The Rough Guide to African Disco is a world music compilation album originally released in 2013 featuring mainly 1970s and '80s African disco. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album contains two discs: an overview of the genre on Disc One, and a "bonus" Disc Two highlighting Cameroonian artist Maloko. Disc One features five South African tracks, four Nigerian, two Ghanaian, and one each from Cameroon and France. The release was compiled by Dominic Raymond-Barker and Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network.[1][2]
| The Rough Guide To African Disco | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by Various artists | ||||
| Released | 15 April 2013 | |||
| Genre | World, African pop, disco | |||
| Length | 96:56 | |||
| Label | World Music Network | |||
| Full series chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Complete list | ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| MSN Music (Expert Witness)[3] | A- |
| PopMatters[4] |   |
| Time Out[5] |   |
Gregory Heaney of AllMusic called the album "solid" and praised the World Music Network for increasing the world's funkiness.[6] Robert Christgau rewarded the release with an "A−", saying it succeeded in finding the balance between "cheap commercialism and heartfelt ambition." While "The Dean" waxed poetic on Disc Two,[3] David Maine of PopMatters pronounced it a stab at "accessibility for western ears" fallen flat. He did however call the "Afro-funk" and "Afro-pop" of Disc One worth exploring.[4] Writing for TimeOut, Lydia Jenkin labelled the album "stunning".[5]
Track listing
editDisc One
edit| No. | Title | Artist (Country) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Brand New Wayo" | Mixed Grill  | 5:01 |
| 2. | "Yesu San Bra" | Pat Thomas  | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Come On Home" | The Lijadu Sisters | 5:16 |
| 4. | "Kazet" | Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens  | 3:46 |
| 5. | "Kwedini" | Yvonne Chaka Chaka | 4:36 |
| 6. | "Ohue" | Sir Victor Uwaifo (Frankie Francis & Simbad edit) | 5:37 |
| 7. | "Be Africa" | Bibi Tanga & The Selenites   | 4:15 |
| 8. | "Yekey Tenge" | Manu Dibango  | 5:57 |
| 9. | "Dance The Body Music" | Osibisa | 3:48 |
| 10. | "Tsa-oo" | Mango Groove | 4:15 |
| 11. | "Oh Yeh Soweto" | Teaspoon & The Waves | 4:14 |
| 12. | "Love Is A Natural Thing" | Tony Allen & The Afro Messengers | 9:08 |
| 13. | "ToiToi" | Marumo | 3:38 |
Disc Two
editDisc Two is a re-release of Maloko's Soul on Fire.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In The Midnight Hour (Medley I)" | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Stand By Me" | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Wonderful World" | 4:28 |
| 4. | "Words of Love" | 2:39 |
| 5. | "In The Midnight Hour (Medley II)" | 4:24 |
| 6. | "Direct Me" | 5:51 |
| 7. | "Soul Man" | 3:45 |
| 8. | "Cold Sweat" | 5:02 |
References
edit- ^ World Music Network. "About Us - The WMN Story". Retrieved 2013-12-21.
- ^ Discogs. "Various – The Rough Guide To African Disco". Discogs. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "Expert Witness". MSN Music. Retrieved 21 Dec 2013.
- ^ a b Maine, David (13 June 2013). "Various Artists: The Rough Guide to African Disco". PopMatters. Retrieved 21 Dec 2013.
- ^ a b Jenkin, Lydia. "Album review: Various, The Rough Guide to African Disco". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 Dec 2013.
- ^ Heaney, Gregory. "The Rough Guide to African Disco". Allmusic. Retrieved 30 Dec 2013.