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Assagai
Assagai was an Afro-rock band, active in the early 1970s in London, whose relatively short career produced two albums recorded in 1971. It has been described as "the second best-known African group of the late 60s/early 70s in Britain" after Osibisa. History The original band consisted of five members, three from South Africa and two from Nigeria: drummer Louis Moholo, trumpeter/flautist Mongezi Feza, alto saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, tenor saxophonist Bizo Mngqikana, and guitarist/bassist Fred Coker – the latter, according to Rob Fitzpatrick in ''The Guardian'', "helped guide Assagai into position as the only real West African competition to the super-star firepower of Ghana's Osibisa" before Coker left Assagai to replace Spartacus R in Osibisa. Canterbury scene keyboardist Alan Gowen and King Crimson percussionist Jamie Muir were also briefly members (1971–72). [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zimbabwe (Assagai Album)
''Zimbabwe'' is an album by afro-rock band Assagai. Their second and final release, it was recorded at Nova Sound Studios in London for Vertigo Records, but was instead issued by Philips Records in 1971. The album features saxophonists Dudu Pukwana, Bizo Mngqikana, and Fred Fredericks, trumpeter Mongezi Feza, vocalist Martha Mdenge, drummer Louis Moholo, percussionists Terri Quaye and Smiley De Jonnes, and members of the progressive rock group Jade Warrior, who also contributed three compositions. Cover art was provided by Roger Dean, best known for his work with bands such as Yes, Asia, and Uriah Heep. In 1975, the album was reissued by the Music for Pleasure label with the title ''Afrorock''. Reception In a review for AllMusic, Richie Unterberger called the album "a very interesting fusion of funk, rock, and African influences that's quite forward-looking for the early '70s, with just a bit of psychedelia thrown in," and wrote: "When they're playing in a relatively st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dudu Pukwana
Mthutuzeli Dudu Pukwana (18 July 1938 – 30 June 1990) was a South African saxophonist and composer. Early years in South Africa Dudu Pukwana was born in Walmer, Port Elizabeth, Walmer Township, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He grew up studying piano in his family, but in 1956 he switched to alto saxophone after meeting tenor saxophone player Nikele Moyake."Mtutuzeli Dudu Pukwana" South African History online. In 1962, Pukwana won first prize at the Johannesburg Jazz Festival with Moyake's Jazz Giants (1962 Gallo/Teal). In his early days he also played with Kippie Moeketsi. Chris McGregor then invited him to join the pioneering The Blue Notes, Blue Notes sextet, where he played along with Mongezi Feza, Nikele Moyake, Johnny Dyani and Louis Moholo. Although the Blue Notes are often consider ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louis Moholo
Louis Tebogo Moholo (10 March 1940 – 13 June 2025) was a South African jazz drummer. He was a member of several notable bands, including The Blue Notes, the Brotherhood of Breath and Assagai. Biography Born in Cape Town, Moholo formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, and emigrated to Europe with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made an important contribution to British jazz. In 1966, he toured Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he performed at the Theatron with Steve Lacy, Johnny Dyani and Enrico Rava and recorded the album ''The Forest and the Zoo'' with the same musicians. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Breath, a big band comprising several South African exiles and leading musicians of the British free jazz scene in the 1970s and was the founder of Viva la Black and The Dedication Orchestra. His first album under his own name, '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mongezi Feza
Mongezi Feza (11 May 1945 – 14 December 1975) was a South African jazz trumpeter and flautist. Biography Feza was born in Queenstown, Cape Province, Union of South Africa, into a family of musicians, His elder brother, Sandi Feza, who taught him how to play the trumpet in the dusty streets of Mlungisi township in Queenstown. A member of The Blue Notes, Feza left South Africa in 1964 and settled in Europe, living in London and Copenhagen. As a trumpeter, his influences included hard bopper Clifford Brown and free jazz pioneer Don Cherry. After The Blue Notes splintered in the late 1960s, he played with British rock musician Robert Wyatt, progressive rock band Henry Cow, and most extensively with fellow ex-Blue Notes musicians Johnny Dyani, Chris McGregor and Dudu Pukwana. Feza's compositions "Sonia" and "You Ain't Gonna Know Me ('Cos You Think You Know Me)" remained in the repertoire of his colleagues long after his death. In the early 1970s, Feza was also member of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vertigo Records
Vertigo Records is a British record company. It was a subsidiary of the Philips/Phonogram record label, launched in 1969 to specialise in progressive rock and other non-mainstream musical styles. Today, it is operated by Universal Music Group#Berlin, Universal Music Germany, and the UK catalogue was folded into Mercury Records, which was absorbed in 2013 by Virgin EMI Records, which returned to the EMI Records name in June 2020. History Vertigo was the brainchild of Olav Wyper when he was Creative Director at Phonogram Inc., Phonogram. It was launched as a competitor to labels such as Harvest Records, Harvest (a prog subsidiary of EMI) and Deram Records, Deram (Decca Records, Decca). It was the home to bands such as Colosseum (band), Colosseum, Jade Warrior (band), Jade Warrior, Affinity (band), Affinity, Ben and other bands from 'the "cutting edge" of the early-'70s British prog-folk-post-psych-early Heavy Metal circuit'. The first Vertigo releases came with a black and white ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jade Warrior (band)
Jade Warrior were a British progressive rock band formed in 1970, originally evolving out of a band named July. The founder members were Tony Duhig (guitar) (born Anthony Christopher Duhig, 18 September 1941, Acton, west London; died 11 November 1990, Somerset, England), Jon Field ( flute, percussion, keyboards) (born John Frederick Field, 5 July 1940, Harrow, Middlesex) and Glyn Havard (vocals, bass) (born 15 February 1947, Nantyglo, South Wales). David Duhig, the younger brother of Tony Duhig, played on several of Jade Warrior's albums and in every live gig Jade Warrior ever performed - apart from the reunion concert of 2008. He died 1 December 2021. History Jon Field and Tony Duhig met in the early 1960s when working in a factory (both driving forklifts). Soon they found common musical interests (jazz, African and Japanese music), started playing instruments (Jon a set of congas, Tony a guitar, which he tuned unconventionally to open C), bought a four-track tape record ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Gowen
