Some of the cool kids like Spence and Charity Chic have been banging on about Squirrel Flower recently, and rightly so. But what they, and you, may not know is that she has two equally talented siblings who are also active in the music scene - Doom and Tomato.
Sceptics might say the 'facts' show that Doom and Tomato Flower are female-fronted bands from Chicago and Baltimore respectively and not Squirrel's sisters. But we know better than to fall for that.
The sisters seem to alternate their recording schedules, Doom having released albums in 2021 and 2023, Tomato in 2022 and this year. Perhaps they are taking turns to care for elderly members of the Flower family. Whatever the reason, here are a couple of tunes from each of them in chronological order.
It was very sad to hear that the last of the Four Tops, Duke Fakir, left us yesterday at the age of 88, just a couple of days after announcing that he was retiring from the touring version of the group.
I have been a devoted fan of the Four Tops for as long as I can recall, and long before Billy Bragg gave indie kids permission to admire them. Obviously Levi Stubbs was the main man, but he could not have made magic without Duke, Obie Benson and Lawrence Payton there beside him for over 40 years.
RIP Duke. They're the same old songs, but there's a different meaning now you're all gone.
"Do you know the way to São Tomé? I've been away so long, I may go wrong and lose my way".
That is the rhetorical question asked by members of the São Toméan diaspora when pining for their islands. They know the literal answer of course. You head for Gabon, hop on a boat and you'll find them about 150 miles into the Atlantic.
But if that option isn't available then the music from back home can help them travel there in their minds. As you yourselves will be able to do while listening to the songs in today's post.
There is no better place to start that musical journey than "Léve-Léve", a compilation of 1970s and 1980s recordings from São Tome and Principe released by the always estimable Bongo Joe label in 2020.
There are a lot of great tunes on the album and I have opted for this one by Os Úntués. One of the stalwarts of the music scene in the years leading up to independence in 1975, they fused the local socopé rhythm with soukous and a little hint of samba to great effect. This track was first released in 1971 on an EP in Angola, an Angolan release being "the litmus test of success for any of the islands’ groups" (or so the blurb in the booklet says).
The next two artists also feature on "Léve-Léve" but not with these particular songs. First up we have Africa Negra, considered by many to be the best band ever to emerge from the islands. Formed in the early 1970s, their golden period was the 1980s when they bestrode Lusophone Africa like a colossus. The classic line-up split in 1989, but they have continued in one form or another ever since and in 2019 released their first album in over 20 years, "Alia Cu Omalí".
Today's selection was originally released on their 1986 album "San Lema" but you can find it more easily on "Antologia Vol.1", a compilation of their work put together by the boys at Bongo Joe. "Is there a Vol. 2?" I hear you ask. There will be next month and you can pre-order it here.
Africa Negra's main rivals for domestic superiority were Os Leonenses, pioneers of the puxa sound that swept the dancefloors of Santo António back in the day. Their lead singer, Pedro Lima, also had a successful parallel solo career which sadly came to an end (as did the band) when he died in 2019. His public funeral was one of the largest the islands had ever seen, and evidently "he was buried with his wireless microphone, so his powerful voice would always be heard".
A very good compilation of Mr Lima's solo material called "Recordar É Viver : Antologia Vol.1" came out in 2022. That is where you can find today's track, originally released on his debut solo album in 1981.
Like Mr Lima, I believe Amorim Diogo started his career as the lead singer of a band that features on "Léve-Léve", in his case Sangazuza. My limited evidence for asserting this is a 1986 album called "Cooperação" credited to Sangazuza and Africa Negra. He is the featured vocalist on half the tracks. As the other half are sung by João Seria, the vocalist with Africa Negra, by a process of deduction Mr Diogo must have bought Sangazuza to the party.
All of which is neither here nor there really as today's top tune wasn't released until 2015. I found it on a compilation called "Super Collection Sao Tomé e Principe" and you can as well (although you may need to set your ethics aside if you want to download it).
