Guest Mix - Frank (Voodoo Funk) – ‘Psychedelic Afro Shop’

I’ve recently been in touch with Frank from Voodoo Funk and he’s kindly allowed me to post his latest Afro Funk mix ‘Psychedelic Afro Shop’ up here on these pages as part of our ongoing Guest Mix Series. Frank’s site offers a fantastic insight into rare African Funk 45s, his digging stories are unrivalled and if your looking to expand your musical horizons then Voodoo Funk should be your first port of call! Ladies and gentlemen.....Frank!!

“I used to run The Soul Explosion. A party in Berlin for those who enjoy raw, hard and rare Funk 45s. Before that I hosted the infamous sleazefest ‘Vampyros Lesbos’ in NYC but that would be another story... The Soul Explosion started in 2000. In the summer of 2005 I turned the night over to my friend Mark and left Europe to dig up funk records even more obscure and elusive than US Funk 45s. I moved to Guinea on the coast of West Africa where I retired as a DJ and dedicated my entire time to the pursuit of African Funk Records. My Blog Voodoo Funk is about my travels and experiences in a region that despite being plagued by civil wars, corrupt governments and other diseases has so much more to offer. Maybe this site will inspire some of you to just go and buy a plane ticket and come to see where we all came from. You might find things more valuable than the rarest records and sometimes you won't even have to dig through dusty boxes to find them. NY based documentary film maker Leigh Iacobucci followed me around on my latest one-month digging trip through Ghana, Togo and Benin. This is a first trailer she put together after being back home for only a few days. There'll be another, better trailer within a few days and perhaps also a live clip with Gilles Gnonnas performing his fathers' Afrobeat bomb "okpo videa bassouo" (on the Life Is A Game Mix).

We also had interviews with El Rego (green hat), Gustave Bentho (from Poly Rythmo seen with his bass) and Danialou Sagbohan (multi-instrumentalist who played with Poly Rythmo in the 70s, spent years playing at the Afro Spot in Lagos and is still one of Benin's most respected musicians. He broke open a bottle of Black Label at 8:00am while singing, dancing and drumming on the table... good times!).”

Track List

Orlando Julius - Psychedelic Afro Shop

Fela Ransome Kuti - Beautiful Dancer

Orch. Anassoua Jazz De Parakou - Norou

De Frank & His Professionals - Psychedelic Man

Pat Thomas & Marijata - We Are Coming Home

Christiana Essien - My Kind Of Man

African Bros Int. Band - Hold Your Lover Tight

Les As Du Golfe - Tsi Ma Le To

The Creation - Noble Kings

Jeff Tagoe & The Vis-A-Vis - Abifao

Antoine Dougbe & Poly Rythmo - Honton Soukpo Gnon