Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Osibisa
Label: Repertoire Records
Release: 1971
Runtime: 41:36
Rating: 4/5
The Ghanaian musical shamans Osibisa are without a doubt one of the most important jazz rock outfits of all time, though their biggest contribution was to the development and popularization of world music. They wrote themselves into music history in the early seventies with their unique blend of jazz, funk, fusion, R&B, Latin, Caribbean music and African rhythms, while as expected, the end of the decade brought a gradual commercialization of their sound through absorbing elements of disco. But the band’s golden age arrived already with their self-titled debut, which can be declared without reservation a jazz rock masterpiece and a pioneering work in the fusion of rock and world music.
The band was founded in 1969 by the Ghanaian saxophonist Teddy Osei and drummer Sol Amarfio. Osei had already moved to London in 1964, with the support of the Ghanaian government, to get a classical music education, and that’s where the band’s main “HQ” ended up being. The original incarnation, besides him and Amarfio, featured Wendell Richardson on lead guitar (originally from Antigua), Spartacus R (real name Roy Bedau) on bass from Grenada, Trinidadian Robert Bailey on keyboards and the Nigerian Lasisi Amao on percussion and tenor sax.
The combination of three African and three Caribbean musicians was key to their music being dominated by rhythms of African peoples that are thousands of years old. Mixing those rhythms with elements of jazz, rock and funk gave rise to a completely unique sound that set them miles apart from other related jazz rock and progressive rock bands. The closest sonic kinship you could find is in the legacy of early Santana and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Their 1971 self-titled debut is best described as jazz rock-world fusion under heavy influence of the African-Caribbean musical tradition. Before you even hit play, the first good impression comes from the excellent, almost iconic album cover, the work of the famous British designer and illustrator Roger Dean (best known for his covers for bands like Yes, Uriah Heep, Asia, Budgie, etc.). The flying elephants soon became the band’s trademark, their instantly recognizable emblem, so to speak.
The opening instrumental “Dawn” takes us straight into the African savannas and jungles, where Osei, over morning birdsong and the chirping of cicadas, first proudly announces the band’s African roots, and then in the next moment the harmonic rhythms of tribal percussion kick in and set everything swaying into a boisterous dance of all sorts of instruments. These folkloric inserts are soon enriched by a thick, funk-spiced bass line, temperamental bursts of sax and juicy Hammond organ tones. Richardson’s guitar phrases carry a strong bluesy undertone and a finely honed sense of improvisation, in which the influence of the great Jimi Hendrix is impossible to miss. With a clever use of flute between the individual sax arrangements, they also bring in a breath of folk.
“Music For Gong Gong” has an almost danceable melody, courtesy of wild rhythms from all sorts of percussion and majestic, big band-style horn arrangements grafted onto funky bass lines. Despite the playful, Caribbean melody, they leave plenty of room for witty solo improvisations, while the warm Hammond tones once again act as the connecting instrument between the percussion and the winds. The intro to “Ayiko Bia” is a veritable tribal war cry, and the whole lyric is in the authentic dialect of one of the Ghanaian tribes. No early-seventies jazz rock band would be ashamed of that fusion of red-hot Hammond runs and sprawling horn arrangements, and any blues or rock band of the era would pay dearly for that excellent guitar solo. The wild percussion rhythms once again keep the shamanic mood of the ancient ancestors going, who surely never dreamed that their music would one day reach the western-northern ears of their former colonial masters, let alone be widely appreciated.
“Akwaaba” has a super playful melody, built on a fusion of sax arrangements and energetic Hammond runs, while the Caribbean percussion, teamed up with melancholic guitar passages, this time creates a wonderfully romantic, idyllic vibe. “Oranges”, true to its name, is steeped in an authentic summer atmosphere. Caribbean dance rhythms are soaked in bluesy guitar tricks, which together with the feisty saxes create an exceptionally pleasant melody. It sounds kind of like crossing the music from old James Bond movies with Caribbean folk tradition.
“Phallus C” is the most rhythmically complex composition on the album, with a whole bunch of different rhythmic variations traded off on African drums and percussion. The lyrics and the multi-voice chorus are in English this time, though as you’d expect, there’s a strong African accent. The rowdy percussion hits once again conjure up a wild shamanic dance, while the whistle sounds in between make it easy to imagine this witty track being played at the upcoming soccer World Cup in South Africa. Superb guitar, organ and sax variations are once again plentiful, confirming the outstanding instrumental chops of every band member and their love of sonic experimentation.
The socially conscious closing masterpiece “Think About the People” has an excellent jazz rock melody, crossing temperamental sax passages with melancholic guitar lines, while it all gets tied together by fighting-spirited Caribbean rhythms, which stir up some memories of early Santana gems. While the vocals are surprisingly spot-on this time and even have a breath of soul, the biggest treat is still Osei’s sax acrobatics, while Bailey’s organ parts don’t lag far behind the feats of organ masters like Keith Emerson, Jon Lord or Pete Bardens. The message of the lyrics could easily be imagined at all kinds of charity events or as a call to free Nelson Mandela.
With its unique fusion of jazz rock, funk and world music, Osibisa’s debut takes us deep into the heart of the African savannas and jungles, with a short layover in the Caribbean islands. The descendants of ancient African peoples successfully fulfilled their mission, and at just the right time, when jazz fusion and progressive rock were enjoying their greatest boom, managed to bring their forefathers’ musical legacy closer to western ears in a jazz rock-kneaded version. The excellent, and above all diverse and unique jazz rock compositions, plus the influence the album had on the development and popularization of world music, are the main reasons it earned masterpiece status, even though the band still had plenty of aces up its sleeve later in its career. Any fan of jazz fusion and world music who happens to be interested in African culture too will fall in love with this album easily. “Osibisa” had nice chart success back then, and since “word got around”, the band went on to collaborate with numerous important jazz musicians, Stevie Wonder, Thin Lizzy, Uriah Heep, etc.
Line-up
Teddy Osei – flute, saxophone, vocals, African drums
Wendel Richardson – guitar, vocals
Spartacus R – bass, percussion
Mac Tontoh – trumpet, horn, Kabosi
Loughty Amao – congas, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
Sol Amarfio – drums
Robert Bailey – organ, keyboards, piano, cymbals
Production
Osibisa
Track list
1. Dawn (7:03)
2. Music for Gong Gong (5:29)
3. Ayiko Bia (7:53)
4. Akwaaba (4:20)
5. Oranges (4:40)
6. Phallus C (7:14)
7. Think About the People (4:21)
