V/A – BRAND NEW WAYO – Funk, Fast Times & Nigerian Boogie Badness 1979-1983

were Nigeria's Second Republic, when democracy finally returned after twenty-three years of uninterrupted military dictatorship. They were also the crest of Nigeria's oil boom, when surging oil prices made the petroleum-producing country a land of plenty, prosperity and profligacy. Industry was expanding especially the music industry. While it was a boom time for a wide variety of popular music styles, the predominant commercial sound was a post-afrobeat, slickly modern dance groove that retrofitted the relentless four-on-thefloor bass beat of disco to a more laidback, upbeat-and- downbeat soul shuffle, mixing in jazz-funk, synthesizer pop and afro feeling. At the time, it was still mostly locally referred to as "disco," but has since been recognized as its own unique genre retrospectively dubbed "Nigerian boogie." A Brand New Wayo: Funk, Fast Times and Nigerian Boogie Badness collects 15 pulsing Nigerian boogie tracks in a lovingly compiled package chronicling one of the most progressive and creative eras in the history of African popular music.