Oldies But Goodies

AMANAZ "Africa" (re-issued on QDK Records/Shadoks Records, 2010)

I listen to a lot of music but just rarely it happens to find out something that completely blows you away...that's the case of this amazing 70's African five-piece band, formed in 1973 by ex-members of Clasters, Black Souls, MacBeth and Wrong Number and composed by Keith Kabwe (vocals, maracas, tambourine), Isaac Mpofu (guitar, vocals), John Kanyepa (guitar, vocals), Jerry Mausala (bass, vocals), Watson Lungu (drums, vocals), all involved on writing and singing.“Africa”, recorded in the city of Kitwe in north Zambia in 1975, is a milestone of the Zambia's 70s “Zamrock” scene: 60's psychedelic grooves, plenty of fuzz guitar improvs, African rhythms, stoned chants and funky drums, with a ramshackle underground sound & feel – raw, organic, warm, beautiful. This feels like it was hand carved out of an old tree, rather than recorded in a studio. Mostly sung in English, with a couple of tunes in the native “Bemba” language, it's easily comparable with UK underground albums with a touch of African beats .

Sounds good immediately, but repeated listens reveals rare timeless magic, that makes you want more. Still completely unknown, so this album has not been scored yet by the collectors' scene. A real surprise. This little lost gem is more precious than simple very-rare-rather-good material.