Filed under: Egypt
I was thinking about posting Hany Mehanna‘s cassette only release Rawayie al Musiqaa Altaswirih / روائع الموسيقى التصويريه (cover pictured above) for the 400th post, but then Souma Records released Music for Airplanes – which contains seven the twelve song from that cassette. So, I ended up posted the Magdy el Hosseini record and tapes instead.
But then I found a whole bunch more of Mehanna’s cassette only releases. And yes, many of the best tracks off of those are also on Music for Airplanes. But there is still A LOT of great music on those tapes. You can find that music HERE.
Catalog numbers TC3 and TC6 on Golden Cassette of Cairo, Egypt, HEC 1372 on H.E.C. from the United Arab Emirates, 2859 on Quttus and WE 304 on WAV from… Who knows? No release dates listed.
Filed under: Dahomey
The only information I have been able to find is that the singer’s name was Lay José. They released one other single for the legendary Albarika Store label and one on the Daho-Disco Ambiance label. But other than that? Nada.
If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number ASB 187 on Albarika Store of Porto Novo, Dahomey. No release date listed.
Filed under: Indonesia
Muchsin Alatas was born in Makassar, Indonesia on February 3rd, 1943.
He got his start singing in the Sriwidjaja Group and the Gita Bahari group. Around the same time, he started acting. His first film Maut Mendjelang Magrib – which was released 1963. He soon met Titiek Sandhora and they recorded numerous recordings together and acted in many films together. They were married in 1972. Six years later, they founded Muchsin-Shandora Film Company.
Even though they are no longer active in making albums and acting in films, Muchsin and Titiek still frequently appear on several television shows to this day.
Catalog number SE 1001 on Senirama. Released 1972.
Filed under: Colombia
I first discovered Afrosound at the amazing Super Sonido blog. My favorite tune that was posted there – “Caliventura” – which later showed up on VampiSoul‘s The Afrosound of Colombia Vol. 1 compilation.
The band was put together by the Vice President of Discos Fuentes, José María Fuentes. Afrosound’s mission initially was to emulate the tropical guitar sounds that were emerging in countries like Peru and Ecuador at the time. The 1972 theme, “La Danza de Los Mirlos” – by the Peruvian group Los Mirlos – was a great success in Colombia and with it, a new way of interpreting Colombia’s greatest exportable musical heritage.
The band is still active, although Mariano Sepúlveda is the only remaining original member. Their latest release came out 2022 to celebrate their 50th anniversary. You can find out more at their website: https://afrosoundoficial.com/
Catalog number 45 / 11742 on Disco Peerless of Mexico. Release 1981.
Filed under: Morocco
Brothers Hamid, Mohamed, Omar and Reda were from Oujda, Morocco. Their father, Benyounes Bouchnak, was a very famous Arab-Andalusian musician.
They released their first cassette in 1983 and would go on to release almost two dozen albums – all issued either as cassette or compact disc. In 1996, they participated in Eurovision with the song “Aynou Hara”. After their performance, Les Frères Bouchnak split up. Hamid and Reda then emigrated to France where they released “Ya Bent Nass” which was a big hit there. [Source]
Catalog number EH 1244 Edition Hassania of France. No release date listed.
Filed under: Ethiopia
Teshome Asseged / ተሸመ አሰግድ was from Ethiopia. He started performing in the choir when he was a student at the Sebeta School for the Blind. Students from the school would go one to form the Rainbow Band, of which Teshome Asseged was the lead singer.
Other than this single, the only other release listed on Discogs is a self-titled cassette. But you can find at least one other cassette posted on YouTube. You can also find a collection of his songs over at My Passion for Ethiopian Music.
If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number PH 7 – 266 on Philips of Ethiopia. Released 1976.
Filed under: Pakistan
♬ Sanoon Wi Lai Chai / سانون وائی لائی چائی
♬ Bhul Gaee Main Bhul Gaee / بھول گئی میں بھول گئی
Lollywood Steel Guitar? Not really… But since they are many similarities with the music of Bollywood and Lollywood, I theorized that a record like this would be out there, somewhere.
Ghulam Ahmed Chishti / غُلام احمد چِشتی is most likely not the performer on this recording. Chishti was a film composer with almost 5,000 songs to his credit and scored the music to somewhere between 140 to 150 films. But, there is practically zero information on what is left of the record sleeve.
If you have any further information about who the actual artist is or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number EMPM 5002 on EMI Pakistan. No release date listed.
Filed under: Malaysia
The only information I could find about Alias Congo, was a news article about his family’s house burning down. In that article, he is listed as “television and Malay film comedian”. But the only film I have found that he is credited as being in is the 1963 film Raja Bersiong – also known as King of the Fanged Wings. According to Discogs, he recorded at least eight singles.
As for the backing band on this record – The Blue Beats – what little information that is available is from their Discogs catalog. They recorded at least ten singles and almost all of those records they were the backing band for a vocalist.
If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number SL-801 on Sea Lion Record of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Released 1967.
Filed under: Ghana
Hedzoleh Soundz were a band from Accra, Ghana formed in the late 1960s. The word ‘hedzoleh’ means ‘freedom’ in the Ga language.
Stanley Todd Kwesi assembled an ensemble of musicians from the Ghana Arts Council, intending to form a new Afro-Rock group that would be more traditional and African in sound than Osibisa – and hoped to surpass in popularity. Their original songs were based upon traditional Akan and Ewe music, and employed dark, organic sounding African-made drums instead of modern western congas / drum-kit.
Legend has it that the band was introduced to Hugh Masekela by Fela Kuti. Masekela worked with them as early as 1967 and they were his backing band when he played the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1973.
Hedzoleh Soundz recorded two singles, plus a track that was used on the soundtrack for the Italian film Contatto Carnale. They also recorded two albums: The first being titled Hedzoleh – which has been reissued by Soundway Records – and the album Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz that they recorded with Hugh Masekela.
Catalog number BBN101 on Bibini of Ghana. Release 1973.
Filed under: Laos
I am assuming that Nit Vichittavong / ນິດ ວິຈິຕວົງ was from Laos – since that’s where this record came from. Beyond that, I know that this was the first of only two know records released by The Association of Lao Artists label. The song title translate as “Don’t Hate One Another”.
Thanks to Peter Doolan of Monrakplengthai for help with the translation.
If you have any further information about this artist or anything else about this recording, please leave it in the comment section below.
Catalog number 001 on The Association of Lao Artists / ສະມາຄົມສ່ງເສິມສິລປິລລາວ of Laos. No release date listed.
