説明
アフロ・ディスコ・ファンクとレゲエが鮮やかに交錯する、Jo Tongoの激レアな1982年作が初復刻
カメルーン出身で植民地主義や不条理への抗議姿勢を貫き『Sa Discossa』などの名作を残したJo Tongoが、ディスコ・ファンクとレゲエを融合させて制作したアルバム『Those Flowers』。
名盤『Sa Discossa』と同じ演奏陣を起用し、ディスコ・ファンクとレゲエをレコードの片面ずつに配して西洋音楽の影響をより色濃く反映させた作品。自身の信念ゆえにキャリアで代償を払ってきた彼の反骨精神が込められた「People Need Peace」や「We Human Beings」では、軍用機を思わせる不穏なシンセサイザーが響く。一方で、友情や信頼を歌う「Ain't No Man Like A Real Friend」や、愛と優しさを紡ぐタイトル曲「Those Flowers」など、温かみあふれる楽曲も収められている。レストア作業に加え、Frederic Staderによるマスタリングとカッティングを経て、厚手ジャケット仕様で初復刻となる注目のヴァイナル。
A1. Those Flowers
A2. People Need Peace
A3. Funky Feeling
B1. Ain't No Man Like A Real Friend
B2. Sun Belongs To All The World
B3. We Human Beings
Following the acclaimed reissue of Sa Discossa earlier this year, Jo Tongo's third solo album Those Flowers returns to the spotlight.
Originally released just a year and a half after Sa Discossa, this 1982 gem came out on the small Context label and, in Tongo's own words, the two records are "like twins." Recorded with many of the same musicians, Those Flowers continues the vibrant fusion of disco-funk and reggae - this time dedicating one side to each, leaning slightly more into his Western influences.
But there's more than groove beneath the surface. Tracks like "People Need Peace" and "We Human Beings" channel his enduring themes of resistance, identity, and freedom. The synthesizer at the beginning of the song mimics the ominous drone of warplanes, and lyrics speak directly to global struggles - reminders that his music is both deeply personal and powerfully political. "I paid for these ideals in my career," Tongo reflects, alluding to the personal costs of his outspoken stance against colonialism and injustice.
Still, Those Flowers carries joy at its heart. Songs like "Ain't No Man Like A Real Friend" celebrate trust and loyalty, while the title track offers a tender ode to love and kindness - "picking flowers from the soul," as Tongo puts it. These songs reveal the inner world of a man who has always viewed music as a mirror of life.
This reissue marks the second installment in the African Edge series from The Outer Edge label. Fully restored and remastered, Those Flowers is now set to bloom again - another vital chapter in the legacy of Jo Tongo.
VITAL SALES POINTS:
- First ever reissue of sought after Afro Disco-Funk / Reggae LP
- Fully Licenced
- Thick 350 g picture sleeve with hype sticker
- Mastered & cut by Frederic Stader
