Artist: Orlando Julius and his modern Aces
Album: Super Afro Soul
Label: Vampi Soul
Year: 2007 (complete recordings of 1966-1972)
Reviewed By: Woodstock Slim
This is a real hard artist to write about because you already think the music is iffy and not really good enough or something. The reason for this is the watered down lukewarm versions of this genre was all you could find. All that floats to the top. Now! This! This is the real thing! Orlando Julius was one of the originators of Afro-beat in Nigeria , with small beginnings as a
drummer and was one of the main contemporaries of the legendary Fela Kuti from the mid
sixties onwards. When Fela returned to Nigeria he recruited Julius and the two started to
redefine the then "High Life" jazz sound(popular in Nigeria and surrounding countries at the time). He has become known outside of Nigeria since his early material was re-issued on Strut records and the track Alo Mi Alo was featured on the Strut Nigeria 70 compilation 2 years ago. Also responsible, but never properly credited for his part in writing the Lamont Dozier dance floor classic Going Back to My Roots, he has played with Hugh Masekela and worked on the musical score for Disney’s The Lion King.
The style of the Afro-Sounders is a fusion of High life, Jazz, Funk, and traditional Yoruba culture from the west of Nigeria. As well as remaining popular to the Nigerian community Afro-beat has become popular in the last few years with a diverse mix of house-producers, rare funk and jazz collectors, the world music community and many more – it’s influences being felt in all sorts of areas.The recordings Orlando made between the period of 1969-72, a period when
some of the funkiest sounds emanated from not only the USA but also Africa. You can hear
Otis Redding, The Temptations and all things Motown echoing here and there from the
American influences but its roots are strong. Finally the collectors have moved over and this
rare gold greats are available for all to buy and enjoy. I think we have not heard the last of
Vampi-soul recordings.
When I first put it on I knew I was suppose to have know this, it should have been part of
my upbringing. We listened as youngsters to The Legendary Kafala Brothers and old
Fela Kuti but never heard of Orlando even back then with out fuzzy sounding tape recordings
from midnight radio. This was a gap in our education. Of course we had warm and sweet
while other kids were getting into trouble and drinking and getting killed in clubs and car
crashes we were home glues to learning Africa instruments like the Mbira, flutes and marimba
playing and smoking a bit of dope to get closer to our roots.(WOW! that was private, oef!)
The history of Fela Kuti and Orlando Julius is just too much to document here so you have to
go and read up and find out just how these to men changes traditional music from Nigeria to
Rock, to Soul, to Afro Beat, to Psychedelic Afro Shop,to Deep Soul Funk, etc. etc.
This album, this man this band is like nothing you have ever heard. It is by no means alien.
You have in the past heard watered down versions of it and as a result not bothered with
the genre cause it was simply not enough. Now you can hear the epicenter of Afro Soul and
know exactly what it is you were mislead with. This is the real deal, this is the essence.
THESE ARE THE ROOTS everyone is always talking about!~ look no further.
visit: vampi soul
