THE great thing about the vinyl resurgence of the last decade is the reissue of many classic albums. Record labels keen to capitalise on the renewed interest have gone for the easy option of re-hashing their back catalogues. There is no advance recording costs and certainly no need for heavy promotion, especially for evergreen albums. The upside of this greedy strategy is that once long-out-of-print titles becoming available again and ripe for discovery by a new generation of listeners.
Trumpet Africaine is the 1962 debut by Hugh Masekela and was reissued last year under the Honey Pie imprint. Dubbed the “Father of African Jazz”, Masekela was a giant in jazz circles. This album was released shortly after the trumpeter escaped the brutalities of life in apartheid South Africa. With the help of some famous friends such as Harry Belafonte, he managed to gain entry to the Manhattan School of Music in New York.
Up to that point, Masekela was largely self-taught with little or no formal training and could not even read music! But one would not be able to tell listening to this magnificent debut, in which Masekela’s talent shines like a beacon on the dancehall-flavoured jazz that was all the rage at the time.
Known as “mbanganga” in South Africa, it is a form of jazz that incorporates plenty of African rhythms and influences, reflecting the socio-political climate of the time. Much of Masekela’s music over the later years was closely associated with the anti-apartheid movement and the spirit of change and revolution is apparent even on this early effort.
Bouncy and infectious, the music on this record speaks of a people hoping for a better future, one free from white-minority rule. The feverish dancehall beat is most apparent on tracks such as Satisfying Song and Click Song, which will have listeners jiving to its swinging beat. The former has a calypso brass band feel, which adds to its uplifting vibe.
Merci Bon Dieu pays obvious homage to the epic Spaghetti Western stylings of Ennio Morricone while the cover of the Animals’s House of the Rising Sun shows Masekela’s deft hand at arrangements, imbuing the famous track with a very African flavour.
This being a vinyl reissue, the pertinent question on collectors’ lips will be the quality of the press. There are stereo variations of this recording but given that it was originally released as a mono recording, this reissue has followed suit.
The sound is reminiscent of an era when certain recordings had an “earthier” tone to them. If Trumpet Africaine was gourmet food, it would be described as rustic – like a huge piece of meat slowly roasted over burning coals, it is juicy and hugely satisfying, despite certain imperfections.
The sound staging and dynamics may not be up to expectations of those who are used to perfectly remastered recordings, in which every single instrument is clean and crystal clear. But that is to miss the point of this vital debut. The music contained within is an indicator of greater things to come and highlights Masekela’s dexterity as a top notch jazz artiste.
In a nutshell, Trumpet Africaine (The New Beat from South Africa) is a great introduction to a name that is highly regarded in the jazz and world music.
That it is being retailed at a wallet-friendly RM75 at Teenage Head Records is another reason to pick it up. With prices of most reissues these days regularly carrying price tags upwards of RM120, this is a great opportunity to fatten up a collection.
With vinyl collecting these days, the thrill is very much in finding or discovering gems from the past. This album certainly deserves to be reissued and is a worthy addition to any record collection that has quality as its central theme.
Label: Honey Pie
Country: US
Reissue: 2023
Code: Honey069
Vinyl weight: 120g
Format: 1 × 33rpm LP
Extras: Liner notes on back sleeve
