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Jungle By Night - Algorhythm After more than a decade of heating up dancefloors at over 600 festivals and stages in 34 countries and 6 released albums, the nine-headed instrumental collective Jungle by Night melted their years of passion, friendship, and influences from krautrock, dance, jazz and techno together into a new analogue compositionJungle by Night: ‘’In a world in which technology and its algorithms have become highly influential in our daily lives, we’d almost rather stare at our screens than look out for each other. With << Algorhythm >>, we pay a tribute to natural, spontaneous HUMAN rhythm as a counterpoint to the sophisticated intoxicating algorithms of the computer.’’The << algorithm >> It determines what we see, what we listen to, whom we meet. The worldwide web seems to be this free world in which everyone has access to everything and everyone. But in reality, it steers us in a certain direction. A direction that often feels natural, reassuring, safe even. It confirms our thoughts and doesn’t confront us with different ways of thinking, with new perspectives. While getting swallowed up in our bubbles, we slowly drift apart.With this new analogue album, nine-headed instrumental collective Jungle By Night bursts our bubble and reminds us to surrender to being human. With styles such as Dance, Funk, Jazz and KrautRock, mixed into a completely unique and inclusive genre of danceable music: Analog Dance Music, the band invites us to live in the moment and welcome serendipity. The oddball ensemble exists within its own cosmos and serves us a danceable and thundering live act, connecting with crowds like no other, with beaming fun and energy along the way.Jungle By Night: ‘’ During the corona crisis, we as a band had a lot of time to reflect on the role and function of (live) music. One of the magical powers of live music is how it can create an atmosphere of freedom, expression, and togetherness. Will we still be able to surrender to this after over a year of staring at our screens or have we drifted away? And is there any silver lining? This album explores the dividing lines between man and machine. The pandemic allowed us to take a new artistic step by implementing more theatrical elements to create a fully cohesive album.’’

At the peak of an illustrious musical career, they were hailed as Kenya’s longest enduring band. Impressive records sales pegged on hit Jambo Bwana’s popularity – earned Them Mushrooms a coveted platinum certification. This song turned into an anthem, selling over 200,000 units between 1982 and 1987.It was a remarkable badge of honour, even as foreign disco hits reigned supreme in a wave of dominance on then sole national twin-radio broadcast stations. Unwittingly, the hit may have overshadowed numerous other less known musical gems. These include songs re-issued in a rare four-track, freshly released, self-titled Them Mushrooms EP.The distinct multi-layered, synth-grooves oozing off Akumu Nyar Kisumu/Bi Uru Wamiel pressed on side A and Ndogo Ndogo/Msondo Ngoma on flip side – were unmistakably the band’s trademark identity for close to a decade.“I was fortunate to be part of this pivotal Mushrooms band phase, which brought the infectious chakacha rhythms from Indian Ocean shores to the capital, staging concerts at the Carnivore Hotel,” recounts Dave ‘Mobb’ Otieno, often described as Nairobi’s lead guitar sorcerer.“We performed the coastal flavoured songs at full house gigs; the city’s all-night-long party revelers who had not watched the band previously were always mesmerised,” enthuses Otieno.He had just joined the closely woven, skillful and multi-talented instrumentalists then fronted by founder member and tenor saxophonist Teddy Kalanda. The rest of band comprised bassist Billy ‘Chief’ Sarro, George ‘Mr Extra’ Zirro playing either of four keyboards alongside John ‘Bishop’ Katana, with Nassor ‘Al Brown’ Mbarak on trumpet and drummer Dennis Kalume.Somewhat interestingly, Teddy, Billy, George, John and Dennis shared the same surname – and were often referred to as the Harrison brothers. The band was originally founded during late 1960s as a family friend’s affair, then a prevalent trend among fledgling outfits from the region.But it was not until 1972 that Them Mushrooms formally hit the road, staging sporadic gigs, mostlyin beachfront hotels, some which still dot Mombasa city’s coastline. Over subsequent years, they traversed different parts of Kenya performing in every imaginable location, whether in upmarket, urban hotels or dusty market venues in remote counties.The formative years’ repertoire was manifestly influenced by the laid-back-pop blend of chakacha and taarab rhythms – heavily hinged on traditional music styles. It is hardly surprising the re-issued Ndogo Ndogo, Msondo Ngoma and Akumu Nyar Kisumu – are predominantly laced with the catchy, step-out-in-your-dancing-shoes coastal flavour.But the track Bi Uru Wamiel inclines towards a bouncy, urban-hip style. The lyrics are sung partially in streetwise sheng – local slang popular among Nairobi’s cosmopolitan youthful populace. It could have been an attempt seeking subtle footing or even resonance with band’s shift to the 80s disco-and-funk-drenched capital city.Notably, Ndogo Ndogo stood out as the strongest track cut on the New Horizons album [1985]. Kenyan filmmaker Paul Singh, later snapped it up as a soundtrack on his Swahili language movie production titled Mahari [dowry].The lyrics wax praise on a comely damsel endowed with a shapely waistline, whose stunning looks turn heads around wherever she walks past.Akumu Nyar Kisumu is a coyly crafted love song, a suitor’s lamentations about sleepless nights and desires to propose nuptials to the lakeside beauty.Culled off rare, out-of-circulation 45s and re-mastered afresh, Msondo Ngoma and Ndogo Ndongo are hell bent on drawing revellers to jam underground dancefloors across Europe, Japan, the US and Canada.Indisputably, this Afro7 Records label EP may herald Them Mushrooms resurgence, yet again into the limelight – perhaps, just in time to toast the band’s 45th anniversary.– Emmanuel Mwendwa 2017

