If you've heard this song before, then you're already familiar with the Lafayette Afro Rock Band. I discovered them earlier this month in one of my fave vinyl shops, Guru Records, in Baltimore. All the store associate had to do was play snippets from their 1975 record, "Malik," and I instantly fell in love--and bought it.
The band members are from Long Island but performed in Paris from 1974 and 1975, according to information on the back of the record. They recorded six albums, which are all hard to find treasures. The group had several other interesting names such as Bobby Boy Congress, Ice and Krispie and Company.
Rappers such as LL Cool J, Jay Z, De La Soul, Biz Markie and Nas have sampled their work. (Sometimes, I wish I were a songwriter/musician during the 1970s because I would be living off of my residual checks:) )
I'm very impressed with the flow of "Malik." The musicianship goes from strong horns to smooth beats all throughout the record. The album easily could've been used as the soundtrack for any blaxploitation film. It has that "Black Power" feel and sound. The funny thing is I use this album to both relax and get amped up. It's just that multi-dimensional. My goal is to find the other records in this group's discography so I can really get to know and learn their sound. But until then, I'll be enjoying this gem. You can purchase it here.
Photo courtesy of
www.amazon.com.
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