Hugh Masekela - The Chisa Years (2006) {BBE}

Posted By: tiburon
Date: Jan. 24, 2018

Hugh Masekela - The Chisa Years 1965-1975 (Rare And Unreleased) (2006) {BBE}
EAC 0.95b3 | FLAC tracks level 8 | Cue+Log+M3U | Full Scans 300dpi | 441MB + 5% Recovery
MP3 CBR 320 Kbps | 160MB + 5% Recovery
Genre: Jazz-Funk, Afrobeat, Ethnic Fusion

Hugh Masekela and Stewart Levine met in 1961 at the Manhattan School of Music. They became friends, roommates, and collaborators. They began experimenting with putting together groups of African singers, studio musicians, and a fusion of South African township jive and urban gospel. The two started the CHISA label together in 1966 just before the pair scored big with Masekela’s smash, “Grazin’ in the Grass.” After the success of that track, they put more money into their label, and scored a distribution deal with Motown. The 14 sides here, on Chisa Years: 1965-1975 (Rare and Unreleased) are little known or forgotten tracks from the CHISA years. It’s true that the Crusaders recorded for CHISA in this period, but there are no tracks by them on this set — though most of the band appear here in one form or another. None of Masekela’s hits are here either. And it’s just as well. What is collected on this disc is a vibrant slew of cuts recorded by the pair. First there’s the smoking “Afro Beat Blues,” by Masekela and his band Ojah, who hailed from places like Nigeria and Ghana, that had been recruited during a successful African tour in 1973. The players had been introduced by Fela Kuti in Lagos. Other cuts here include the stunning “Mahalela,” “U Se Mcani,” “Macongo,” and “Melodi (Sounds of Home),” by Letta Mbulu. These are unreleased cuts from her debut and second albums from 1970 and ’73, respectively. The band includes four members of the Crusaders, Arthur Adams, Wayne West, Masekela, and Francisco Aguabella on percussion. The latter track is one of the most joyous and successful attempts to pull together the world of soul and township jive ever. Elsewhere, on “Amo Sakesa” by Baranta (featuring the great vocalist Miatta Fahnbulleh) funk grooves meet the music of the Soweto street in glorious aplomb. The four selections by Baranta are the most adventurous on the set. (Check the fuzz guitar, Nigerian funk bass line, and staggered drum breaks in “Ahvuomo.”) There are three tracks here by the Zulus. All of these register from the earliest sessions. This group included Mbulu as well as Caiphus Semenya, and contained seven vocalists as well as a rhythm section. Dig the hard-driving hand drum grooves in “Za Labalaba.” The polish and sophistication of the sounds in this song are literally astonishing, and prove a perfect, seamless meeting of American gospel and South African street music, but a close second is “Aredze,” with breezy Les Paul-styled guitar by Bruce Langhorn. The gospel piano in “Awe Mfana,” by the Johannesburg Street Band sidles up magnificently to the horns played by Masekela, the Crusaders’ Wilton Felder, and Wayne Henderson, and Al Abreus with tight Steve Cropper-styled guitar by Arthur Adams. In sum, there isn’t a weak moment on this entire collection. It’s appeal is wide and deep and one can only hope this is the first of many volumes of this material to appear. BBE Records has done a stellar job in making this slab available.
Track List
01. Afro Beat Blues
02. Mahlalela
03. Amo Sakesa
04. Joala
05. U Se Mcani
06. Tepo
07. Za Labalaba
08. Witch Doctor
09. Melodi (Sounds of Home)
10. Ahvuomo
11. Aredze
12. A Cheeka Laka Laka
13. Awe Mfana
14. Macongo

Produced by Hugh Masekela and Steward Levine


EAC extraction logfile from 6. August 2008, 2:42 for CD
Various / Hugh Masekela pres. The Chisa Years 1965-1975 (Rare And Unreleased)

Used drive : TDK CDRW5200B Adapter: 1 ID: 1
Read mode : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache
Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No

Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo

Other options :
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000


Track 1
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Test CRC 719C4FA4
Copy CRC 719C4FA4
Copy OK

