The Great African Disco w/ Temi Kogbe

I heard that a movie has been made on the legendary Ayinla Omowura by the not less legendary filmmaker extraordinaire, Tunde Kelani and I was elated. Before the Ayinla there was the old mega mammoth, Alhaji Haruna Ishola, a man who really marked the history of the Apala music genre, a music with its roots in Islamic prayer chants and replete with Yoruba folklore, idioms and pearls of wisdom as well as being social music. At the time of his emergence, the Apala genre was fast losing its place as the number one contender for social parties. Omowura’s success can be attributed to his smooth soaring delivery over cocky drum patterns. Instead of old-age axioms, he infused his music with slang, humour and references to the working-class neighborhoods of Mushin, this endeared him greatly to the youth who recognized him as their voice. In the record I chose for my next mix on NTS, he can be heard name-dropping, Emmanuel Odenusi and Kayode Salami (sound engineers at EMI). Who micc'd the percussions to perfection, this mix highlights the exchanges between the vocals and the drums which are a delight to the soul. I like to listen to the music with the drums pushed forward, like in a drum and bass sound clash between four greats.