molam | singing expert

Soundway never lets you down. Closing the week with the North-East Thailand sounds.



North-East Thailand, the epicentre of Molam and Luk Thung Isan music. The term molam is actually two separate words pushed together: Mo meaning ‘expert’ or ‘doctor’ and lam meaning ‘to sing’. Hence the literal translation means ‘singing expert’. Many molam records have extended intros that allow a vocalist to establish the theme of the song, as well as flex their improvisational muscles. Luk thung (literally ‘song of the countryside’)is a much broader, rural style that had a bigger impact nationally. via Soundway

your toes will tap | your face should smile

Luxury. An office day. Self-indulgently digging through the music archives while working. Kudos to Soundway! Soundway present a very limited vinyl-only re-issue of an obscure LP by the enigmatic Nigerian artist Easy Kabaka Brown. (...) It's a record that will give you a golden, warm feeling. Your toes will tap, your face should smile and it certainly deserves to be heard by far more than only the few hundred people who bought it nearly 40 years ago.

Musically it's a intriguing mix of mostly Nigerian highlife with a bit of afro-jazz sung in the language of Kalabari from the Delta region of Southern Nigeria. From the bouncy good times of Belema to the deeper extended afro workout of Agboho this unique album stands out from thousands of others of it's time with a sound of its own that draws on many influences, with Congolese and latin touches to jazz trumpet and psychedelic organ lines. Easy Kabaka Brown (Opotopo was his nickname) was a versatile and eccentric musician who recorded two full length albums (this is the first) and only a couple of 45s. (...)

36 years ago...

... Ebo Taylor's self-titled album was released. Now Mr Bongo reissues the album. Jump into the world of Mr Bongo, it's worth a dive or two. All will be essential ones.