Minnie RIPERTONLes Fleur (Record Store Day 2020)Selector Series

Ziad Rahbani is a Lebanese cultural icon. Born into a famous musical family, the renowned pianist and producer is also a playwright, as well as being one of the most important exponents of the Lebanese left-wing counterculture of the '70s. "Abu Ali" was recorded in Athens with a full orchestra and released as a limited run EP in his home country. Legend has it was only pressed at 500 units and hence its rarity The result is a fabulous New York-meets-Beyrouth disco. Wewantsounds presents the first-ever official vinyl reissue of Rahbani's mythical 1978 release on his label Zida Records.

Helen Umebuani Nee Nkume was born in 1943 at Nbiabike Amekpu Ohafia. Though her father was a prominent member of the community, her family moved to the bigger city of Umuahia, capital city of Abia State, while she was still young. She received her education there and while in secondary school she met her future husband, Umebuani Onwuzulike. Their marriage was blessed with three wonderful children.Helen started her musical career in the early 70s, forming a group known as the Young Timers. They recorded their first couple of Highlife albums for Tabansi, both of which became hits in the east side of the country. By the late 70s she self-produced and released her two best albums: "Young Timers Band" and "Vol.IV", which were pressed in very limited editions and distributed mainly in the area where the group was active, Umuahia and its surroundings.The music on those albums have a certain progression to them. The "Young Timers Band" LP is mostly still steeped in the highlife mood that distinguishes her earlier work but one track, "Umo Imo Special", stands out from the rest. It's a fusion between highlife, jazz and afrobeat and totally dance-floor friendly - what we would call “Countryside Afrobeat”."Vol.IV" has a more defined Afro Funk sound but the tracks "Music" and "Onye Ije" are clearly among the most loved of that Countryside Afrobeat genere. (We'd like to note here that on this last track we decided to maintain its original sound as much as possible. In fact, the production is somehow quite lo-fi, with the music relatively low and in back compared to the up front vocals, a style that we believe was intended by the group.)By the early 90's Helen had become born again and started performing on gospel Albums, eventually becoming one of the most successful Nigerian gospel musicians of the 90's.Helen Nkume albums are some of the most elusive produced in Nigeria during the 70s and finding her family has been as complicated as finding clean copies of her albums!We remember the first time we found her orange album. We didn't know what it contained but something about the cover shouted “pick me up”! We were in a village near Umahia, had no light nor way to listen to it on our turntable but when a cover speaks to you that way - you have to trust it. Once we got back to our room we played it and were happily surprised. Our minds started mulling over the idea of making something special and we started to talk with all our friends, musicians and artists in the area in order to find some info about her. For 2 years though – nothing, apart from discovering that she had passed away in early 2000. Luckily our good friend Austin from The Combats was able to locate her daughter and son in Umuhaia and we were finally able to license the music from them. Sadly, not much material was left, only one very, very damaged picture.