On this rare pressing from Nigeria’s Tabansi label, reissued by BBE Music, we get the chance to rediscover the mystery man Ojo Balingo, juju music master. Popularised all over the globe by King Sunny Ade in the 1980s, juju music had actually been around for decades before. Resembling highlife music in many ways, juju could be described as a more traditionally African form, mainly played by Yoruba people for Yoruba audiences...

BBE records release another hard to find (presumed lost in the vaults) release. This time from Ojo Balingo. Originally released in 1985, Afrotunes: Best of Juju Vol. II - Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo is the perfect introduction to the musical genre of Juju. But does it, like its West Africa folk magic, work its... er... magic on the listener? Well, sort of. Yes it's trippy, instantly memorable and a little hypnotic... but whether or not it has an appeal to a modern audience is debatable, and ultimately subjective.

An interesting album that's worth at least a single listen.

7

Nick Smithson