Syncro System Movement

artist:  Sunny Ade and his African Beats

album: Syncro System Movement

label: African Songs LTD

year: 1974

Listen, this is some serious introspective business.

This album here, Syncro System Movement, is the first African album I ever bought.

And to this day it remains one of my favorite pieces of vinyl in any genre. 

Does it remain one of my favorites just because it was my first?

The first cut is the deepest as they say.

Or does it remain one of my favorites because it is a great album.

Either way.

Let me tell you how I found it.

In the 1980's I lived one block from Rhino records.  A record collectors dream if I do say so.

Every night after work I used to stop by Rhino to check out what they had gotten in.

In those days Rhino had tons of used vinyl and they had a listening booth so you could check out the records.  It was wonderful.  I used to wander into Rhino half blazing on ganja and liquor and spend hours listening to music.  

(More on that here here )

I was, and still am, heavily into reggae music so every night I would check out the used reggae bin.  Oh lord, if I could only be back there now.  What treasures I found in that used reggae bin.

Now as it was set up Rhino didn't have a used African bin.   So on the occasions when they got in a used African record they used to put it in the bin with the used Reggae.

And that, dear reader, is how I got my hands on this record.

I think I had heard of Sunny Ade but I certainly didn't know his music.  But this record looked interesting, so I gave it a spin.

"Syncro... Syncro system..." 

I rapidly became a Juju fan.  From that day forward, every night as I combed through the reggae records, I kept my eyes open for Juju music.  With time I found more Sunny Ade records and I was introduced to Ebenezer Obey and Prince Adekunle...

But this first Sunny Ade record...

Syncro System Movement.

It's still my favorite.

Excuse me while I give it a play....

 

side one: Synchro System Movement

"I have my own style of playing the guitar. I have my special line. If I place my guitar here and if you are a guitarist, you can’t play it because of the way I tuned it. You have to study it to be able to play it. I have my own special line of guitar. I have my own creation of guitar. That was why some years ago I was recognised as number 68 master guitarist in the whole world." - KSA (more here: http://www.sekowale.com/interview-king-sunny-ade-nigerias-music-industry-needs-surgery/)

Sunny Ade



side two: Nibi Lekeleke Gbe Nfosho / Gbobgo Lope / Ori Olowo / Asiko Ni

 

.