Lady Isa - Kuteleza Si Kwanguka (198?)

There's very little I can confidently say about the background of this record. I'm guessing by the production qualities that it was produced some time in the 1980s, but with African records, sometimes it is very hard to tell for certain. I am not even entirely positive where the artist - Lady Isa - comes from, though seeing that the record was produced in France, the lyrics are mostly in Swahili, and the music is mostly Central African Rumba, or Soukous, I can probably narrow her origin down to The Democratic Republic of Congo. Still, without a website, Wiki, or Discogs out there on her, it's just a guess on my part.

Nonetheless, it's the music that really counts, and to that extent, this record is a real gem. The songs are atmospheric, yet dance-able. Poppy, yet traditional. Completely happy, yet not manic. The rich, bright textures of the music seem to emanate a warm glow, and it certainly makes me feel at a blissful peace when I listen to it. Also, on a side note: the bass and guitar solos are credited to a guy named Rigo Star, and if you share my taste for the absurd, that might be enough on its own to pique your interest. 

I picked this one up at "The Thing" in Brooklyn, which is basically the world's biggest dollar bin. I could settle down and live in that shop if it wasn't for the inescapable smells of mildew and cat pee that go along with storing thousands of donated records.

ENJOY

René Simard - "Les Dimanches Apres Midi" (1974)

René Simard, a French Canadian superstar child entertainer, is said to have sold more records than Elvis Presley and The Beatles in Quebec. Whether or not this is true, these tunes deserve - nay, demand - your attention. They are lean, mean, funky, and altogether fun, and they all come from my vinyl copy of his 1974 album, Les Dimanches Apres Midi.

First up is "Merci Pour Tout" which kicks off with one of the meanest, funkiest untapped (to my knowledge) breaks I've pretty much ever come across. Seriously, this sample could make somebody's career as a Rap Producer, mark my words. And after the first 20 seconds, the rest of the song is pretty damn great too.

The next two I've decided to share are both covers of popular hits - I happen to love cover songs in a general sense - at least when they are done right, and these ones are done very right. First I will share "L'été Est La" which is a French cover of Bobby Day's "Little Bitty Pretty One," a.k.a. Thurston Harris' "Little Bitty Pretty One," a.k.a. Frankie Lymon's "Little Bitty Pretty One," a.k.a. The Jackson 5's "Little Bitty Pretty One." My point is, this song has been covered a million times already, just not in French. René's version probably sounds most like The Jackson 5's, if only for his age/vocal similarity to a young Michael. Anyway, hear (and download) it for yourself. 

Finally, here is his French take on "Yo-Yo," originally performed by Billy Joe Royal, but made mega-famous by The Osmonds. Again, a song that has been covered and re-covered, but still sounds great in a new language, and with René's funky sound. Shake a tail feather, y'all. Or two or three.

Les Surfs - Cosi' Come Viene/In Un Fiore 7" (1966)

Les Surfs were a brother-sister sextet, originally from Madagascar. They gained international success in the 1960's, producing most of their music in France, but they also released records in Italy and Spain, along with the rare English language track.

This 7" was released in Italy (vocals in Italian) in 1966. The two songs are both fun, upbeat 60's Pop, and the B-side has a pretty strong Tango influence. The record sleeve claims that the songs were arranged and composed by Sam Clayton, but I'm not sure if it's the same Sam Clayton of Little Feat fame. Nothing was mentioned on Discogs, but this would pretty much represent the earliest stages of his career if so. This 7" was purchased for me in Italy by my sister.

Side A: "Cosi' Come Viene"

Side B: "In Un Fiore"

New MP3 mix ~ 6/14/09 Wizard Radio set

hey yall.. its been a little while.. but i have a new mp3 mix for your enjoyment. i'm pretty happy with this one. lotsa great music. i cut out the parts with me talking, and cut out the last song which (unfortunately) got cut off by cd-r time constraints.

here's the tracklist for the download (followed by the link):

Johnny Pate - "Shaft In Africa (Addis)" (the sample source for Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got" among other hip-hop tracks)
Teledubgnosis - "Polar Cap Dub"
Madlib - "Flying (Oms)"
Nigel - "Estrellas"
Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band - "Farewell (To Mingus)"
The Lonesome Organist One Man Band - "The Robot Fugue"
J Dilla - "Signs"
Monsieur Mo Rio - "Douze Petits Chats/12 Little Cats"
Madlib - "Bang It (Crispy)"
Beirut - "La Llarona"
Son Of The Snake - "I Am"
Oh No - "Fast Drive Fast"
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - "Expansions"
Stetsasonic - "Talkin' All That Jazz"
Dimitri From Paris - "Talkin' All That Jazz (disco house remix)"
Alexander McGregor - "Rise Of All The Cities"
Eddie Kendricks - "Happy"
From Monument To Masses - "Comrades & Friends"

enjoy!! here's the download link:
Download and Enjoy!