Lafayette Afro Rock Band: 'Voodounon' (1974)

Time for something a little different – hard-grooving funk from an African-American group that migrated in 1971 to Paris’ African-migrant melting pot, the Barbesse district.

Originally formed as the "Bobby Boyd Congress" in New York, the band morphed into the Lafayette Afro Rock Band, and became the house session band at the ParisSound studio of Pierre Jaubert.

This 1974 recording made in Paris was originally entitled ‘Soul Makossa’, but it was issued in the USA by Roger Francis at the African Record Centre in Brooklyn, New York as “Movin & Groovin”. Breaks from the track ‘Hihache’ having been frequently sampled, including by Janet Jackson.

Roger Francis started the Makossa label and issued, for his USA market, records by the likes of Fela Kuti, Franco and Manu Dibango,among others, going on to organise US tours by some African artists.

The Lafayette Afro-Rock Band band included: Michael McEwan – composer arranger and acoustic guitar, Lafayette Hudson –bass guitar, Frank Abel – keyboard, Arthur Young – horns and percussion, Donny Donable – drums, Keno Speller – percussion, Bobby Boyd – vocals, Rony James Buttacavoli – horns.

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