Filed under: Dahomey
Orchestre Picoby-Band were Abomey, which was the former capitol of the kingdom of Dahomey, which is now known as Benin.
Dahomey was under French rule until the country gained it’s independence in 1960. For the next 12 years, ethnic strife contributed to a period of turbulence. There were several coups and regime changes, with three main figures dominating – Sourou Apithy, Hubert Maga, and Justin Ahomadegbé – each of them representing a different area of the country. These three agreed to form a presidential council after violence had marred the 1970 elections. In 1972, a military coup led by Mathieu Kérékou overthrew the council. He established a Marxist government under the control of Military Council of the Revolution (CNR), and the country was renamed to the People’s Republic of Benin in 1975.
As for Orchestre Picoby-Band… This single was the first of three that they released in sequence on L.A. Aux Ecoutes. And I have read that they also released two other singles on the Albarika Store label. All of the songs on the L.A. Aux Ecoutes singles are credited to Avolonto Honore, who also wrote songs for fellow countymen El Rego and Orchestre Poly-Rhytmo, as well as recording under his own name.
On the African Scream Contest compilation, released by on Analog Africa, Samy Ben Redjeb interviewed Nicolas Gomez, who the band leader and guitarist of the Picoby-Band
The band formed in 1953. They were looking for a lead guitarist so I joined them in 1955. The first few years we really struggled, mostly because we had really crappy equipment! That changed radically in 1980. We had written to the cultural centre in Abomey asking for financial help; so did Renova Band, another great group from this town. The cultural centre didn’t have enough cash to support both groups so they decided to organize a competition, with the winner receiving 500.000 CPA. We won and with the cash we bought all kinds of instruments! We then participated in first national music festival, in 1965. The government would invite one band from each, (there were six states at the time). We represented Le Zou. At the end we came in third. La Sondas took first, followed by Annassoua Jazz.
In 1976 we participated in, the Festival des Arts et des Cultures. For that festival we changed our name to Echos du Zou. Super Borgou de Parakou won. We took second place with a traditional track containing revolutionary lyrics called Mi So Gbe. Although Orchestre PoIy-Rythmo was the better band, they made a few mistakes during that contest. The whole band arrived on their brand new motorbikes. Remember it was in 1976, we had the revolution going on here, and Benin was a socialist country at that time. I guess the jury didn’t like those bikes too much. Also. Poly-Rythmo were supposed to compose a song based on the traditional rhythms from their region, but they just played those crazy Jerks.
The two winners of that ‘76 contest, Super Borgou and us, were both going to represent Benin at Festac 77 in Lagos. Unfortunately our equipment was far too weak for such an important show, so we decided to team up with Poly-Rythmo – they had all those fancy Marshall and Orange amps. So we combined the three bands and became L’Orchesrte National du Benin. Mêlomê Clément was President de l’orchesrtre and Moussa Mama Djima was Chef d’orchesrtre. We came in second.
Catalog number LA 27 on L.A. Aux Ecoutes of Dahomey, pressed in Nigeria. No release date listed.
Filed under: Singapore
The Vampires were from Singapore.
Singapore is an island nation located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula and is one of the few remaining city-states in the world and the smallest country in Southeast Asia.
When the main island was colonized by the British East India Company in 1819, it contained a fishing village sparsely populated by indigenous Malays and Orang Lauts at the mouth of the Singapore River. The British used the position as a strategic trading outpost along the spice route. It became one of the most important commercial and military centres of the British Empire and the site, in 1942, of what Winston Churchill called “Britain’s biggest defeat” at the hands of the Japanese. Occupied by the Japanese Empire during World War II, it reverted to British rule in 1945 and was later part of the merger which established Malasia in 1963. Less than two years later it left the federation and became an independent republic on August 9th, 1965. The new republic was admitted to the United Nations on September 21 that same year.
In 2003, Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) commissioned a six-part series documentary for televison on the Singapore music scene from the 1960s to the present day, entitled Jammin’. If anyone knows how I could get a copy of that documentary (especially the first two episodes), I would greatly appreciate it.
As for The Vampires, I have not been able to find any information. I do know that they did release a second single as Dorothy & The Vampires on Philips Records.
Catalog number STL 222 on Satellite of Singapore. No other information available.
Filed under: Iran
♬ Marcella
The Black Cats were from Iran, which is about the last place you would think to find a James Brown cover…
In summer of 1941 Britain and the USSR invaded Iran to prevent Iran from allying with the Axis powers. The Allies occupied Iran, securing a supply line to Russia, Iran’s petroleum infrastructure, and forced the Shah to abdicate in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In 1951, a nationalist politician, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh rose to prominence in Iran and was elected Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, Mossadegh became enormously popular in Iran by nationalizing the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later British Petroleum, BP) which controlled the country’s oil reserves. In response, Britain embargoed Iranian oil and began plotting to depose Mossadegh. Members of the British Intelligence Service invited the United States to join them, convincing U.S. President Eisenhower that Mossadegh was reliant on the Tudeh (Communist) Party to stay in power. In 1953, President Eisenhower authorized Operation Ajax, and the CIA took the lead in overthrowing Mossadegh and supporting a U.S.-friendly monarch.
