Barnie Duncan's safari through the funky sounds of 1970s Africa
Auckland-based DJ and musician Barnie Duncan spent three months wandering around Africa, in order get to know his record crates a bit better - a collection of the various musical styles from the late 60s and 70s post-revolution Africa.
What is fascinating about this period in particular is the re-appropriation of various musical styles like funk and soul by African musicians - styles that originated in Africa but evolved and mutated upon arrival in the Untied States.
When taken back to the Motherland these styles took on a blistering rawness that proved addictive to this intrepid collector - and thus, a pilgrimage was born: Morocco, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Ethiopia.
Barnie Duncan's interviews cover the likes of a sound engineer from the booming heyday of Ghana's afro-soul explosion, the man who started Ethiopia's first record label, Highlife band-leaders from Ghana, various superstars of the world music scene at a festival in Morocco, a psychedelic Islamic blues band in Mali, up and coming hip hop talent from the streets of Accra in Ghana, and even Fela Kuti's old percussionist.
