Wrasse Records: Zaire 74 - The African Artists (180g) Vinyl 3LP

Afrobeat heads, take note! An essential document of modern African music history rescued from obscurity. Zaire 74 was a 3-day music festival in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) organized by South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela in an effort to showcase African musicians alongside popular American acts for American tourists who would be in the city for Muhammad Ali’s legendary fight against George Foreman. When the fight was postponed due to an injury suffered by Foreman, plans for the festival were nearly abandoned but ultimately continued as planned with 80,000 people in attendance. Performances by James Brown, Bill Withers and The Spinners were a major draw but the live recordings of these native Zairean / Congolese musicians have gone unheard until now. These 33 tracks spread across three vinyl LPs showcase a mix of upbeat funk by Tuby Ley Rochereau & Afrisa, groovy psych by Abumba Masikini, freeform afrobeat by Franco & T.P. O.K. Jazz, unplugged folk by Miriam Makeba and more. Deluxe gatefold sleeve contains extensive liner notes and artist photos.

• triple vinyl pressing
• deluxe gatefold sleeve
• limited edition
• music label: Wrasse Records 2017

reviewed by mayor of hounslow 06/2017