from here he set up his first Alaha group. Under their Ben Baddoo International guise, the group recorded several songs at Emergency Plus studio in Bristol and Ben did a solo session at a new set-up at Bath University. Two of the results of those sessions, “Nyontseleniedzie” and “Yea Yoo”, are featured here. Both are hypnotic, upbeat expressions of West African percussive rhythms with Ben’s voice inter-weaving with Beverley Gage’s distinctive tones set against choppy, probing guitar and keyboards. Beverley’s brother Royston plays bass on “Nyontseleniedzie”. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe London based Ivory Coasters were also regulars at WOMAD. In one instance they were the backing band for Prince Nico Mbarga at the first festival, as well as making an appearance in their own right. The Coasters had been a ‘collision’ between London based musicians and Africans based in the capital before paths crossed further west. That link to Bristol was the release of “Mungaka Makossa”, presented here from the single on Recreational Records, the label run by Chris Parker and Lloyd Harris out of Revolver Records on the Triangle, Clifton, Bristol. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll this music shows how artist’s experiences can blend together to make an explosion of magic. Prepare to be spellbound. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrack listing:\u003cbr\u003eSIDE 1:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. BIGGIE TEMBO \u0026amp; STARTLED INSECTS: Rudo\u003cbr\u003e2. CHARLIE ASAAH PAPA \u0026amp; GRAFFI JAZZ: Home\u003cbr\u003e3. BEN BADDOO INTERNATIONAL: Nyontselensiedze\u003cbr\u003e4. BIGGIE TEMBO \u0026amp; STARTLED INSECTS: Patrice Lumumba\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSIDE 2:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. CHARLIE ASAAH PAPA \u0026amp; GRAFFI JAZZ: Time\u003cbr\u003e2. BEN BADDOO INTERNATIONAL: Yea Yoo\u003cbr\u003e3. IVORY COASTERS: Mungaka Makossa\u003cbr\u003e4. BIGGIE TEMBO \u0026amp; STARTLED INSECTS: The Curse of Columbus  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bristol Archive","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":57021303980363,"sku":"R8734-1194","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a0924383716_2.jpg?v=1776085045","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/products\/the-bristol-meets-africa-sound","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}