World Spirituality Classics 3: The Muslim Highlife of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah
Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, “the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State”, delivers a joyful sermon of Muslim Highlife on the same Luaka Bop series that gave us The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane.
Hailing from Afenmailand in southern Nigeria, Oshomah has been releasing his unique brew of local styles and highlife, fused with Western pop and Islamic values, since the early ‘70s. For half a century he’s led various ensembles that bring the local Muslim and Christian communities together in harmonious dances, with lyrics warning about the vice of jealousy and the act of forgiveness, set to properly compelling grooves. Oshomah’s music is patently right up Luaka Bop’s street, brimming with spirit and good vibes for the times.
In typical West African highlife and Afrobeat styles, Oshomah and band take all the time they need to see out their grooves, often tipping over the 10 min mark, as they drill home the message of ‘Jealousy’ for 13 mins over killer strut and wigged-out Moog, or in effortlessly breezy style with the 18 mins of balmy palm wine guitar and mellifluous sway to ‘Alhaji Yesufu Sado Managing Director’. However, if we’re playing favourites, that’s got to be the heads-down organ burn and canter of ‘Omhona - Omhona’, or the brilliant closer ‘My Luck’ with its odd jaws-harp motifs and lissom lattice of spindly guitars and swingeing shuffle buoying a harmonic call-and-response between Oshomah and band.
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Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, “the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State”, delivers a joyful sermon of Muslim Highlife on the same Luaka Bop series that gave us The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane.
Hailing from Afenmailand in southern Nigeria, Oshomah has been releasing his unique brew of local styles and highlife, fused with Western pop and Islamic values, since the early ‘70s. For half a century he’s led various ensembles that bring the local Muslim and Christian communities together in harmonious dances, with lyrics warning about the vice of jealousy and the act of forgiveness, set to properly compelling grooves. Oshomah’s music is patently right up Luaka Bop’s street, brimming with spirit and good vibes for the times.
In typical West African highlife and Afrobeat styles, Oshomah and band take all the time they need to see out their grooves, often tipping over the 10 min mark, as they drill home the message of ‘Jealousy’ for 13 mins over killer strut and wigged-out Moog, or in effortlessly breezy style with the 18 mins of balmy palm wine guitar and mellifluous sway to ‘Alhaji Yesufu Sado Managing Director’. However, if we’re playing favourites, that’s got to be the heads-down organ burn and canter of ‘Omhona - Omhona’, or the brilliant closer ‘My Luck’ with its odd jaws-harp motifs and lissom lattice of spindly guitars and swingeing shuffle buoying a harmonic call-and-response between Oshomah and band.
Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, “the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State”, delivers a joyful sermon of Muslim Highlife on the same Luaka Bop series that gave us The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane.
Hailing from Afenmailand in southern Nigeria, Oshomah has been releasing his unique brew of local styles and highlife, fused with Western pop and Islamic values, since the early ‘70s. For half a century he’s led various ensembles that bring the local Muslim and Christian communities together in harmonious dances, with lyrics warning about the vice of jealousy and the act of forgiveness, set to properly compelling grooves. Oshomah’s music is patently right up Luaka Bop’s street, brimming with spirit and good vibes for the times.
In typical West African highlife and Afrobeat styles, Oshomah and band take all the time they need to see out their grooves, often tipping over the 10 min mark, as they drill home the message of ‘Jealousy’ for 13 mins over killer strut and wigged-out Moog, or in effortlessly breezy style with the 18 mins of balmy palm wine guitar and mellifluous sway to ‘Alhaji Yesufu Sado Managing Director’. However, if we’re playing favourites, that’s got to be the heads-down organ burn and canter of ‘Omhona - Omhona’, or the brilliant closer ‘My Luck’ with its odd jaws-harp motifs and lissom lattice of spindly guitars and swingeing shuffle buoying a harmonic call-and-response between Oshomah and band.
Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, “the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State”, delivers a joyful sermon of Muslim Highlife on the same Luaka Bop series that gave us The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane.
