Cat Sitting

Ini Kamoze : World-A-Music
taken from his self-titled album on Island (1983)

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti & The Afrika 70 : Colonial Mentality
taken from the album "Black-President" on Capitol/EMI (1984)

Mahmoud Ahmed : Bemin Sebeb Litlash
taken from the album "Ere Mela Mela" on Crammed (1986)

First off, RIZE is officially the SHIT. At first I would have qualified that statement by detracting the super cheesy 3-minute "uplifting" segment where we see all the characters in Easter egg lighting while an attrocious Christina Aguilera song blares. But then someone made the connection for me, how David LaChapelle actually met all these cats through the filming of a Christina video. Somehow that makes it fit for me. The point is, if any of y'all see me at a dance party anytime soon, you better watch-the-fuggout!

Meanwhile, my ever-compassionate girlfriend agreed yet again to feed a friend's cat during this past week. She operates in the yogi community, who live as strict vegetarians (or vegans), yet feed their cats nothing but gourmet fish platters- including organic avacado, tomato, lettuce and seasonings. I'm down, not a cat man myself though. I happened to accompany melady during her friendly chore on Saturday for this particular cat owning yogi, and took notice of a dusty (and catscratched) stack of vinyl in the corner of her West Village apartment. She's a bit of a world traveller (I believe the reason for needing a sitter this time is due to a Moroccan expedition) and after a little dusting of my fingers, I was honestly quite blow away by her delectible selections. I had to borrow a couple, okay, so I took 10 give or take a few. But I will return them ALL (in much cleaner condition than I found them) unless this particular yogi is interested in cutting a deal... keep in mind, I don't think this particular yogi even owns a phonograph anymore. These are three records off the top of the stack.

This Ini Kamoze album is pretty solid all the way through, a definite Taxi Production. I'm going with the obvious summer favorite here 'cause I'm not getting sick of hearing Jr. Gong rap all wikkid-like on top of this riddim. Ini Kamoze was a vegetarian too, a raw foodist in fact (at least at the time of the recording).

Ok, she's got Fela in her collection? Not bad at all. Originally released on the B-side of the 1977 Sorrow, Tears & Blood album, this tune speaks out against Christians and Muslims alike in their colonizing effect on Afrikan people. Not one for organized religion, I gotta take my hat off to the Black-President yet again. For anyone who digs more than this vicious bassline, please check out this book, and this DVD. And for collector freaks like me, peep the ill discography.

Finding Ere Mela Mela is what really let me know that this particular yogi is way ahead of the game. I mean, not a lot of cats in the mid 80's "World Beat" boom were digging this deep. I have the Buda Musique reissue that came out recently, but that one doesn't have "Bemin" on it. You can however find it, along with a bunch of other undoubtedly beautiful stuff, on this CD from the Ethiopiques collection.

Oh yeah, you like African music? Nice MP3 selections right here at: Permanent Condition.