Track 2
Filename C:\02 - Mahlalela.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 225B0018
Copy CRC 225B0018
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Track 3
Filename C:\03 - Amo Sakesa.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
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Test CRC AA37E1D8
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Copy OK

Track 4
Filename C:\04 - Joala.wav

Peak level 98.8 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 5623281D
Copy CRC 5623281D
Copy OK

Track 5
Filename C:\05 - U Se Mcani.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 2C266BF5
Copy CRC 2C266BF5
Copy OK

Track 6
Filename C:\06 - Tepo.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 726FD8AA
Copy CRC 726FD8AA
Copy OK

Track 7
Filename C:\07 - Za Labalaba.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 5BBC6BEB
Copy CRC 5BBC6BEB
Copy OK

Track 8
Filename C:\08 - Wich Doctor.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 99.9 %
Test CRC BC48F037
Copy CRC BC48F037
Copy OK

Track 9
Filename C:\09 - Melodi (Sounds Of Home).wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 264ECC77
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Copy OK

Track 10
Filename C:\10 - Ahvuomo.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 40962278
Copy CRC 40962278
Copy OK

Track 11
Filename C:\11 - Aredze.wav

Peak level 98.8 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC FBE03C67
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Copy OK

Track 12
Filename C:\12 - A Cheeka Laka Laka.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 7891858B
Copy CRC 7891858B
Copy OK

Track 13
Filename C:\13 - Awe Mfana.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 4FAF4D86
Copy CRC 4FAF4D86
Copy OK

Track 14
Filename C:\14 - Macongo.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 8BDA27FE
Copy CRC 8BDA27FE
Copy OK

No errors occured


End of status report

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EAC extraction logfile from 6. August 2008, 3:01 for CD
Various / Hugh Masekela pres. The Chisa Years 1965-1975 (Rare And Unreleased)

Used drive : TDK CDRW5200B Adapter: 1 ID: 1
Read mode : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache
Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No

Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo

Other options :
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000


Track 1
Filename C:\01 - Afro Beat Blues.wav

Pre-gap length 0:00:02.00

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 99.9 %
Test CRC 719C4FA4
Copy CRC 719C4FA4
Copy OK

Track 2
Filename C:\02 - Mahlalela.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 225B0018
Copy CRC 225B0018
Copy OK

Track 3
Filename C:\03 - Amo Sakesa.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC AA37E1D8
Copy CRC AA37E1D8
Copy OK

Track 4
Filename C:\04 - Joala.wav

Peak level 98.8 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 5623281D
Copy CRC 5623281D
Copy OK

Track 5
Filename C:\05 - U Se Mcani.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 2C266BF5
Copy CRC 2C266BF5
Copy OK

Track 6
Filename C:\06 - Tepo.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 726FD8AA
Copy CRC 726FD8AA
Copy OK

Track 7
Filename C:\07 - Za Labalaba.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 5BBC6BEB
Copy CRC 5BBC6BEB
Copy OK

Track 8
Filename C:\08 - Wich Doctor.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 99.9 %
Test CRC BC48F037
Copy CRC BC48F037
Copy OK

Track 9
Filename C:\09 - Melodi (Sounds Of Home).wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 264ECC77
Copy CRC 264ECC77
Copy OK

Track 10
Filename C:\10 - Ahvuomo.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 40962278
Copy CRC 40962278
Copy OK

Track 11
Filename C:\11 - Aredze.wav

Peak level 98.8 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC FBE03C67
Copy CRC FBE03C67
Copy OK

Track 12
Filename C:\12 - A Cheeka Laka Laka.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 7891858B
Copy CRC 7891858B
Copy OK

Track 13
Filename C:\13 - Awe Mfana.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 4FAF4D86
Copy CRC 4FAF4D86
Copy OK

Track 14
Filename C:\14 - Macongo.wav

Peak level 98.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 8BDA27FE
Copy CRC 8BDA27FE
Copy OK

No errors occured


End of status report



Thanks to the original ripper