A Nigerian Retrospective 1966 – 79 (Soundway SNDW 043CD, 2012)
The Soundway label is doing an extraordinary job at rediscovering some of the great African musical talent of the past decades. On this occasion, they released a two CD compilation of material by a highly influential Nigerian versatile artist named Tunji Oyelana. He’s a singer-songwriter, actor, bandleader, playwright, comedian and scholar.
The majority of the songs selected are from the 1970s, which is considered the golden age of Nigerian music. Tunji Oyelana is a trailblazer who mixed traditional Yoruba music with other musical forms such as Afrobeat, funk, Afro-rock, reggae, jazz and highlife. His earlier works have the psychedelic sound of the late 1960s, but his evolution took him towards a rootsier sound with an irresistible rhythm section composed of traditional drums and drum set, powerful brass and great rhythm guitar work.
Oyelana was backed by The Benders (named for their ability to cross the boundaries of a diversity of musical styles). Tunji’s first records came out in 1969. In 1971 he released Agba Lo De/Koriko Nde, the first record credited to Tunji Oyelana & The Benders. It became a hit in Nigeria.
Tunji later signed to EMI Nigeria. His first self-titled release on EMI in 1974 featured the instant classic “To Whom It May Concern.”
Oyelana is still active. He lives with his family in London and continues to perform several nights a week at Emukay, the restaurant and cultural center that he manages with his wife.
The retrospective is available in various formats: 2 CD set, 3 vinyl LPs set and in digital format.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