We will get to the Mandatory African Reggae in a minute but first some Optional African Rap. I have listened to loads of rap in compiling this series so far but most of it fairly standard stuff with nothing to indicate it is from Africa let alone the specific country the post was about.
However, every now and then I will come across something a bit more distinctive, as was the case with this catchy little piece by one Tigre T. It dates from 2017 and if you go onto YouTube so can find a few more from him in a similar style. Mr T has some sort of affiliation with local rap collective Os Vibrados Júnior, but based on what I've heard I would pass unless his name is on the label.
After all that enormous build up it is MAR time, courtesy of Ja Yi' Son (Jaylson Graça to his Mum). He comes from São Tomé. He may now be living in Almada in Portugal. This track came out in 2021. That's all I've got.
When it comes to song titles involving disco many people seem drawn to alliteration. Here are six samples of such songs to show you.
"Disco Disco" is really repetition not alliteration (or possibly both?) but I did not dare deprive you of the groovy Peruvians (assonance) and their Stars on 45 style tribute to the hits that filled discotheque dancefloors from Cusco to Chiclayo back in the day.
We interrupt our scheduled service with some breaking news.
Until last night today's post was going to feature Country #41 on our official Ernie's African Odyssey. Then I got a message from Flag Counter that we had just received our very first visitor from the Indian Ocean islands of Mayotte.
The two islands that make up Mayotte are part of the same archipelago as the Comoros but in 1974 chose not to join their neighbours when they voted to become independent from France. Mayotte was made a region of France in 2011 and is therefore not officially classified as an African country.
It was for that reason I had not originally planned to include Mayotte in the grand tour. But now that the Mahorais are tuning in in their droves it would seem rude not to feature some of the local talent.
Fans of the African Odyssey series may well recall M'Toro Chamou, who guests the Mikidache track, from when he appeared in his own right as part of the Comoros leg 12 months and 30 countries ago.
Have you ever wondered what Adrian Sherwood producing an album of traditional songs for an English folk singer would sound like? Very likely not but play along please.
I have the answer for you. It is called "Panic Grass & Fever Few" by Ian King. It came out in 2009 and no less an authority than the great Shirley Collins called it "English folk music for the 21st century".
Mr Sherwood brought a few of his regulars along with him. Skip 'Little Axe' McDonald, Doug Wimbush and Ghetto Priest all pop up at various points and daughter Denise duets on one song. Between them and Mr King they make a pretty good job of things all told.
As good a record as it is, it doesn't topple the all-time trad. arr. reggae mash-up. Readers of long standing may recall me raving more than once about "Higher Heights", the ace 1992 collaboration between The Twinkle Brothers and the Polish family folk group Trebunie-Tutki. Imagine how delighted I was to discover an hour-long concert by them all on YouTube. You may want to set aside some time for this.
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure and privilege of visiting some charity shops in Newcastle with Charity Chic (as the great man himself mentioned yesterday). Seeing him in action was a revelation and having observed him closely I am making some changes to my own charity shop CD scanning methods which I hope will make them more productive.
But as well as a great technique CC also possesses physical attributes that I lack which mean I will never be able to emulate his efficiency: strong but supple fingers which enable him to rifle through the racks at a rate of knots; eagle-like eyesight to identify a potential purchase in an instant; and the ability to sit on his haunches to scrutinise the bottom shelf, an opportunity that my bulky frame and bad knees deny me.
When not gasping in awe I found some time to pick out a couple of CDs myself, including the one we are featuring today - "New Roman Times", the first album of new material released by Camper Van Beethoven after they reformed in 2002. Font fans may appreciate the album title.
It is a concept album which according to the blurb "details the rise and fall of an idealistic Texan whose disenchantment following a stint with the American military redirected him towards organized terrorism". You don't need to have been through a similar experience in order to enjoy the album ("but it helps!").
The Blogger's Code states that any post about Camper Van Beethoven must include a reference to one particular song, so here it is. Always a pleasure, never a chore.
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