Name: Kenya Special: Selected East African Recordings From The 1970s & '80s
Brand: Various

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

SNDW 046LP

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "SNDW 046LP"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

LPx3

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "LPx3"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2013-05-14

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Forced Exposure

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

5060091552845

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "5060091552845"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Total Cap

3 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Various

Genre US

Rest of World

Label US

Soundway

Triple LP version. Comes with a bonus 7" and free MP3 download. Soundway Records present Kenya Special: Selected East African Recordings from the 1970s &amp; '80s — a treasure-trove of rare and unusual recordings from East Africa. Spread out over two CDs and one triple LP set, Kenya Special is accompanied by detailed liner notes, original artwork and photographs. It follows on from Soundway's much-acclaimed African "Special" series that to date has focused on the highlife and Afrobeat output from 1970s Nigeria and Ghana. Kenya Special is a collection of 32 recordings (most of which were only ever released on small-run 45rpm 7" singles) that stand out as being different or unique as well as some classic genre standards. From Kikuyu language "liquid soul," Luo benga and Swahili Afrobeat, to genre-bending Congolese and Tanzanian tracks recorded in Nairobi, Kenya Special sees Soundway yet again taking the less-trodden path. Many of the tracks featured here are peppered with innovation and experimentation, highlighting how diverse the music scene in Kenya was at the time. In 1970s Kenya the two threads of rumba and benga loosely dominated the music scene. Benga quickly became Kenya's unique contribution to Afro-pop; spreading like wildfire through the interior countryside with its fast, 4/4 machine-gun beat and intricate electric guitar layers. The Congolese take on Afro-Cuban rumba was introduced by touring bands, many of whom settled in East Africa — influencing bands from Kenya and Tanzania to come up with their own take on this popular style. Alongside these styles were small ensembles and hotel-sponsored bands, playing a blend of music that often included rock 'n' roll riffs, elements of "Afro" music (influenced by West African musicians like Fela Kuti), and multiple other combinations from South African and Zambian guitar styles to disco, funk and Swahili coastal rhythms like chakacha. Painstakingly compiled, assembled and researched over two years by a team of five people from five countries (Kenya included), Kenya Special is a collection that looks beyond the mainstream and brings new life and recognition to some little-known gems and forgotten classics of Kenya's past.

Kenya Special: Selected East African Recordings From The 1970s & '80s

Music US