The James Brown of Lomé
Back in the 1970s and early 80s when he was performing 5 nights a week at the beachfront Hotel Tropicana with his killer Togolese band Les As Du Bénin, Roger Damawuzan was known as “the James Brown of Lomé.” At age 70, he has just released Seda (“Listen” in the Mina language), his first album in 40 years, and Roger feels good — he feels better than James Brown.
Part of the reason why Roger feels good is that he’s being backed up by one of the best funk bands in the world: Vaudou Game from Lyon France led by Roger’s nephew Peter Solo. They recorded the album at the OTODI studio in Lomé, where Roger cut his early 45s and which has been reclaimed from the jungle by Peter and his friends.
Seda is one of the feel-good albums of 2022 — you’ll hear a track from it this week on Global A Go-Go. Also this week (Sunday November 20, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards on the wrir.org archive player, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site): vintage and new Nigerian highlife, more Wassoulou rock, deep roots reggae featuring a terrific Pablo Moses reissue, the bacchanal sounds of soca from Trinidad, and Joe Bataan’s Latin soul.
Podcast: radio4all.net/program/114035
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/series/Global%20A%20Go-Go
Show archive
Playlist
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Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, “Global a Go-Go”
from Global a Go-Go
BMG Rights Management (US) LLC - 2001
England UK
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Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band, “Kamelaba”
from Sonbonbela
Sublime Frequencies - 2022
Burkina Faso
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Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats & Geraldo Pino, “Let Them Talk”
from Heavy Heavy Heavy
RetroAfric - 2005
Sierra Leone-Ghana, 1974
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Jacob Miller, “80,000 Careless Ethiopians”
Trojan - 2004
Jamaica, 1977
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The Gatherers, “Words of My Mouth”
from King Scratch (Musical Masterpieces from the Upsetter Ark-ive)
Trojan Records - 2022
Jamaica, 1973
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Horace Andy & Jah Stitch, “Zion Gate / Every Wicked Have To Crawl”
from Step Forward Youth
VP Records - 2018
Jamaica, 1978
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Shurwayne Winchester & David Rudder, “Bacchanal Come”
SW Limited - 2022
Trinidad & Tobago
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Pete & Louie, “Evil Ways”
from El Barrio: Sounds From The Spanish Harlem Streets
Fania - 2007
USA, 1970
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Yerba Buena, “Bilingual Girl (Featuring Joe Bataan)”
from Island Life
Razor & Tie - 2005
Venezuela-Cuba-USA