The Heaviest Afro Disco Track On The Planet
Kabbala was a London based Afro Beat outfit headed by Michael Osapanin, they have a celebrated and much licensed track named Ashewo Ara that as appeared on many Afro Disco compilations and re releases over the years since it's release in the early eighties. Its a nice tune but the real dance floor smasher, and I feel the pinnacle of the Afro Disco sub genre, is the B side to their 1983 12" Yen Nbo Ose, a track named Yo Yo Dance.
Taken from the back of the record:
"Kabbala was formed four years ago by two Ghanain brothers, Michael and Isaac Osapanin. Kabbala's music has a unique flavour, blending music derived from African ceremonial and the occult with western jazz and modern dance music. This synthesis of traditional African drums and percussion, modern instruments from the West with the varied influences and experiences of the musicians gives Kabbala its unique sound."
Kabbala - Yo Yo Dance
Posted by Black Shag | 3 comments
February 6, 2008 at 1:29 AM
none are heavier.
June 29, 2011 at 4:13 PM
Thanks for posting the Yo Yo Dance track by Kabbala, for some reason I assumed their first single "Ashewo Ara/Voltan Dance" from 1982 was their only single which clearly was the wrong assumption! This is wonderful as well, these guys were on rhythmic fire!
As this post is over three years old I wonder if you have the other track from this single "Yen-Nbo-Ose (Rejoice) (Extended Dance Mix)" as I would love to hear it and I am sure it would make a great post.
Has anyone come across this release by Kabbala
http://www.discogs.com/Kabbala-Extended-Dance-Mixes/release/1240285
It appears to be basically a compilation of the first two 12 inch singles though "Ashewo Ara" seems to be extended by nearly a minute while the track you posted "Yo Yo Dance" looks like the same length despite the EP been called "extended dance mixes"...if there is a different mix to Ashewo Ara then I would be intrigued to hear it!
June 29, 2011 at 6:18 PM
To show I am not all about the free consumption of vinyl rips via terse comments, I found a rip of the 7 inch version of the Yen-Nbo-Ose track which is called "Yen-Nbo-Ose (Rejoice)" and was released in 1983 on Red Flame here in the UK (I wonder how it compares to the 12 inch version...yes I wonder, I really do)..anyway, the 7 inch mix is very cool, there is something timeless about the music but I guess that can be said of a lot of seventies and early eighties afro-disco in general as lots of percussive drumming has never really gone that out of style, especially in the "disco" arena...
...I found the track on a Greek Red Flame compilation (aside from a Severed Heads classic there is not much "dance" to write home about) so I have no idea what the flipside track sounds like (a 7 inch version of "Yo Yo Dance" posted here) anyway, i uploaded it to Mediafire in case anyone is interested:
http://www.mediafire.com/?hwtcg4aizp9ui5o
The wonderful "Everything Starts With An A/No Record Shops Left posted a wonderful rip of the first Kabbala 12 Inch 1982 single "Ashewo Ara / Voltan Dance" - Like you say, the first track is what they are most known for and thats where I heard them first on the 2003 "Deep Disco From 1970s Africa" compilation (one of the best ever)
http://norecordshopsleft.blogspot.com/2009/03/kabbala-ashewo-ara.html
If your dance music spectrum includes post-punk UK electronic/dance from the eighties then the above blog is a serious treasure trove