The CIA faced many setbacks, but the covert operation soon went into full swing, conducted from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran under the leadership of Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. Iranians were hired to protest Mossadegh and fight pro-Mossadegh demonstrators. Anti- and pro-monarchy protestors violently clashed in the streets, leaving almost three hundred dead. The operation was successful in triggering a coup, and within days, pro-Shah tanks stormed the capital and bombarded the Prime Minister’s residence. Mossadegh surrendered, and was arrested on 19 August 1953. He was tried for treason, and sentenced to three years in prison.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi returned to power greatly strengthened and his rule became increasingly autocratic in the following years. With strong support from the U.S. and U.K., the Shah further modernized Iranian industry, but simultaneously crushed all forms of political opposition with his intelligence agency, SAVAK. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became an active critic of the Shah’s White Revolution and publicly denounced the government. Khomeini, who was popular in religious circles, was arrested and imprisoned for 18 months. After his release in 1964, Khomeini publicly criticized the United States government. The Shah was persuaded to send him into exile by General Hassan Pakravan. Khomeini was sent first to Turkey, then to Iraq and finally to France. While in exile, he continued to denounce the Shah.
During this time, Iran had a more openness to the West. But this was short lived. In 1979, following the Islamic Revolution, Khomeini came to power and anything that was of Western influence was banned or destroyed. Due to this fact, not only are records from this period difficult to find, but so is any information about the artists. Many of the artists fled the country, some of them (like the Black Cats) relocated to America.
Shahram Shabpareh started out in The Rebels 5 (who later changed their name to The Rebel Kings, then to just The Rebels…). I believe that he still plays with the band today.
I do not know the catalog number for the Iranian pressing (for the cover seen above)… But for the Turkish pressing, the catalog number is 40019 on S&S Records. No Release date listed.
Filed under: Côte d'Ivoire
Guéhi Jean et son Ensemble were from Côte d’Ivoire, formerly known as the Ivory Coast.
I have not been able to find any information about Guéhi Jean. I have seen other records by him, accompanied by either Les Super Bantus and Les Super Banthy De l’Ouest, as well as a solo record from 1983.
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number BB 5008 on Badmos, manufactured in France, No other information given…
Filed under: Indonesia
Rachmat Kartolo & Brimoresta were from Indonesia.
During the early 1960s, President Sukarno was under pressure from the pro-communist organization Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat to ban rock’n’roll. Local groups rock groups were often thrown in jail. In fact, one of Indonesia’s first rock bands, Koes Bersaudara had a hit with a song called “I’m In Jail”, which was also included on their first album.
After the Sukarno was removed from power, Western music did manage to infiltrate Indonesian radio. But, ‘tear-jerkers’, such as Rachmat Kartolo’s “Patah Hati” (Broken Hearted) were banned since they were seen as ‘weakening’ the revolution. Under the New Order, control of the arts and the media by the government has been inconsistent, but generally Indonesia has enjoyed a vibrant music scene.
Rachmat Kartolo was more well know for his acting career, staring in first film Terpesona in 1966, and he was still acting as of 1989. There is a long article about him here… But it’s in Indonesian. Other than that, I have not been able to find anything about Rachmat Kartolo or his backing band Brimoresta. If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number EPLN 10 on Irama of Indonesia. No other information available.
Filed under: India
The Tremolos were from apparently from Madras, which is the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India.
For the most part, the majority of the music produce in India, is either Filmi or Classical.
Filmi is the music of India’s film industry, the most well known is the Hindi music of Mumbai (formely Bombay, and refered to as Bollywood). But since there are 23 official languages in Indian, there are many other studios, most notable are Tamil in Kodambakkam, Telugu in Hyderabad, Malayalam in Kerala, and Kannada in Karnataka as well as others.
The two main streams of Indian Classical music are: Hindustani music from North India and Carnatic music from South India. The prime themes of Hindustani music are Rasleela (Hindu devotionals) of Krishna and Nature in all its splendour. Carnatic music is similar to Hindustani music in that it is mostly improvised, but it is much more influenced by theory and has stricter rules. Classical music of India is best represented by such musicans as Ravi Shankar, L. Subramaniam, Ali Akbar Khan and Ustad Vilayat Khan.
But popular music that falls outside of the film industry and Classical music, is not very common in India. You could probably count the number of rock ‘n’ roll records released during the 60’s and early 70’s on one hand. And most of that were covers of American and British songs, as can be found on the Simla Beat records of 1970 and 71.
I have not been able to find out anything about the band. If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number NE. 1007 on HMV of India, released in 1969.
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Update: September 26, 2016
I received an e-mail from Mahender Laxmandas:
My name is Mahender Laxmandas and I composed the tune “Crazy Girl”.
We started as a three piece band in 1963 and played for dances and weddings in Madras India.
As we became more popular we had four more members join us and we were the most popular band in Madras.
We also toured places like Bangalore, Trichy, Pondicherry and most of South India.
I am currently living in Melbourne Australia.
