BARNEY RACHABANE - Blow Barney Blow (1985)

Jive Afrika, HIPB8002   
Producer: Hugh Masekela
Engineers: Nigel Green & Anjeli Dutt
Recorded at: Battery Studios, London.

Nine-track, mostly instrumental album recorded in the UK and released internationally. It's jazz-funk full of slick mid-80s studio FX not often seen from SA artists, similar to producer/composer Hugh Masekela's own albums from the same era, eg Techno-Bush. Featuring Bra Hugh and Sankomota's Tsepo Tshola among others. Titles like 'Streets Of New York' and a cover of Billy Ocean's 'Caribbean Queen' hint at the international flavour, while 'Pretoria' and 'Table Mountain' bring it back home.

"Saxophonist Barney Rachabane was born in Alexandra Township. His early performances were mainly with the late master drummer, Early Mabuza. He has worked with most of our great musicians like Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela. Some of the major projects he was involved in include Hugh Masekela's recording in Botswana, the historic Cultural Resistance Festival, Caiphus Semenya's musical Buwa, the Info Song as well as Paul Simon's Born At The Right Time tour. He worked bands like Afrozania and Afro Cool Concept. Barney also did collaborations with Bruce Cassidy including the album Conversations. Some of the albums credited to him are Blow Barney Blow (1985), Barney's Way (1989), Afro Cool Concept in New Orleans (1990), Roots and Special Mama. Rachabane is so much in demand as a jazz musician that any major project is unthinkable without him. An example of that was his hand in Victor Ntoni's Mzansi Sings A Tribute To OR Tambo" (Mojapelo, 2008:256).

Check out this video from the Graceland concert in Zim, featuring Ray Phiri, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Hugh Masekela and Paul Simon...

VA - Africa Africa (1988)

Star, Polygram (Eur)

84021-1

Side A:

1. "Jive Soweto" - Sipho Hotstix Mabuse

2. "Tsotsie Taal" - Zia

3. "African Convention" - Myriam Makeba

4. "Don't Go Lose It Baby" - Hugh Masekela

5. "Ah Freak Sans Fric" - Manu Dibango

Side B:

1. "My Blue Lady" - Sipho Gumede

2. "Maraba Start 500" - Boyoyo Boys

3. "Mon Coeur Balance" - Daouda

4. "All I Need is Here in Africa" - Steve Kekana

5. "Singa Jindi Majita" - Stimela

6. "Angelina" - Caiphus Semenya

7. "Bamnqobile" - Ladysmith Black Mombaza (sic)

HUGH MASEKELA - Bring Him Back Home (1987)

Warner/WEA 0-20684

Producers: Geoff Haslam, Don Freeman, Hugh Masekela

Engineer: Roy Halee

Recorded live at Rufaro Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe (side 1)

Live recordings of "Bring Him Back Home" and "Stimela (Coal Train)" and a fairly funky extended remix of the former.

HUGH MASEKELA with KALAHARI - Tomorrow (1987)

WEA/Warner 254573-1

Producers: Geoff Haslam, Don Freeman & Hugh Masekela

Recorded at Trident I, London

Never one to rest on his laurels, Hugh changed labels to Warner and put some new musicians (along with some familiar faces) on his payroll for 87's Tomorrow. Michael Timothy and Don Freeman shared keyboards and synthesizers. Includes the anthem "Bring Him Back Home" for Nelson Mandela, just three years before he was released from three decades of incarceration. Dedicated to Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni.

HUGH MASEKELA - Waiting for the Rain (1985)

Jive Afrika/Zomba (Germany). 6.26155

Producer: Anjali Dutt, Stewart Levine, Hugh Masekela

Recorded at: Battery Mobile Studios, Botswana

Mixed at: Battery Studios, London

Like its predecessor Techno-Bush, Waiting also features Fairlight programming by Peter Harris. The album boasts a constellation of local stars, most notably Bheki Mseleku (on tenor sax and keyboards). Cover of Fela's classic "Lady". Dedicated to Pauline Bowers Masekela

HUGH MASEKELA - Techno-Bush (1984)

Jive Afrika/Zomba (Germany). 6.25983

Producer: Stewart Levine

Recorded at: Battery Studios, Botswana & London

Definitely not named after any future US presidents, 84's "Techno-Bush" features "Don't Go Lose it Baby", a top 10 hit in that country. A breath of fresh air from Bra Hugh, who had been living in exile for well over a decade already, spending his time in the US, and across the border in Botswana. With his afrobeat and funk days behind him, "Techno-Bush" showed a new, more electronic direction, with the flugelhorn master assuming keyboard duty in this album as well. Other highlights include "Getting Fat in Africa". Album is divided into a South side and North sides, instead of boring 1 and 2, or A and B. I picked it up in Ostkreuz/Friedrichshain in Berlin.

HUGH MASEKELA - Home (1982)

Moonshine, SHINE 5574
Producers: Stewart Levine & Hugh Masekela
Engineer: Joe Ferla
Recorded at: Hit Factory, NYC (1981)

For this '81 release, Bra Hugh summoned all the resources made available to him after being in the the US for over a decade already. Top US musos Eric Gale (electric guitar), Rene Mclean (sax and flute), Charles ‘Poogie’ Bell (drums) and Russel Blake (electric bass) joined forces with promiment SA exiles Hotep Cecil Barnard (later Hotep Idris Galeta) on keyboards, Victor Mhleli Ntoni (bass, guitar, vocals) and Thembi Mtshali (vocals), as well as African stars like Aderemi Kabaka on Nigerian Talking Drum, drums and percussion.