Oru Ye Ye Ye [LP]

Prince Omo Lawal-Osula and His Royal Music Messengers of Africa - Oru Ye Ye Ye [LP]

A driving Edo highlife masterpiece from Benin City, Nigeria! Prince Omo Lawal-Osula and his family band layer hypnotic polyrhythms, cosmic guitar tones, and joyous call-and-response vocals across side-length medleys. An Apala chief from Edo state, Prince Osula-Lawal drew from a musical lineage stretching back to at least the 12th century, making dozens of records, almost always backed by his expansive family under various aliases.

Oru Ye Ye Ye stands out in this brilliant discography. Recorded and mixed by Sir Victor Uwaifo at Joromi Studio, Benin City's response to the Black Ark, the record is electrified by a spirit of experimentation. The album's massive drum breaks have traveled beyond Nigeria, prized by Colombian pico sound systems along the Barranquilla coast. Originally released on Prince Osula's Arala label and licensed directly from his family, remastered by Osiris Studio, pressed loud at Smashed Plastic in Chicago, featuring liner notes by DJ and archivist Dare Balogun.