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This album is a compilation of hard-to-find 7" singles released in Kenya by the Audio Productions stable in the first half of the 1980s and most have never been released outside of East Africa.

Amongst others, it features artists such as Super Wanyika, led by the legendary vocalist Issa Juma, originally from Tanzania, who played a pivotal role in the Kenyan club scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Also featured is Orchestra Shika Shika, a Congolese band based in Nairobi, who recorded more than 70 singles for a host of labels. Their track included here, " Diana" is one of their very best and was the title track of their album released in 1983; featuring the sublime vocals of Jimmy Monimambo and Lovy Longomba.

We hope you enjoy this deep dive into these lost sounds from Kenya's rumba and benga scene!

(The LP also comes with a free CD featuring additional material)

New Source presents a new release from Juan Barraco under his alias Bunda. On this four-track EP, Bunda builds a personal and physical journey through his distinctive take on contemporary club music. Rather than following trends, Bunda draws from deeper sources: Latin American rhythmic traditions, post-industrial energy, and a classical music-rooted instinct for improvisation. The result is a release that feels expressive, tactile, and refreshingly off-grid.

From the heavy percussion and orchestral flashes of “Dvořák’s New World” to the stripped-back, jazzy minimalism of “New Source,” each track offers a distinct mood and approach. “Frente en Alto” brings a sense of urgency with its forward-driving rhythm and subtle tension, while “Game Over” closes the release with a raw, broken groove and distorted textures aimed straight at the sweatier corners of the club.

New Source gladly welcomes Juan Bozzolasco aka Juan Dairecshion, unveiling a four track in which he confirms his innovative approach to electronic music production. His works, full of creativity and unexpected interactions between elements, are shown here in full display. His music is a result of a life-long exposure to some of the most seminal works of dance-floor oriented electronic music, ranging from Chicago’s and Detroit’s House and Techno passing through mid-century American Jazz and avant garde Latin-American music. House music composed by a techno-head and housey techno for your grooving pleasure are unequivocally found in his release.

Doublé Doublé” is widely regarded as a classic of the Congolese soukous/rumba genre

and was originally released back in 1981. The sound is characterised by the complex

interplay of guitar melodies, bright horns, funky rhythms and of course,the sublime

vocals of Nyboma Mwan'dido. No Wahala Sounds are proud to bring you this long out of

print gem.

Source 02 is the second release from the Uruguayan label New Source. We are pleased to have the debut of Lorenzo Batlle, Uruguayan producer and DJ.

Track A1 - IDRIS:
Opening the EP, IDRIS invites you to a disorderly dance through time, weaving dub influences, atmospheric acid lines, and fragmented vocals creating an eclectic sonic landscape.

Track A2 - MEDEA:
MEDEA emerges with a soft and hypnotic embrace, drenched in hypnotic bells and delayed acid lines.

Track B1 - SIRIUS:
Inspired by Cyrus, woods, and '80s shades, SIRIUS is a blended journey guided by a pulsating baseline—an invitation to move forward on the dancefloor.

Track B2 - God works in mysterious ways:
Closing the EP, God works in mysterious ways leaves a moody imprint, resonating with house vibes and playful synths bringing joy to the dancefloor.

No Wahala Sound Orchestra is a contemporary, London-based collective with members from backgrounds as diverse as Jamaica, Ghana, Bangladesh, Poland, Trinidad, Denmark, Ireland and the UK.Gideon Coe ( 6Music) Neil Luscombe (BBC Radio 3) and Steve Barker ( BBC Radio Lancashire) have all offered their support over the years.

The music takes in elements of electronica, jazz, reggae, dub poetry, Afrobeat, classical Indian music and many other global sounds."On Gossamer Clouds" is a compilation of some key recordings over the last ten years. It features 12 tracks which vary in styles and mood, but form a coherent whole.

No Wahala Sounds are proud to present this latest compilation of rare recordings of the early 1980s from the vaults of Audio Productions Limited, Nairobi, Kenya.

The bands featured are from Kenya (Kangundo 'D' Boys, Kyanganga Boys Band, The Lulus Band and Gem Lucky Jazz); Tanzania (Founders International Band and Orch. Bima Lee) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Orch Moja One).

These songs were originally released on 7" single on the APL imprints of Nyalando, Sound of Music, Boxer, Mlima and Julus, all overseen by producer Babu Shah.

The early 1980s were the golden age of benga and rumba, and these tracks are being released for the first time outside of Kenya.

Our previous releases have been featured on BBC 6Music and BBC3's Late Junction, as well as being reviewed in Songlines and Mojo.

