Track of the Day: Osibisa – Douala
The year is 1969 and the place is London, England. Four expatriate African and three Caribbean musicians come together to form the iconic afrobeat/funk group Osibisa. Since the beginning, Osibisa has had a high-energy upbeat sound being well-received by audiences across the globe. Using various instrumentation including saxophones, trumpets, guitars and African drums, the group intoxicates everyone with their intriguing music.
Since Osibisa’s inception, the veteran musicians have gathered all sorts of experiences and achievements ranging from Gregg Kofi Brown (vocals, bass and guitar) working with Patti Austin and Sting, to Ghanaian guitarist Alfred Kari Bannerman winning Ghana’s Band of the Year Award. I could speak about the renowned Teddy Osei who spearheads Osibisa and their successful world tours. I could speak about a lot of things, but you might find yourself reading an essay about the musicians.
Thanks to my mother’s extensive record collection, I enjoyed the sounds of Osibisa as a child. Regularly, I’d spend hours after school listening to them along with Wham, Spandau Ballet, The Jackson 5 and Chicago…lots of Chicago. Hence, it is my privilege and honour to review Osibisa’s latest single ‘Douala’.
Combining elements of funk, jazz, soul and rock, Osibisa’s music is a sonic representation of utter bliss and vitality. From ‘Woyaya’ (released in 1971) to the new single ‘Douala’, the legendary Afro-rock group lays engaging lyrics atop moving melodies. Written as a tribute to iconic Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango, who died of Covid-19 in 2020, ‘Douala’ has a poignancy to the material; however, the sombre inspiration does not influence the vibrancy of Osibisa’s sound. In fact, as a tribute and celebration of Dibango’s life, ‘Douala’ has that extra “oomph” pointing out the beauty of life.
Retaining their signature obscurity with the eclectic merging of rock, funk and jazz, Osibisa holds to their original identity. Yet, as a revamped group, Osibisa adds elements of hip-hop and 1990s R&B to their unique sound. The incorporation of female vocals, courtesy of Angie Amra Anderson and Faye Jones, introduces a sense of contemporary funk bringing Osibisa to the 21st century. This by no means pushes the distinctive instrumentation and vocals to the side, but merely adds to the eloquent lyricism, high-powered guitars, pounding drums and intriguing brass section – gotta love that sax!
In addition to releasing the single, Osibisa released an official music video for ‘Douala’. Due to the light effects and speedy kaleidoscopic background imaging, I was not able to watch the video closely; however, I watched what I could and feel the need to comment. Adding to the enthusiastic and entertaining quality of ‘Douala’, this video is lighthearted and upbeat. Seeing the dancers and moving along with the artists, the ‘Douala’ music video adds a visual element to the single’s “danceability” factor. It is near impossible to not join in when watching these bright, colourful and confident scenes.
WATCH AT OWN RISK.
For more from Osibisa check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
