Yellow Magic Orchestra - Behind the Mask (1979)

Behind the Mask - Yellow Magic Orchestra

Solid State Survivor was the second album from the Japanese electropop band, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and has one of their most well-known songs: Behind the Mask. This song was covered a few times. Once by Greg Phillinganes, who later joined Eric Clapton's band. Eric Clapton also covered the song in the mid-eighties and even performed it with Phil Collins on drums in 1986 or 1987.

Greg Phillinganes - Behind the Mask

Cabo Parano - Martin Solveig feat. Stephy Haik

Martin Solveig feat Stephy Haik - Cabo Parano

This song samples the Alhaji K. Frimpong track and the result is a feel good, summertime dance tune. This is a true winner sung by Martin Solveig and Stephy Haik. Martin Solveig is a french producer and dj who got his big break being asked to join the Africanism project by Bob Sinclair in the late nineties. Stephy Haik was born in France, raised in New York. I'm not sure how they initially connected, but they have worked on several songs together.

Alhaji K. Frimpong - Hwehwe Mu

I can't remember who hooked me up with this track, but I'm hoping they don't mind me sharing. This is a beautiful piece of music that was very well sampled by Martin Solveig. I will post that track soon. Thanks to Awesome Tapes from Africa, I found this other amazing Frimpong track while researching this artist. Alhaji K. Frimpong is a Ghanaian highlife artist. I was unable to find much valuable information on him, so I'll leave it at that.

Alhaji K. Frimpong - Hwehwe Mu

Alhaji K. Frimpong - Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu

Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Hihache

image courtesy of funky 16 corners

Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Hihache

I was talking to my friend Mike over email one day and he brought up Hihache in passing and I didn't know what he was talking about. He was kind enough to send it my way with permission to share. Of course I had in fact heard this before, but didn't know the track title or artist. The Lafayette Afro Rock Band came out of Roosevelt Long Island in 1970, but moved to Paris where they felt they'd better stand out and found their niche in the Barbès district where americans tended to hang out. They put out Soul Makossa in 1974 after changing guitarists. This was one of the stand out tracks on that album, that's been sampled many times.

Godwin Omabuwa & His Cassanova Dandies - Lovumi Do

This track was also supplied by a friend of mine and while researching Godwin Omabuwa & His Cassanova Dandies in order to have a little information to share, I read accounts of the band playing calypso and highlife in nightclubs in Lagos. Though many a club was packed, their music often merely served as a backdrop for "men and women who danced and struck love dates at the expense of the music." That doesnt' sound half bad to me. Anyhow, Godwin Omabuwa & His Cassanova Dandies, have turned up on some Nigerian and afrobeat comps over the past several years, including Nigeria Afrobeat Special: the New Explosive Sound in 1970's Nigeria, released February, 2010. This song, Lovumi Do is from the Olitubutubu LP from 1978 on Ekotse Records. Produced by Bawo Metsaharun.

Godwin Omabuwa & His Cassanova Dandies - Lovumi Do