'Kekete Bue' is the first new album from legendary Congolese musician Kanda Bongo Man since 2010, and his first vinyl release in over two decades.

The master of soukous, the infectious and uptempo guitar-driven music from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kanda's latest album features new tracks alongside reinterpretations of some of his classic songs.

This compilation collects a number of 7" singles produced by Audio Productions Ltd. in Kenya's capital Nairobi in the first half of the 1980s and released on the Wendo, Lulus, Mlima and APL imprints. The bands featured on this release are the New Gatanga Boys, Ruwengo Bros Band, Banana Hill Band and Les Victoria 'C' Kings from Kenya, Les Moto Moto and Orch Les Volcano from Tanzania (the latter being led here by Charles Ray Kasembe after the death of the legendary Mbaraka Mwinshehe). The closing track is by Orch Zaituken Band, whose name is a contraction of the countries its members came from: Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. The group is emblematic of the Kenyan capital's role as a magnet for East African musicians seeking to earn a living by recording and playing live in the 1970s and 1980s.

No Wahala Sounds are proud to bring you this latest collection of rare 45s from the golden era of benga and rumba, which have never been released outside Kenya before.

This album is a celebration of benga and rumba music recorded in Nairobi, Kenya in the early 1980s. The five Kenyan groups chosen all feature "Boys" in their band names in one form or another; a common theme in Kenyan music at that time.

The tracks selected were all released as 7" vinyl singles on the Boxer, Lulus and Hit Parade labels, which were all part of Babu Shah's Audio Productions stable. This is the first time they have been released outside of Kenya.

No Wahala Sounds are proud to bring you these lost musical gems and would like to thank Doug Paterson for digital clean up from the original vinyl.

Due for release on 09 April 2021. Interest for airplay from Tom Ravenscroft and Gideon Coe from BBC 6 Music, DJ Ritu from Resonance FM/SOAS Radio, Roger Hill from BBC Merseyside, Steve Barker from BBC Lancashire, and DJ Debbie Golt from Resonance FM.

The Kenyan music scene is one of the most diverse and vibrant in Africa. However, ask any Kenyan which pop music style truly represents Kenya as a nation and there is only one possible answer: benga.

Benga is a pop style with its roots in traditional rhythms, instruments, and melodies. Luo musicians from western Kenya brought the style to prominence in the late 60s but other cultural/linguistic groups in other parts of Kenya quickly developed their own localized variants. With its pulsing beat, interlocking guitars, extended solos, and rapid-fire bass, benga music has dominated the Kenyan music scene over most of the post-colonial period.

Kakai Kilonzo is one of only a handful of benga artists to attract a broad following across Kenya. He opened up his music to others outside his Kamba language and background by singing in Swahili, which is widely understood throughout Kenya. At the same time, with catchy melodies and engaging lyrics, Kakai sang about subjects that all Kenyans can relate to: songs on all aspects of love and marriage, on social responsibility, societal ills (like drinking and witchcraft), moral guidelines, national unity, economic development, and more.

The songs on this compilation are taken from across Kakai's recording career, spanning from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, shortly before his illness and untimely death in early 1987, aged only 33. No Wahala Sounds are proud to present this selection of hard-to-find 45s from Les Kilimambogo Brothers, which are being released on vinyl here, for the first time outside Kenya.

The vinyl version includes a free CD copy of the album.

Due for release on 31 July 2020. Interest for airplay from Tom Ravenscroft and Gideon Coe from BBC 6 Music, DJ Ritu from Resonance FM/SOAS Radio, Roger Hill from BBC Merseyside and Steve Barker from BBC Lancashire.

Little known outside their native Sierra Leone where they were huge stars in the 1970s, Afro National played a brand of afro-pop that was a fusion of myriad styles, including Congolese music, highlife & Afrobeat and whose sound was characterized by up-tempo melodic guitar playing.

This double A side features two choice cuts from their 1972 debut album, the gloriously infectious and up-beat 'Temedi Oh' & 'Den Kick' which starts as a gentle rumba before launching into a joyous guitar workout.

A collection of contemporary reggae, dub and electronica, which marks a broadening of musical horizons for the label beyond reissues of lost African guitar dance music. The LP covers a range of Jamaican inspired sounds, including roots reggae, dancehall, dub and jungle, which may act as a taster for potential future releases.

Due for release in July 2019. Interest for airplay from Tom Ravenscroft and Gideon Coe from BBC 6 Music. Steve Barker plans to review for The Wire magazine