A stupendous blend of scintillating highlife, smoking Fela and spaced-out, funkdafied Black Jazz, from 1975 — Mari Affiong Usuah from Oron town, by way of Calabar in southeastern Nigeria, fronting a knockout band led by Daniel ‘Satch’ Asuquo from the Atomic 8 (and formerly of Bobby Benson’s orchestra).
The Afrofunk cuts are especially killer — with James Brown just percolating through by the end — but it’s a stunning, magnificent album, through and through.
Beautifully sleeved, too, with excellent notes by Uchenna from Comb & Razor. ‘Gob, smacked,’ he recalls, of his first listen; 'Mind, blown’.
Tracklist:
A1. Ima Mma Uyem
A2. From Me To You
A3. Afia Mma (Hulalah)
A4. Mma Ama Mbo
B1. Ekpe
B2. Call Me Your Lover
B3. Ekpenyong Abasi
B4. Ebre Mbre
Format: 12-inch Vinyl LP
Label: Voodoo Funk
Catalog: VFLP9
Released: 22 Jun 2015
Genre: African / Afrobeat / Funk / Gospel / Highlife