Alan Gowen (19 August 1947 – 17 May 1981) was an English fusion/progressive rock keyboardist, best known for his work in Gilgamesh and National Health. History Gowen was born in North Hampstead, northwest London. He joined Assagai in 1971 before going on to found Sunship in 1972 with Jamie Muir (drums, also from Assagai) and Laurie Baker (bass). The band also included Allan Holdsworth on guitar. He formed Gilgamesh in 1973 and started a collaboration with Hatfield and the North, eventually founding National Health with Hatfield and the North's keyboardist Dave Stewart in 1975. Gowen left National Health in 1977, though returned briefly for the recording sessions of their first album. In 1978, Gowen formed Soft Heap with Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper, and Pip Pyle. With Dave Sheen replacing Pyle, the band toured as Soft Head in the summer of 1978. He also recorded a second Gilgamesh album that year. Gowen re-joined National Health in 1979-1980 and also continued with Soft H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jamie Muir
William James Graham Muir (4 July 1945 – 17 February 2025) was a Scottish painter and musician, best known for his work as the percussionist in King Crimson from 1972 to 1973, appearing prominently on their fifth album '' Larks' Tongues in Aspic''. Following his departure from King Crimson, Muir relocated to Scotland, where he pursued a monastic Buddhist lifestyle at Samye Ling Monastery. He returned to music in 1980, later contributing percussion to studio albums from Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, and Michael Giles, the latter of whom was a founding member of King Crimson. By 1990, Muir had permanently retired from music and focused his efforts on painting. Life and career Early life and career William James Graham Muir was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 4 July 1945. He attended the Edinburgh College of Art during the 1960s, and began playing jazz on trombone. He soon lost interest and switched to percussion, stating that he preferred to be "in the wilds of uncertainty". At ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Blue Notes
The Blue Notes were a South African jazz sextet, whose definitive line-up featured Chris McGregor on piano, Mongezi Feza on trumpet, Dudu Pukwana on alto saxophone, Nikele Moyake on tenor saxophone, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo-Moholo on drums. After moving away from their home country in 1964, they established themselves on the European jazz circuit, where they continued to play and record through the 1970s. They are now considered one of the great free jazz bands of their era, whose music was given a unique flavour by their integration of African styles such as Kwela into the progressive jazz ideas of the time. Early days Although the band was initially based in Cape Town (five of the group's six members came from the Eastern Cape), they came to prominence at the 1963 National Jazz Festival in Johannesburg. An album recorded after the festival was released as ''Jazz – The African Sound'', but this was not a Blue Notes record ''per se'', it was rather an albu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roger Dean (artist)
William Roger Dean (born 31 August 1944) is an English artist, designer, and publisher. He began painting posters and album covers for musicians in the late 1960s. The groups for whom he did the most art are the English rock bands Yes and Asia. The covers often feature exotic fantasy landscapes. His work has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. Early life William Roger Dean was born on 31 August 1944 in Ashford, Kent. His mother studied dress design at Canterbury School of Art before her marriage and his father was an engineer in the British Army. He has three siblings, brother Martyn and sisters Penny and Philippa. Much of Dean's childhood was spent in Greece, Cyprus, and, from age 12 to 15, Hong Kong, so his father could carry out army duties. Dean was very keen on natural history as a child, and Chinese landscape art and feng shui became particular influences on him during his time in Hong Kong. He has cited landscape, "and the pathways through it", as his gre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Afro-rock
Afro rock is a Rock music, rock music genre that fuses Western rock instrumentation with traditional African musical elements, which emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Influences Afro rock draws heavily from traditional African music styles and genres, including Afrobeat, Highlife, Jùjú music, Jùjú, and Soukous. It is also influenced by Western musical styles such as psychedelic rock, funk, and blues. Prominent Western artists and bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Santana (band), Santana, Jimi Hendrix, and La Fayette contributed to the development of Afro rock through their avant-garde approaches to rock music. In the late 1960s, bands including the Super Eagles and Psychedelic Aliens made important developments to the genre. Fela Kuti, a Nigeria, Nigerian musician and Activism, activist, played an important role in the genesis of Afro rock through his influence on the development of Afrobeat, a genre incorporating elements from both traditional African music with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Osibisa
Osibisa is a Ghanaian-Caribbean Afro rock band founded in London in the late 1960s by four expatriate West African and three London-based Caribbean musicians. Osibisa was the most successful and longest lived of the African-heritage bands in London, alongside such contemporaries as Assagai, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, Demon Fuzz, Black Velvet, and Noir, and was largely responsible for the establishment of world music and Afro-rock as a marketable genre. The original band that featured on the first three studio albums was universally known as the "Beautiful Seven", also a song on their album '' Woyaya''. History In Ghana in the 1950s, Teddy Osei (saxophone), Sol Amarfio (drums), Mamon Shareef, and Farhan Freere (flute) played in a highlife band called The Star Gazers. They left to form the Comets, with Osei's brother Mac Tontoh on trumpet, and scored a hit in West Africa with their 1958 song "(I Feel) Pata Pata". In 1962, Osei moved to London to study music ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
