Kofi Ayivor - Adzagli (Jungle Funk) [Kalita Records]

Kalita is delighted to announce the first official reissue of ‘Adzagli (Jungle Funk)’ and ‘A Song For You (Ayawa)’, two phenomenal slices of West African disco from Amsterdam-based artist Kofi Ayivor. Taken from his highly sought-after self-titled debut album ‘Kofi’, originally released in Nigeria in 1981, these two recordings finally see the light of day once again through a remastered and high-fidelity cut 12” vinyl. In addition, Kalita has enlisted fellow Amsterdam resident DJ and producer Mendel to create his very own remixes of both tracks, utilising the original multi-track tapes to rework them with today’s dancefloors in mind.

After having toured the world with E.T. Mensah, being a percussionist for afro-rock supergroup Osibisa, and producing the British funk band Hi-Tension, in 1980 Kofi decided it was time to release his own solo album. With this work, he sought to showcase his drum master skills, combining them with the disco sound that dominated the airwaves at the time in both the West and West Africa. As he himself recalls: “All that time, especially touring America with Osibisa, I began to critically analyze the difference between our native African music and the element of it that had been incorporated into western popular music. So my search for a modern African sound began.”

Kofi was joined on these recordings by various musical stars of the time, including Osibisa members Kiki Gyan and Jake Sollo, Eddy Grant on guitar, and Theadora Ifudu on improvised backing vocals. In 1981, the album was released through CBS’s Nigerian imprint. Unfortunately, with no tour sponsorship or sufficient label backing, the record fell into obscurity and was lost to time.

Now, forty years later, and with highly sought-after original copies reaching three-figure prices on the second-hand market, Kalita unearths this masterpiece once again, accompanied by two remixes courtesy of Mendel.