Editor's info:
Nicholas Addo-Nettey was born in Accra, Ghana on August 7th, 1954. From his early childhood on he was dedicated to music: he started singing in a gospel choir when he was only 6, and later on joined different traditional and cultural groups as a dancer and percussionist. In the 60s, Ghanaian youth were crazy about American soul music, and Nicholas was no exception to the rule. James Brown and Otis Redding were his idols, and by the age of 18 he started to perform himself. Shortly after, fellow musician Joe King Kologbo invited him to the Mecca of African funk music: Lagos, Nigeria. Nicholas was not only talented but also lucky. Kologbo introduced him to Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the undisputed Godfather of Afrobeat. He was able to convince the master of his skills as a drummer and singer and in 1971 became a full member of Fela´s legendary band Africa 70 as a conga player and background singer. The first record he appeared on was Lady Shakara (just Shakara? Lady/Shakara?) - an international smash hit and one of Fela´s greatest. Nicholas was at the right place at the right time. In the 70s, stars like James Brown, B.B. King, Ginger Baker, Stevie Wonder and Manu Dibango came to Lagos to visit Fela's Shrine Club to hear this new and incredibly heavy thing called Afrobeat.
While playing and recording for Fela's Africa 70 (he appeared on all of Fela's releases between 1971 and 1978), Mr. Addo-Nettey also always had his own thing going on the side. He released two solo LPs for the Tabansi Label with the Martin Brothers Band from Portharcort, Nigeria: Mind Your Own Business in 1971 and Na Teef Know The Road of Teef in 1973. The latter, made with Africa 70 musicians and singers, is heavy Afro-funk, recorded in Ginger Baker's highly equipped Lagos studio, where many of Fela's albums were recorded, as well. Obviously, Fela was not amused at all about these kinds of things, even less when he heard how strong the Na Teef... album was. Reportedly,.......
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Machina 12/2009, ocena: * * * *:
Wszyscy dziś kochają afrobeat. I jak zwykle w przypadku nostalgii za brzmieniami z przeszłości, bardziej cieszą reedycje klasyków, niż aktualne naśladownictwa. Oto prawdziwa sensacja sprzed 36 lat, po raz pierwszy dostępna w wersji CD. Pax Nicholas był perkusjonalistą i wokalistą orkiestry Feli Kuti Afrika 70. Swój pierwszy i jedyny autorski album nagrał na zaproszenie Gingera Bakera, który - inwestując pieniądze zarobione w supergrupie Cream - otworzył w Nigerii studio nagraniowe. Legenda głosi, że gdy Fela zapoznał się z tą płytą... wyrzucił Nicholasa z zespołu. Miał czego zazdrościć. Osadzona w kanonie afrobeatu, choć flirtująca niekiedy z rhythm& bluesem �Na Teef� koncentruje całą energię w pulsującej gęstwinie perkusjonaliów, łagodząc charakterystyczne dla Afriki 70 uderzenia dęciaków i płomienne chóry. Muzyka staje się bardziej lotna i organiczna, ale w niczym nie traci hipnotycznej transowości, która stanowi o ponadczasowej sile afrobeatu.
autor: Rafał Księżyk