Description
While many have previously charted the vibrant Nigerian music scene of the late ’60s and 1970s, few have focused on the country’s earlier “first wave” of indigenous pop. Nigeria Freedom Sounds aims to do just that, celebrating a four-year period between 1960 and ’63 when the country’s music-makers, enthused by independence from Britain, began fusing the traditional Nigerian sounds of juju and apala with Ghanaian highlife, Caribbean calypso and mambo. As you might expect, this musical melting pot resulted in some terrifically vibrant and celebratory music, most of which was released on 7″ singles. As usual with Soul Jazz, the 23-track CD of thrilling obscurities comes backed with detailed liner notes, telling the true story of Nigeria’s first popular music explosion.
