You generally know when you’re in the presence of greatness. When I stepped into Adesose Wallace’s NW London abode to find him casually playing a Goje at his kitchen table, I had that familiar feeling of humility that only a learned elder can provoke. For those of you who don’t know who Adesose is, prepare to be amazed. Having roots in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia, Mr Wallace is a West African in the expanded sense of the term. An accomplished artist, singer, percussionist and many other things besides, Ade’s existence has been rich to say the least. I was sent by East London venue Passing Clouds (an organization with whom Adesose shares a close artistic relationship) to interview him and create a biography for their artist roster. When we began to break bread, I realized that I could easily write a series of books charting Ade’s experiences. I’m not a biographer per se, but I do feel its important to record the achievements of our great cultural ambassadors – besides stories about the arts/music scene in 70s Lagos, Covent Garden’s Africa Centre before the Soul II Soul Soundsystem and first hand accounts of the showmanship of Sierra Leone’s Geraldo Pino (African Funk legend and one of Fela’s inspirations) are like drugs to me, I can’t help but listen.

So I thought it’d be nice to drop a post every once in a while and relate a little of our conversation to you. Rather than an overview of Ade’s achievements (which i’ll save for Passing Clouds), think of each post as a snapshot of a time gone by. A window into the sights, sounds and smells which still have relevance today and are ingrained in the very fabric of our artistic culture.

Geraldo Pino was a huge star in the West Africa of the late 60s/early 70s. Hailing from Sierra Leone Pino turned the African popular music scene upside down with his heavy brand of Funk. Here’s what Adesose had to say about Geraldo, his band, his influence on Fela and the club scene in 70s Lagos:

‘I’ve always been a musician but for a long time I didn’t play an instrument, my instrument was my mouth. In school I studied music theory, Brahms, Mozart, Schubert, Handel. I sang in the church choir and travelled from country to country singing gospel. In Sierra Leone [Adesose's place of birth] I wasn’t playing anything professionally, I used to go to gigs and fetes and just hang out. Around that time there was this band called the Heartbeats, Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats. Geraldo Pino was the biggest musician ever to come out of Sierra Leone. You could call him a megastar. He was known all across Africa as early as 1964. His music was a combination of James Brown and Elvis Presley, and he even dressed like Elvis, with the big collars and the suits. He was a huge guy, a big womaniser and a good singer, he had all the star qualities. It’s only now he’s dead that people are starting to know about him. In Nigeria he is very famous. He’s the man who influenced Fela to make Afrobeat. There would be no Afrobeat music if Pino hadn’t toured there with his band.

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He arrived in Nigeria like a true superstar. He drove a Pontiac convertible and he had a big bus that carried his musicians and his instruments. He travelled from country to country by road, so when he got to Nigeria, he arrived with all of that. Nigerian bands did not have anything close to the quality of equipment he had. Strobe lights, PA system. This guy had all these things in the early 60s. He had things that most Nigerian musicians had never even seen before. He was way ahead of time! Fela came on the scene in 1970. When Pino played in Lagos, that was where it was happening. People flocked to see him – wherever he is, its sold out. He was the godfather of soul in Africa.

So Fela is doing his Jazz thing with Koola Lobitos. He’d come back from England and was doing a mix of Highlife and Jazz. Something made him stop playing that, and that something was Geraldo Pino. Since Pino arrives, he’s the biggest star in the country. He’s playing for the President and the state house, right down to the grass-roots level. He was cleaning-up. That’s what led Fela to change. Fela had just begun to sing about cultural awareness, ‘Black Man’s Cry’ and those kind of songs. Pino arrived in town, confused the whole thing with his James Brown style and Fela got mad. He was like ‘no way is that going to happen in my home country when this guy comes from Sierra Leone – coming to disrupt what i’m just beginning to set up’. So Fela decided to disband his own group. That’s how Fela, Tony Allen, Tunde Williams (he and Fela used to play trumpet. I was there when he learned to play saxophone) and the others moved to Afrobeat. The sound that mixed the African drum rhythms, Jazz and Funk to create a new style. That first band was the Nigeria 70.

Back in Sierra Leone, Geraldo Pino’s house was just up the road from mine so I knew him and the band personally. We grew up together. I used to check out their gigs back home and they knew me as a singer from the choral stuff I was doing.When I came to Lagos in the 60s, my mother had a hotel which had a night-club called the Q Club. I moved in there, and Pino’s group used to come and check me. The Q Club name is originally from London. Africans have been coming to London for a long long time man – my mother is 85 and since she was a little girl she’s been coming to England. Africans know London & England inside out, it’s no mystery to us! Everybody came to the Q Club. It was in the centre of Lagos so a lot of artists used to pass through.

Because I knew Geraldo and his band from Sierra Leone, I went to every gig they played in Lagos. They knew I was a singer and because I’d heard them play so much, I became familiar with a lot of their music. I used to occasionally help out with backing vocals but that was about it. One day, one of their singers walked out. In 70s Lagos, musicians would play on a contract basis. you’d be booked to play a certain venue for like 3 months, and when that 3 months finish, you move to the next place. That means every night, 6 days a week you’re obliged to play. You pick your night-off and the rest of the time you’re working – from 9pm to 6am in the morning! There was also a thing called ’showtime’ which was when the featured artists for the night performed. From 12 midnight to 3am it’s showtime. After that, its over to the band and dance till daybreak. So Francis Fouster [asks me if I know who he is, to which I reply no]. People need to know about Francis Fouster. People need to know about the real people. Right now he plays congas and percussion for Hugh Masekela. He’s been playing with Masekela since 1974. Fouster was the band-leader of the Heartbeats. Pino was the owner of the band, the showman. he could sing and play a bit of guitar. Pino would come for showtime, sing, play guitar and his band would back him. He’d do his show, and then get in his Pontiac and leave! The rest of the night, the Heartbeats would play, and the leader of the Heartbeats was Francis Fouster. He’d play kit drum and sing lead at the same time. When the singer walked out that night, I stepped in and helped Francis because he was struggling man. He was on the kit, singing, and at the same time he had to organise all these other artists – it was a hectic night. From then on I became part of the band.

