[engl] How do you follow up a stone-cold Afro Funk classic like Village Boogie? Simple. Gather together some of the hottest players in Nigeria, take them down to the Phonodisk studios in Ijebu Igbo and let them loose on a bunch dancefloor fillers you spent the last four years ‘road testing’ in Kaduna. And don’t forget to get Lady Franka and Mariam Pledge in on backing vocals. Those girls know how to fire up a party. It helps, of course, if you’re Steve ‘Dudu’ Black. Steve had a God-given knack for writing combustible dance tunes and the contacts in the industry to get the likes of Willy Nfor, Willy Roy and Felix Lebarty to make them explode. From the opening track, ‘Osasuima’, the heat never stops. On ‘No Stopping Me Now’ and ‘Ololufe/ Stay The Night’, it’s almost too hot to handle. Polished in a studio in London while Musical Youth recorded Pass The Dutchie in the next room, Happy Birthday To U is the gift that keeps on giving – an irresistible blend of Highlife, Afro Beat and Afro Funk that is guaranteed to start a party on any dance floor.

[engl] After starting his musical carrer back in 1968, the Nigerian artist, drummer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer STEVE BLACK released his fantastic and unique album "Village Boogie!" in 1979. "Village Boogie!" really deserves the status of a legendary rarity and holy grail for fans of afro funk music. The original album is incredibly rare today and fetches prices of 800,00 and more USD! On this unique album Steve Black presents a new version of the smasher „Brand new wayo“, originally played by the band MIXED GRILL, in which Steve Black was also the singer. Along with that hit "Village Boogie!" gives us six other groovers and movers that make your hips shake like you were hit by an earthquake, and in fact this is an earthquake of ever pulsating polyrhythmic drum and percussion patterns, as solid platform for lush horn arrangements and swinging bass lines. A little bit of guitar and other instrumentation adds color to the whole wild steaming funky sound and on top we find the utterly distinctive voice of Mr. Steve Black. "Village Boogie!" omes as strong as the best US funk releases of that days, but in fact has this very special Nigerian power to make anyone move the hips, since this music comes from the very depth of the musicians' souls. The album spreads a joyful and jolly feeling where and whenever you make it rotate on your turntable. It's a brilliant afro funk gem that everybody needs to hear. The concentration of real anthems moves on a highest level.