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The Vinyl Whistle

Lafayette Afro Rock Band  - Soul Makossa

Lafayette Afro Rock Band  - Soul Makossa

Regular price £22.00
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Genre: Funk/Soul   Black LP

Strut proudly presents the first official remastered reissue of the funk/Afro classic, Lafayette Afro Rock Band's Soul Makossa from 1973. In 1971, an undocumented seven-member Afro-American ensemble known as the Bobby Boyd Congress made a transformative journey from the United States to France. Bandleader Frank Abel recollects,"We sensed that the soul and funk market was saturated back home, and our original plan was a brief 6-month stint in Paris. Surprisingly, we ended up staying for a decade." Upon lead singer Bobby Boyd's return to the U.S., the group rebranded as Ice and crossed paths with independent producer Pierre Jaubert, a seasoned studio professional with credits on groundbreaking recordings alongside Charles Mingus, John Lee Hooker, and Archie Shepp, among others.

Drawing inspiration from Motown's work ethic, Jaubert initiated regular rehearsals with Ice. He recalled, "I didn't want to mimic Berry, but with seven talented musicians collaborating daily, something unique emerged." The band, residing in Paris and immersed in the African-dominated Barbesse district, began infusing African elements into their music frequently performing with Paris-dwelling Camaroonian and legendary composer Manu Dibango.

Rechristening themselves Lafayette Afro Rock Band, the group's musical direction shifted towards predominantly instrumental compositions, characterized by a weightier, more intricate Afro-funk sound. Their debut recording under this new moniker, Soul Makossa, made a powerful impact with a dynamic rendition of Dibango's classic, coupled with the intense break of 'Hihache' and the contagious 'Nicky.' Initially released by Musidisc in France and later in the U.S. via Editions Makossa, the album omitted the title track due to publishing clearance issues.

Despite modest sales upon its initial release, the album's enduring influence became evident as hip-hop culture surged in the '80s, establishing it as a primary source for samples and riffs. The iconic 'Hihache' break found fame in Biz Markie's 'Nobody Beats The Biz,' and tracks from the album were lifted by LL Cool J, The Beatnuts, Kruder and Dorfmeister, and numerous others.

This remastered reissue, the first of its kind, meticulously crafted by The Carvery from the original tapes, showcases the album in its entirety and includes the full original artwork.

Shipping

The Vinyl Whistle uses Royal Mail for national and international deliveries.

For UK deliveries, please allow up to 7 business days for delivery; expected delivery usually between 3 - 5 days. Delivery outside of the UK may take longer, please allow up to 15 business days for delivery; expected delivery is between 5 - 10 days.

We only do Signed deliveries for domestic UK orders, and Tracked deliveries for international orders with Royal Mail to ensure safe and quicker delivery of your orders.

 

Please note, The Vinyl Whistle accepts no responsibility for any package which is damaged, lost or stolen during transit. Compensation for damage or loss should be pursued through the claims procedure offered by the Royal Mail - contact us if you need help with this.

Return policy

Please contact orders.thevinylwhistle@gmail.com

We want you to be happy with your purchase from The Vinyl Whistle. If for some reason you are not entirely satisfied with the goods or service you receive, we ask that you contact us directly in order to resolve the issue.

 

Please be mindful of the possible age of some of our used vinyl when considering its condition.

Instore - Tickets & Events

If you have purchased a pre-order as entry to one of our instore gigs, you will be able to collect the vinyl or CD on the day of the event and get it signed by the performer or band.

We won't be printing tickets for this, please use your email order confirmation for entry.

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