A Dancefloor in Ndola
Shifting gears to start the week, we see ourselves turning up a notch with this brand-new, dancefloor-ready various artists compilation on the always stellar Strut Records. Meticulously "curated by revered East African DJ" Kampire, "A Dancefloor in Ndola" sees the London imprint team up with local talent, thus "embracing an innovative approach to musical discovery from the next wave of selectors." Born to Ugandan parents in Kenya, Kampire also spent time in Ndola, Zambia. This compilation then is inspired by artists and productions that inspired her formative years there, but are also relevant from a historic point of view: "It is important for me to continually reference Africa's own musical history," she explains. "At 17, I didn't pick up on my dad's music, but now I love and collect those records. I'm constantly referencing them in my music sets today. I love that feeling of shared nostalgia, where people recognise a song they haven't heard in a long time. It is a touchstone for me when I'm playing."
Over the course of the last decade, Kampire has seen her musical influence grow significantly, making a name for herself as a regular performer at Uganda's Nyege Nyege Festival and eventually touring the globe with her "brilliantly curated sets spanning the full range of African music styles from the ‘70s and ‘80s to the present day." This particular compilation spans a wide range of East African and South African styles "from Congolese rumba and soukous to 1980s township bubblegum and the rich guitar-led sounds of Zambian kalindula." As Kampire details, "there are styles of music on the compilation which are often considered unsophisticated from rural areas. I and other contemporary African artists and DJs draw inspiration from them; it is part of what makes us ourselves." On this compilation, however, Kampire has also taken the opportunity to showcase female African artists in particular, including the late Tshala Muana, aka the Congolese 'Queen of Mutuashi', fellow Congolese legends Pembey Sheiro, Feza Shamamba, Meta Beya, Lady Isa and Princesse Mansia M'bila, Zaire's Princess Aya Shara as well as South Africa's V-Mash, Di Groovy Girls and Gaza Sisters among others.
"A Dancefloor in Ndola" brings us 13 timeless, highly compelling movers and groovers to get the crowd on its feet, but it is also choice catalogue of upbeat finds that offers a diverse selection of dance tracks from yesteryear that can easily take it up with today's global floor-fillers. It also gives a new generation of diggers a chance to follow Kampire's lead and discover African artists and discographies they may not have had on their radar to begin with. From synth- to rhythm-led bangers, Kampire's recently released "A Dancefloor in Ndola" compilation has us vigorously nodding our heads in approval and looking forward to the next unsuspecting party to drop one or more of these impeccable tunes on.
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