With the first two volumes of his five-part Palm Wine BEATS series, Nigeria-rooted, London-based documentary photographer/creative producer Daniel Oduntan aka Lo-Fi Odysseys presents moving musical documents highlighting Nigeria's 100 years as a nation. Mixing songs by some of the country's greats — Fela Kuti, The Lijadu Sisters, King Sunny Adé, William Onyeabor, amongst others — with American tracks from the likes of Minnie Riperton, as well as vintage Nigerian news and political clips, these compilations form a fearless love letter to the West African nation.
Speaking about his project in an e-mail with Okayafrica, Oduntan states that he wanted to "look more into [his] nations history from the viewpoint of the diaspora." He adds:
"[I] Just wanted to crate dig my heritage like a hip-hop DJ would dig for jazz and soul samples and present it in a way that others could access, relate to and find fun... Palm Wine BEATS is my tiny attempt, a small scratch an introduction. VOL 1 touches on the popular vintage sounds of Nigeria, it's people, humour and problems that mirror todays. VOL 2 looks at the formation of Nigeria by the British, The Biafra War, Nigeria's early relations with America, and the many problems and painful memory's that have arose from this time."
Stream and download Daniel Oduntan's Palm Wine BEATS VOL 1 and Palm Wine BEATS VOL 2. Full tracklists below.
Palm Wine BEATS VOL 1 Tracklist:
1. Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey - Baba Loran Mi Wa [lo-fi odysseys re-touch]
2. Femi Temowo - Back To My Guitar Roots TED Talk
3. Harry Whitaker - Together
4. Roy Ayes - Black Family [lo-fi odysseys re-touch] + C.A.C.E TV
5. Seyi Law - Native Tongue + Jay-U Experience - Some More 'Enough Is Enough'
6. Soki Ohale's Uzzi - Bisi's Beat 'Chicken Fled'
7. Fela - Music Is The Weapon {blend} Minnie Riperton - Minnie's Lament
8. Music Is The Weapon Documentary [Jean-Jacques Flori, Stephane Tchalgadjieff]
9. Sir Shina Peters - Omo Mbo aka Shinamania Part 2 'Shinamania'
10. Juju Music Documentary [Jacques Holender] + I.K. Dairo & His Blue Spots Band jam clip
11. Sunny Ade & His African Beats - Ibanuje Mo Niwon 'Sunny Ade & His African Beats 1973 - Vol 9'
Palm Wine BEATS VOL 2 Tracklist:
1. Fela Kuti interview - Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense documentary by Dennis Marks
2. Roy Ayes - Africa, Center Of The World 'Africa, Center Of The World'
3. The Lijadu Sisters - Orere-Elejigbo 'Horizon Unlimited'
4. BattaBox.com - Should Nigeria Divide? {blend} Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey - Ambition [lo-fi odysseys retouch]
5. Fela - Music Is The Weapon Documentary {blend} Sylvia St. James - Ghetto Lament
6. William Onyeabor - Better Change Your Mind 'Atomic Bomb'
7. A-dots Apprentice : You Remaining Goats clip
8. Emperor Pick Peters and His Seidormatic System - Yewa Lati Owuro 'Omo Ode De'
9. Genocide in Biafra 1967-1970 [Sliver Productions France]
10. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Official Visit to USA July 1961 [U.S.I.S United States Information Service]
11. Biafra (A) - 902178 Life and activity in the Republic of Biafra 1960s
12. The Apostles - Ndi Nkwa 'Black Is Beautiful'
13. Blackman Akeeb Kareem - Sad Memory 'Tomorrow'
14. LO-FI ODYSSEYS - Untiled Beat {blend} Jide Olanrewaju - Politics of the first Nigerian coup
15. The Funkees - Slipping Into Darkness [lo-fi odysseys retouch] {blend} Rudolf Okonkwo and Nnamdi Kanu interview [Sahara TV]
16. Lenny White & Don Blackman - Nocturne {blend} Yomi 'GREEdS' Sode - What It Means [poem]
17. Akintayo Adetokunbo - Nigerian Women {blend} Anita Baker - Sweet Love + The Apostles - My Sweet Girl [lo-fi odysseys re-touch]
18. Ben The Beautiful : stuff african parents say
19. Rufus Adeagbo - Nigerian Leaders
20. BattaBox.com - The Nigerian Dancing Barber Shop in London
21. The Elcados - Chokoi & Oreje 'This World is Full of Injustice'
22. The Lijadu Sisters - Come On Home {blend} Nigeria Pop Idol - Fela audition
23. Fela - Music Is The Weapon Documentary
24. Alhaja Queen Salawa Abeni and her Waka Moderniser – Gentle Lady [lo-fi odysseys re-touch]
25. PBS News Hour/Channel 4 News - Has Nigeria abandoned #BringBackOurGirls?
