Like the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” EMI’s Hayes Archive is a massive structure housing untold thousands of hours of recordings, some dating to the 19th century. The good people at Honest Jon’s have been granted access to this collection and now spent five volumes cherry-picking the nearly unending selection of 78 rpm records.
The World is Shaking collects mid-’50s Congolese rumba, jazz and Latin-influenced rhythms for a staggering 21 tracks. One must first shake sonic expectations, as these were spare recordings in the first place, and no matter how much you clean up a 78, certain defects remain. That said, this is a welcome window to a world long forgotten, overshadowed by the next two decades’ Highlife and Afrobeat. Rhythm guitars and likembe (thumb pianos) are hypnotizing, transporting the listener to another world. Can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
Sign up. We hope you like us, but if you don't, you can unsubscribe by following the links in the email, or by dropping us a note at leo@leoweekly.com.
Signup
By clicking “subscribe” above, you consent to allow us to contact you via email, and store your information using our third-party Service Provider. To see more information about how your information is stored and privacy protected, visit our policies page.
Subscribe to LEO Weekly Newsletters
Sign up. We hope you like us, but if you don't, you can unsubscribe by following the links in the email, or by dropping us a note at leo@leoweekly.com.
To sign up now, enter your email address in the field below and click the Subscribe button.
By clicking “Subscribe” above, you consent to allow us to contact you via email, and store your information using our third-party Service Provider. To see more information about how your information is stored and privacy protected, visit our policies page.
