Gasper Lawal - Ajomasé [Strut]

Format: LP in printed sleeve. Includes insert with full notes written by Gasper Lawal himself.
CAT: STRUT503LP

Ajomasé is the revolutionary debut album from legendary Nigerian percussionist Gasper Lawal. Originally released in 1980 on his own CAP label, Strut is proud to now bring this unique album back to stores.

Lawal’s style was forged through decades of high-level session work as a percussionist alongside the likes of Stephen Stills, Barbra Streisand, George Clinton & Funkadelic, Manfred Mann, Alexis Korner, Vangelis and Ginger Baker’s Air Force. Dissatisfied with existing genre labels and production norms, Lawal began recording his own album in 1976 at Vangelis’ Marble Arch studio in London before moving to long overnight sessions at Surrey Sound Studios, taking advantage of downtime between The Police’s recordings for Outlandos D’Amour. Lawal meticulously produced, composed and overdubbed the album over four years, bringing together an elite group of musicians from Nigeria and the UK. Many of the instruments were hand-built, including a powerful, one-of-a-kind drum carved deep in the Nigerian jungle. “This music is not about trends, what’s commercial, or the ‘sound’ of a particular time,” Lawal explains. “It’s music to be felt, to give pleasure. It’s nourishing and meditative.”

While record executives didn’t know how to categorize Ajomasé, audiences responded. Legendary DJs like John Peel and Janice Long played it on UK radio, which was uncommon for African records at the time. Demand soared, and with Rough Trade handling vinyl distribution, the album found an international audience.

In 1982, Peter Gabriel personally invited Gasper to perform at the first WOMAD festival, kicking off a new phase of live performances and global recognition. However, despite its impact, Ajomasé had never been reissued… until now.

This new edition introduces a new generation to a spiritually resonant, rhythmically rich, and genre-defying work, with notes written by Gasper himself and audio remastered from the original tapes by Whitfield Street Studios and The Carvery.