Hailing from Afenmailand in southern Nigeria, Oshomah has been releasing his unique brew of local styles and highlife, fused with Western pop and Islamic values, since the early ‘70s. For half a century he’s led various ensembles that bring the local Muslim and Christian communities together in harmonious dances, with lyrics warning about the vice of jealousy and the act of forgiveness, set to properly compelling grooves. Oshomah’s music is patently right up Luaka Bop’s street, brimming with spirit and good vibes for the times.
In typical West African highlife and Afrobeat styles, Oshomah and band take all the time they need to see out their grooves, often tipping over the 10 min mark, as they drill home the message of ‘Jealousy’ for 13 mins over killer strut and wigged-out Moog, or in effortlessly breezy style with the 18 mins of balmy palm wine guitar and mellifluous sway to ‘Alhaji Yesufu Sado Managing Director’. However, if we’re playing favourites, that’s got to be the heads-down organ burn and canter of ‘Omhona - Omhona’, or the brilliant closer ‘My Luck’ with its odd jaws-harp motifs and lissom lattice of spindly guitars and swingeing shuffle buoying a harmonic call-and-response between Oshomah and band.
Double LP with gatefold sleeve.
Available To Order (Estimated Shipping between 7-14 Working Days)
This item is to the best of our knowledge available to us from the supplier and should ship to you within the time-frame indicated. If there are any unforeseen issues with availability we will notify you immediately
Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, “the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State”, delivers a joyful sermon of Muslim Highlife on the same Luaka Bop series that gave us The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane.
Hailing from Afenmailand in southern Nigeria, Oshomah has been releasing his unique brew of local styles and highlife, fused with Western pop and Islamic values, since the early ‘70s. For half a century he’s led various ensembles that bring the local Muslim and Christian communities together in harmonious dances, with lyrics warning about the vice of jealousy and the act of forgiveness, set to properly compelling grooves. Oshomah’s music is patently right up Luaka Bop’s street, brimming with spirit and good vibes for the times.
In typical West African highlife and Afrobeat styles, Oshomah and band take all the time they need to see out their grooves, often tipping over the 10 min mark, as they drill home the message of ‘Jealousy’ for 13 mins over killer strut and wigged-out Moog, or in effortlessly breezy style with the 18 mins of balmy palm wine guitar and mellifluous sway to ‘Alhaji Yesufu Sado Managing Director’. However, if we’re playing favourites, that’s got to be the heads-down organ burn and canter of ‘Omhona - Omhona’, or the brilliant closer ‘My Luck’ with its odd jaws-harp motifs and lissom lattice of spindly guitars and swingeing shuffle buoying a harmonic call-and-response between Oshomah and band.
Gatefold CD with 24 page booklet.
Available To Order (Estimated Shipping between 7-14 Working Days)
This item is to the best of our knowledge available to us from the supplier and should ship to you within the time-frame indicated. If there are any unforeseen issues with availability we will notify you immediately
Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, “the greatest entertainer in all of Edo State”, delivers a joyful sermon of Muslim Highlife on the same Luaka Bop series that gave us The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane.
Hailing from Afenmailand in southern Nigeria, Oshomah has been releasing his unique brew of local styles and highlife, fused with Western pop and Islamic values, since the early ‘70s. For half a century he’s led various ensembles that bring the local Muslim and Christian communities together in harmonious dances, with lyrics warning about the vice of jealousy and the act of forgiveness, set to properly compelling grooves. Oshomah’s music is patently right up Luaka Bop’s street, brimming with spirit and good vibes for the times.
In typical West African highlife and Afrobeat styles, Oshomah and band take all the time they need to see out their grooves, often tipping over the 10 min mark, as they drill home the message of ‘Jealousy’ for 13 mins over killer strut and wigged-out Moog, or in effortlessly breezy style with the 18 mins of balmy palm wine guitar and mellifluous sway to ‘Alhaji Yesufu Sado Managing Director’. However, if we’re playing favourites, that’s got to be the heads-down organ burn and canter of ‘Omhona - Omhona’, or the brilliant closer ‘My Luck’ with its odd jaws-harp motifs and lissom lattice of spindly guitars and swingeing shuffle buoying a harmonic call-and-response between Oshomah and band.