Osibisa - OSIBISA***

The Dawn/Music For Gong Gong/Ayiko Bia/Akwaaba/Oranges/Phallus C/Think About The People

Self titled debut album from the African group Osibisa who introduced what became known as World Music to the British charts. It comprises a mixture of jazz, rock, R & B and Latin (US:55 UK:11)

“The band was the brain child of Ghanaian sax and flute player Teddy Osei, who had been trying to create a sound that would blend the dance/jazz experience he had brought from his homeland, with the rock and soul that were all the rage in western countries.”

“The album is a captivating and catchy mix of brassy choruses, licks and accents, a percussion heavy affair with moments when drums, timbales, bongos, cowbells, whistles or whatever may be used to mark a beat.”

“Their sound is an eclectic fusion of various types of African and Caribbean music but they also include a healthy dose of jazz, rock, Latin and R & B. I share the overwhelming opinion that Osibisa were indeed the African version of Santana.”

“Osibisa were one of the first bands to popularize the term ‘world music’ and influenced many others to follow their multi-cultural cross pollination. A very pleasant debut album where you can expect a big full sound delivering happy upbeat harmonies and rhythms very much in the style of early Santana.”

“This is a very interesting and comparatively unusual album by a true melting pot of band members, hailing from Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, and the UK. It's mostly instrumental prog, prominently featuring African rhythms, with some use of brass, some guitar, and a few vocal tracks as well. This blends what is now popularly known as ‘world music’ and is consistently good. An album well worth investigation by adventurous listeners looking for something off the beaten track.”

“The debut Osibisa album is a well presented blueprint for their unique world fusion sound, combining musical influences from across the world in a unique mixture. This is Afro-funk jazz rock crossover music, with the musical traditions of three continents blending as equals.”

“An excellent fusion album that incorporates African style drums and vocals into the mix in a way that works really well. It's not authentic and was never meant to be. It's fusion, and is very good at what it sets out to do.”