Eventually, the Heartbeats split from Geraldo Pino. They were touring between Ghana, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. They got to Accra in Ghana and next thing the band was split. It was kind of Pino’s fault I think. There were times when the band were waiting to get their money, and Pino had just got into his car and drove out of town. Not necessarily that he didn’t want to pay them, he was just doing other things and wasn’t there to authorise the release of funds. Remember, he’s a superstar, a womaniser, after a show he’s leaving with his women and not thinking about his band. When the Heartbeats came back to Lagos, of course they checked me because I’m at the hotel, I could give them rooms, and my mother has a club so they’re thinking maybe something could work.

There was this half Lebanese guy who was very popular in 70s Lagos called Nabir. He was a club DJ. he used to play in a club which is actually still there today called the Phoenicia NIghtclub. It was owned by another Lebanese guy called Mahmoud. It was originally a nightclub but he converted it into a club with a restaurant. We went to Nabir and explained the situation to him. We had a band with all their instruments but no amps bacause they were owned by Pino. We wanted Mahmoud to let us play there and provide the missing amplifiers, supported by Nabir on the turntables. Mahmoud provided the equipment and we started playing.

Of course, we needed a new name. We came up with two. Barof and Baranta. They were both creole or patois if you like for rebel. Baranta sounded nice. Francis liked it so we went with that.  So a new band was born from what used to be Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats. But Geraldo Pino, he never, ever faded…..(to be continued)

Continuing our Rhythm Talk which began with Gwo Ka late last year, we’re back once more to ruminate on the Rhythm. This one goes out to all Nigerians…we’re talking Fuji!

Unless you’re a Nigerian, or have a good knowledge of West African drum music, chances are you’ll have heard little about Fuji music. Alledgedly founded by one Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, the name Fuji oddly bears no relation to the Yoruba word Fuja/Faaji meaning enjoyment, instead being christened by Mr Barrister’s chance glance at an advert for Japan’s Mount Fuji. This however, is where the music’s link with the Far East ends.

Born of the union of Islamic and Yoruban cultures, Fuji Music grew out of the Yoruban Wéré music traditionally played to call Muslims to feast and prayer during Ramadan. If you get the chance to listen to any Wéré/Ajisari/Fuji rhythms you’ll understand why I’m not entirely pleased about my early years spent at Roman Catholic Church at my parents request…the rhythms are amazing! Layers and layers of them. Underpinned with raw drums, punctuated by song and embellished with drizzles of saxophone, guitar and keyboard. Listen….

Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kollington Ayinla are recognised as the godfathers of the Fuji movement. Ayinde Barrister finding fame as the founder of Fuji after a spell under the tutelage  of Jibowu Barrister who, along with his peers in the “Ajiwere” scene, evolved a number of styles heavily influenced by the Yoruban Sakara and Apala musics. Kollington Ayinla, Barrister’s musical rival, is noted for the success he found delivering his fast-paced, dancefloor-friendly twist on the Fuji theme to the people. Check out his  “Alakara Ofa Keni Keji” for rhythmic proof.

The Sakara Drum.

The main instruments in Fuji are the Gangan (medium sized Yoruba talking drum), the Sakara (Yoruba frame pictured above), the Omele Gangan (mini Gangan), the Sakara Omele (small sakara) and Bata Omele which forms the crucial backbeat. A Fuji orchestra can include a myriad of percussion; Shekere, Bells, Iyalu (large talking drum) and of course a drum kit, sometimes congas too. On the melodic front, you’ll usually find plenty of backing singers, keyboards, guitars and a touch of brass.

Fuji’s popularity continued through the 80s and 90s right up to the present day. As a supporter of the underdog, it gives me a certain pleasure to know that a style which was known for a time as ‘the poor man’s JuJu’ still has a secure place in today’s African music marketplace. That being said, those of us favoring music with more integrity and less American sensibilities might want to dig the past before delving too deep into modern day offerings.

One more recent artist who treated Fuji the right way is Adewale Ayuba. Known primarily for his JuJu creations, Ayuba’s take on the Fuji theme ‘Bonsue Fuji’ managed to successfully transcend barriers of age and class….not easy.

On a slight but nonetheless relevant tangent, those of you with open minds might like to check the following clip to witness what happens when the music described above finds its way to LDN and meets friends from South Asia, America and beyond. Richard Olatunde Baker and his Eardrum project have been successfully experimenting with cultural fusions for some time now. We were proud to have them as guests at one of last years Heads High sessions and judging by the sounds on this video, it would appear that those of us who know are in for a very special treat when their forthcoming album drops….

I’ll leave the rest to you. If you’re a scholar or a deep, deep digger, chances are this is nothing new to you. Hopefully though, those of you marginally less geeky (and I do mean marginally) will benefit from the leads and sounds presented above.

Long live the rhythm…

Many thanks to Richard Olatunde Baker for his contribution. Also, thanks to the Afro Slab blog for the pics. Make sure to click through to them for bytes & bytes of those ol’ dusty Afro selections…