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Posted by Jose Sierra
on October 17, 2009, 9:37 am, in reply to "Re: Osibisa live - 1974"
69.42.5.143
Jim, Your message really got my mind going. First of all, even though you weren't in SF during the Latin Rock heyday, you had a front row seat to lots of incredible music in the UK. Would have loved to see that original Osibisa lineup. Even that lesser lineup in '74 stole the show from WAR and Bobby Blue Bland when I caught them at Winterland. I'll bet you saw Cymande live, too? I could go on and on with the bands I would have wanted to see in London...Traffic, Style Council, Loose Ends, among -many- others.
Thanks so much for the tip on the Osibisa book. I've attached the link on Amazon U.S.-the blurb sounds interesting. That original band was so great because the African members brought West African highlife and the Caribbean guys brought their funk, rock and soca feel. It's too bad Wendell Richardson had to leave, thinking he could make it as a solo artist. Aside from Superfly TNT and Happy Children I didn't really care much for their mid-period work 'til he returned on Welcome Home for tracks like Seaside Meditation. So, it almost seemed like an ethnic split, with the Ghanaians staying in and everyone else dropping out gradually after Heads. I guess we'll read about it in the book.
Though Kofi Ayivor was a superior hand drummer to Loughty, Loughty seemed to bring this unhinged vibe...I'm just basing this on the recordings and photos, but sure you saw this first hand. Sometimes those really "out there" personalities are the ones that get into deadly altercations like the one you describe. I'm thinking of other greats like Chano Pozo, Jaco, too...
I was intrigued by your mention of Batti Mamselle in your book, but I haven't been able to get ahold of their record. One of these days, I hope. I dug Richard Bailey's work in The Breakfast Band, though.
By the way, excellent new content on the Voices of Latin Rock site. It is worthy of inclusion in a Second Edition of the VOLR book, if you guys do one at some point.
Sorry for the wordy email... I'll be fascinated by anything you can add on this topic.
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