Filed under: Turkey
3 Hür El (also known as: Uç Hür El) were three brothers named Feridun, Onur and Haldun who were from Istanbul, Turkey.
Turkey has had a long tradition of musical influence. Since Turkey is Europe’s crossroads into Asia, the whole phenomenon of East-meets-West hybridization (in this case, traditional Anatolian folk and ’60s pop) makes for some amazing music that couldn’t come from anywhere else. In just the last few years, there has been a number of great compilations and a handful of albums that have been re-issued.
The three Hür El brothers formed their first band in 1966, called Istanbul 4, but then became 3 Hür El in 1970. Unlike every other band in Turkey, they never played cover songs or traditional Turkish compositions on stage or on record.
Feridun wrote the original composes and lyrics, and sang, also played a double-necked instrument : one neck for guitar, the other for Turkish saz (as seen in the picture). Haldun was also know to use a mix of Western Drums with Eastern percussion, adding to their unique sound.
They released their first single in 1970, and eventually went on to record their first self titled album in 1973. Their second LP “Hür El Arşivi“, 1976, is a collection of most of their singles. Both of these albums have recently been re-issued on compact disc. There is a complete discography listed here.
They staged a comeback in 1997, and recorded two CDs. “Efsane… Yeniden” in 1996 and “1953 Hür El” in 1999. Though they used to be one of the most busy tour bands during early 70’s, now they refuse to play live.
There is the first few moments of a video for this song, that is posted on YouTube. The A side to this single, “Ömür Biter Yol Bitmez”, was included on the Prog is Not a Four Letter Word compilation on Delay 68 records. Also, someone has created a fan page on MySpace.
Catalog number DT 5108 on Diskotür of Turkey, released 1974.
Filed under: Angola
Os Alegres, which translate to “The Glad Ones” in Portuguese, were from Angola.
The music of Angola has been shaped both by wider musical trends and by the political history of the country. In the 20th century, Angola has been wracked by violence and political instability. Its musicians have been oppressed by government forces, both during the period of Portuguese colonization and after independence. Angolan music also influenced another Lusophone music in Brazil and Cuban music.
The capital and largest city of Angola is Luanda, home to a diverse group of styles including Angolan merengue (based on Dominican merengue), kilapanda and semba, the last being a genre with roots intertwined with that of Brazilian samba music.
Compared to many of its neighbors in Southern Africa, as well as other Portuguese colonies (especially Cape Verde), Angola’s music has had little international success. The first group to become known outside of Angola was Orquestra os Jovens do Prenda, who were most popular from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, and have continued sporadically performing and recording since.
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number S.D.L.S. 01 on Do La Si Discos, made in Lisbon, Portugal for Electromóvel. No other information available.
Filed under: Laos
Anyone who has picked up a copy of one of the Cambodia Rocks or Thai Beat A Go Go series (as well as the recently released Thai Pop Spectacular) knows that South East Asia had a really impressive music scene back in the late Sixties and into the Seventies. And those of us who have really dug in deep, are well aware of the amazing records from Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and even Vietnam…
But there are a few countries that I never even see records from, much less find… Laos was one of them. The surrounding countries of Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam had vibrant music scenes… Why not Laos?
Well, it might have had something to do with all those bombs the U. S. Armed Forces were dropping on their country (more than all of the bombs dropped during World War II), and the North Vietnamese Army invading from next door.
When I found this record, I thought it was most likely from Thailand, but I was not entirely sure… So I scanned it in, and e-mailed it to my friend Wanchai ‘Guy’ Udayachalerm. He e-mailed me back and told me that it was not in Thai, but in Lao and that the only thing he could make out was “Made in Laos”.
The only information I have is what a previous owner wrote on the back of the record. So, I am not 100% positive that the artist’s name is ‘Chanthara Outansakda’.
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number ໜາ No. 007 on ຄໜຈອ – ສ.ສ.ສ. No other information available.
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Since this posting, I have been contacted by Chanthara Outhensackda. He was head of the studio for Lao National Radio from 1968 to 1975 in Vientiane. He recorded all of his songs in Laos – not in Thailand as some people have speculated. He currently lives in France. Also, the song was originally posted as ‘Love You Lonely’, but has since been corrected.
Filed under: Lebanon
♬ Hebbena
♬ Nouni
Mohamed «Mike» Hegazi and his Golden Guitar was from Lebanon, or at least I think he was…
Belly Dance is a Western name for an Arabic style of dance developed in the Middle East. In Europe, it is sometimes called “Oriental Dance”. Similarly, In Turkish it is referred to as “Oryantal Dansı” (“Dance of the East”). Some American devotees refer to it simply as “Middle Eastern Dance”. In the Arabic language it is known as Raqs Sharqi رقص شرقي (“Eastern Dance”) or sometimes Raqs Baladi رقص بلدي (“National” or “Folk” Dance). The term “Raqs Sharqi” may have originated in Egypt.
I have not been able to find any information on Mohamed «Mike» Hegazi or his Golden Guitar.
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number 01GVDL304 on Voix de l’Orient, manufactured by EMI of Greece in 1979.
Enjoy.
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