So September was quiet, it was never intentional, just happened that way. Any record buying pattern that I might have went unchanged, I managed a trip to Amsterdam, London and spent more than a fair share of my time in my two (count 'em) local haunts. They weren't particularly forthcoming with the proverbial goods until last Thursday night. Could have been an aligning of the stars, some mystical payback for a pretty shitty week, who gives a fuck. After a good couple of weeks of digging with nothing to show for it aside of 'record fingers' I finally hit something resembling pay dirt.
Well a pay dirt of sorts. A few modern classical records, the Brainticket album I was missing and a Pharoah Sanders album that had passed me by, one that I look forward to reviewing in the very near future and this, my first excursion into the world of African music outside of the more obvious remits of the Kuti family. What to say about this guy? I'm pretty sure his intentions are true enough, a politically motivated anti-apartheid album, something that fuses african rhythms with 'modern' western instrumentation.
Twenty four years later it sounds a lot like a slightly insane day care patient accompanied by a Bontempi organ and a drum machine. He sounds like Wesley Willis or an African Daniel Johnston and it's fucking great.
This album could easily have been consigned to the laughable rubbish pile of 'what the fucks' and a few years ago it would have done but here and now it sounds like nothing short of pure genius, a curious and unforgettable excursion into outsider music. I understand that the guy is a well respected member of African music community and have no doubts that all of his efforts were straight faced but with 'Heavy Ghetto (Anti-Apartheid Makossa)' he has created something that will last way beyond an outdated political manifest, he has created an awesome musical monster. Okay, a medium sized musical monster, one with horns and big teeth but one that probably wouldn't try and eat you.
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