The Second Case of the African Psychedelic Symphony

Almost all music from Nigeria on today's Adventures... and all music from the psychedelic 70s. 

The dominant music in Nigeria in the early 60s was highlife, especially Western jazz band sounds with horn sections. Like ska in Jamaica, this was an upbeat happy music for a period when each nation was celebrating its independence from Great Britain. In Nigeria, however, the country slipped into a civil war in 1967, a time when most young men (including musicians) were drafted for military service. When the war ended in early 1970, the music scene experienced a dramatic revolution: not only were the dominant international influences now psychedelic rock (Hendrix, Cream, Santana); Nigeria's young musicians were now seasoned veterans of war. They did not want to make happy highlife music; many musicians wanted to explore musical styles that would allow them to express sentiments of doubt and disillusionment.

Today's show focuses again on the psychedelic sounds of 70s Nigeria (with a couple tracks from Benin and Ivory Coast). Much of this is heavy, complex music created by veterans of war. It is dramatic; frequently danceable; and always deeeep. 

Special props this week to Soundway Records of London. They have released several compilations and reissues for the Nigerian scene, reminding us that there is so much to discover beyond Fela and King Sunny Ade. Today I feature tracks from 3 crucial Sounday comps (The World Ends parts 1 & 2, and Nigerian Rock Special) along with a pair of Soundway reissues (by Monomono and P.R.O.).