Helwani recognized Hedzoleh’s importance & potential, making them the house band for his famous “Napoleon” club. Hedzoleh’s rise to power was bolstered by local music mogul, Faisal Helwani, a producer, promoter, & club-owner, who brought Fela to Ghana. ….and for the LP, Hugh Masekela (highly echoey trumpet, vocals) *Issac “Okyerema” Asante (Akan atumpan, percussion, vocals)*Asante later played with Paul Simon & Fleetwood Mac- he currently resides in the Washington DC area
*James Kwaku Morton (Ewe congas, vocals) *Acheampong Welbeck (Afro-trap kit: American bass drum/Hihat, with 4 mounted gankogui bells, and a mounted gourd hit with sticks!) *Richard Neesai "Jagger" Botchway (guitar) *Nat "Leepuma" Hammond (flute, Ewe congas, vocals) *Stanley Kwesi Todd (bass guitar, vocals) Hedzoleh’s traditional percussion-heavy instrumentation included: One of their greatest hits was a Liberian sea shanty/Palm Wine song (Rekpete). Their original songs were based upon traditional Akan & Ewe music, and employed dark, organic sounding African-made drums instead of modern western congas/drum-kit. Leader Stanley Todd assembled a monster ensemble of musicians from the Ghana Arts Council, intending to form a new Afro-Rock group that would be more traditional & African in sound, and hopefully surpass Osibisa in popularity (alas it was not to be). Hedzoleh (“freedom”) Soundz was formed in Accra, Ghana in the late 1960’s. So don’t be fooled by the title, this is Hedzoleh’s album with guest Masekela. All but 2 of 8 tunes are written by Hedzoleh (one is by Masekela in HS style, one is traditional)- and therein lies the album’s brilliance. The musicianship & creativity on these precious cuts are matchless. The 1973 album “Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz,” by Ghana’s Hedzoleh Soundz with South African trumpetist, Hugh Masekela is simply stunning- arguably the greatest African-Jazz fusion album of all time, and certainly Masekela’s most outstanding release.
0 kommentar(er)
