This may be at first a little bit left-field for the music covered on jazz-not-jazz, since it's contemporary African music. But with the re-emerge of Afrobeat through house music and tributes by the likes of Blaze, Kerri Chandler or Masters At Work especially to Fela Kuti, it's not so off-topic to feature a review for the new album by Beautiful Nubia on this site. And let's not forget people like Snowboy with his Afro-Cuban sound and song titles that pay homage to Yoruban deities.
'Segun Akinlolu aka Beautiful Nubia was raised in Nigeria where he has already recorded two successful albums which were influenced by club music, R&B, and reggae. In 2001 he relocated to Canada but nevertheless his third album, Jangbalajugbu, was recorded at the Afrodisia (Decca) Studios in Lagos. This time he digged deep into traditional Yoruban music and the result is a warm and unique album of modern African music. The album was recorded live to multitrack to give us an earthy more analog feeling that fits very well to the music and Beautiful Nubia's warm and rich voice.
All songs were written by Beautiful Nubia and recorded and produced by him and the Roots Renaissance Band. And they bring us lots of percussion, drums, congas, batas, gangans, guitars and brass section to create a unique sound. Sung in English and Yoruba the songs reflect a fine mixture of lyrics dealing with social and private issues.
Keep 'Em Moving is something like the central theme of this album. It refers to Beautiful Nubia's musical past ("There was a time we played the rock and roll/ Then came the season of the ballroom waltz/ Oh, yeah we've heard all the pop, jazz, blues yeah/ And my brother did the roots rock reggae/ But these are times when people want something new") and at the same time it also addresses what's wrong in Nigeria right now ("We've had our share of miserable days/ Fighting the scourge of oppressors and thieves/ We like to think we are a new generation/ Filled up with love and determined to live") over a funky afro beat that just makes you move.
The opener How Do You Do? (Owuro L'ojo) is a beautiful midtempo tune, that may sound a little naïve lyricwise ("If you do your work with honesty and pride/ You will find your dreams coming true very soon/ If we could be patient and live within the law/ There would be much progress/ Everyone would be happy") since - like human history has shown - there will always be someone who'll have an eye to his own interests regardless of the what's legal or legitimate.
What Can Man Do? is a great song telling us to hold out because there will surely be brighter days ahead ("The wicked must fall, their children will pay/ The oppressed will always laugh las y'know/ It's just a season it will pass away/ Darkness will give way to light one day").
If you have a look at today's soul/R&B music and it's lack of social conscious songs especially in trying times like these, it's quite astonishing that Beautiful Nubia comes up easily with a cornucopia of thoughtful lyrics while the music has still a happy and innocent feeling to it. Take Ma Ba Won So for example. Taking up the issues of homlessness and modern-day slavery, this is certainly food for thought I'll miss in music catering the mainstream taste.
The People Are Ready is another deep song that lyricwise evokes memories of protest songs from the sixties when people didn't seem so resigned and hopeless like in this century. ("Will the heroes stand up! Call the brave man to arms!/ The time is right for that someone who can see into the future/ Who will tell us the truth, lead the children a-right?/ Who is ready to speak out for the man who is voiceless?"). With governments trying to take away fundamental rights while telling us to fight terrorism (e.g. Patriot Act I & II), this is really a song of universal approach and the one song on this album that has a more classic soul song feeling (somewhere between Gil Scott-Heron, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder) to it than the Afro influences that dominate the other songs.
With songs like The Small People's Anthem, Seven Lifes or What Will I Take? we get much more food for thought.
But Beautiful Nubia's lyrics also reflect everyday life with Pass De Kalabash, a song about the joys after the day's work is done, Tropical Spice, a song about dancing, prancing and wiggling, or What A Feeling!, a simple but effective love song.
All in all this is an album very different from what is usually recommended on this site. Jangbalajugbu is an unique album that offers something for your body (the rhythm of the songs) and - even more important these days - something for your mind (the lyrics) and it is worth every effort you'll need to get your copy.