Whether Nigerian Afrobeat or Mali’s desert blues, West Africa has grabbed the lion’s share of acclaim for the continent’s musical legacy. As a corrective comes this treasure chest of dance classics from Kenya and Tanzania, made between 1972 and 1982, when Nairobi was a cultural hotspot, forging its own identity through styles such as benga and zilipendwa with acts like Afro 70 and Super Mambo Jazz Band 69 mixing together Latin rhythms, Swahili lyrics, sumptuous vocal harmonies and torrents of melodious guitars. Others, such as Maquis Du Zaire, borrowed from the brass sections of Memphis soul. Expertly curated by DJ John Armstrong, these 27 tracks alternately caress and kick ass. For the generation that’s rediscovered Fela and Afrobeat, it’s time to go east.
