V/A - Doing It In Lagos

Soundway Records present a new compilation of twenty rare and mostly unavailable tracks from the slick and sassy world of Nigerian pop music and club culture of the early 1980s. Buoyed by an explosive oil boom and a return to democracy after a series of military dictatorships, Nigeria’s economy in the years of the early ‘80’s was mirrored by its recording industry as countless young artists and groups hit the airwaves and dancefloors of the capital and beyond. It was a glossy, brash new form of pop music born out of ashes of late 1970s disco and funk and, just as in America, was the soundtrack to a new generation for whom money, style and flirtation trumped the overblown psychedelia of the previous decade. Eager to sound as American as possible with no hint of the fervour for afro-beat, afro-rock and afrocentric thinking that the 1970s had thrown up, a new generation of young artists and performers turned their backs on their cultural roots in music and sought a new kind of stardom and fame firmly connected to the glossy, snazzy world of the 1980s that was erupting in the USA and Europe. The 1970s flares and cuban heels began to disappear, in their place came sleek suits, rolled-up sleeves, bow-ties, jumpsuits, leather jackets, greased hair and a firm nod in the stylistic direction of Michael Jackson. 

The earliest cuts on the collection are firmly rooted within the deep disco sound of 1979 & 1980 before progressing into the boogie and pop that typified the years 1982-84: falsetto vocals, synths, slap-bass, handclaps and a sharp emphasis on the groove. Steered at the helm by a handful of legendary producers who had cut their teeth in the studios and groups 1970s (Jake Sollo, Lemmy Jackson, Tony Essien, Odion Iruoje) alongside some fresh new faces (Nkono teles and Tony Okoroji) the scene was fronted by a new generation of young singers both male and female and with the economy flourishing album sales were at an all time high. This was the age of the celebrity, mobile club-DJ and with vastly improved sound equipment, recorded music quickly began to displace live bands in the discos and clubs of a quickly expanding Lagos. These were places where a seamless mix of American and local music played all night - ever more pressure for Nigerian recordings to stand up against the offerings from overseas prompting some producers and artists to record in London or the USA despite Lagos having the best studios in West Africa. 

Tracklist:
1. Hotline - Fella's Doing It In Lagos 05:34
2. Peter Abdul - Don't You Know 03:43
3. Steve Monite - Only You 06:19
4. Oby Onyioha - Enjoy Your Life 06:14
5. Kio Amachree - Ivory 05:08
6. Livy Ekemezie - Holiday Action 05:10
7. Willy Roy - Don't Give Up 06:35
8. Danny Offia - Funk With Me 05:20
9. Rick Asik - Too Hot 05:14
10. Terry Mackson - Distant Lover 05:32
11. Ofege - Burning Jungle 03:21
12. Odion Iruoje - Identify With Your Root 06:45
13. Mike Umoh - Shake Your Body 06:14
14. Burnis Moleme - Where Is The Answer 06:58
15. Sony Enang - Don't Stop That Music 05:11
16. Veno - Groove I Like 03:36
17. Godfrey Odili - Let's Do More Music 07:37
18. Toby Foreh - Ore Mi 05:42
19. Gboyega Adelaja - Colourful Environment 05:19
20. Lexy Mella - On The Air 05:30
21. Nkono Teles - Be My Lady (Mix) 04:26

Format: 3 x 12-inch Vinyl LP and Bonus 45
Label: Soundway Records
Catalog: SNDWLP087
Released: 2016
Genre: Funk / Boogie / Disco