NEW RELEASES - FRED LOCKS, FANGNAWA EXPERIENCE, YOUSSOU N'DOUR

FRED LOCKS - BLACK STAR LINER IN DUB

Pretty nice dub versions of Fred Locks' Black Star Liner record – an underappreciated mid 70s record – and these rare and largely unreleased dubs are excellent, too! The dubs are vintage, but as far as we know, most haven't been released commercially before – at least not in this great full length format. Wonderful stuff! Includes "Black Star Liner In Dub", "Redemption Dub", "I've Got A Dub", "Dub-A-Long", "True Rastaman Dub", "Blood Money Dub", "Wolf In Dub Clothing", "Last Days Dub", "Children Of Sedlassie Dub", "Wall Of Dub" and "True Rastaman Dub". ~ Dusty Groove

FANGNAWA EXPERIENCE - FANGA / MAALEM ABDALLAH GUINEA

Strut announce a groundbreaking project for November 2012, a unique fusion of Afrobeat and Moroccan Gnawa music from respected French Afro collective Fanga and leading Moroccan maâlem (Gnawa master), Abdallah Guinéa with his band Nasse Ejadba. Curated by the excellent, forward-thinking Détours du Monde festival in Montpelier, France during 2011 in association with Nueva Onda, the collaboration re-interprets Fanga classics, cherry-picking tracks from their 15-year career. “Our objective from the sessions was not so much to create an entirely new flow but more to bring the real Gnawa sound and trance feeling to some of our songs – we wanted to make the songs work so neither group’s sound was compromised. For us, it was also a human and cultural meeting. We represent two continents but also two ways of thinking and two completely different styles of life.” The two styles prove to be naturally compatible throughout. Leading out front on the tracks, Burkina Fasso-born Fanga bandleader Korbo and Guinéa share lead vocal duties. Guinéa builds his trademark ‘Fusion Trance’ through spiritual evocations, rolling, hypnotic rhythms and gimbri melodies while, by turn, Korbo serves up food for reflection, touching on the right to be different and promoting harmony between man and nature whilst denouncing the social injustices that result from an economic system out of control and designed to benefit the few. Rich, thought-provoking and effortlessly funky, ‘Fangnawa Experience’ is an ambitious piece of work and another significant chapter in the open-minded and cross-cultural climate for modern world music. Fanga and Maâlem Abdallah Guinéa will be touring Europe during 2013. ~ Strut Records

YOUSSOU N'DOUR - FROM SENEGAL TO THE WORLD - 80s CLASSICS & RARITIES   Both sides of one of the biggest breakout stars of the 80s – an artist who helped bring the sound of Senegal to a huge new audience, and whose music went onto become one of the building blocks for world music at the time! The package is divided up into two completely different slices of work – one CD of international hits, including a few key collaborations – and another CD that features early tapes from Senegal – some wonderful early material that really opens up our understanding of Youssou N'Dour! These tracks mostly feature Youssou working with Etoile De Dakar – getting lively backing, in a sometimes rough-edged way – all a great contrast to some of the more polished projects from later years – in a way that really brings us a new appreciation of his vocals. The package features 11 gems from these early days – titles that include "Aziz", "Yalaye Dogol", "Independence", "Tabaski", "Bandjoly Ndiaye", "Alboury", and "Thioule Anta" – plus 17 more hits that include "Set", "Shakin The Tree", "One Day", "Bamako", "Miyoko", "Kocc Barma", "Old Tuscon", "Diabaram", and "Xale". ~ Dusty Groove