Orlando Julius - Super Afro Soul

Orlando Julius – Super Afro Soul

Before the invention of Nigeria’s Afrobeat (courtesy of Fela Kuti), it was the sound of Western African high life that filled the local clubs and juke joints with its infectious bright, bubbly sound. As outside influences began to roll into the British liberated colony, it was saxophonist Orlando Julius who merged the sound of 1960’s American soul – Motown, Stax and Atlantic – with his native high life and his obsession with jazz legends Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. Released in 1966, Super Afro Soul captured a new amalgamation of styles. A cover of the Temptations “My Girl” is now embedded with the African percussive additions of high treble wood clacks and the rapid thumps of the conga. “Ijo Soul” comes across as an Africanized version “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag”. The period from 1969-1972 is compiled on the second disc, as Orlando stretches out his Afro-pop into Afrobeat: a deeper and funkier fusion of funk, high life and psychedelic rock. A terrific re-issue from revivalist label Vampi Soul.