Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - The Confluence LP (Wah Wah 45s)

 

Regular readers of YATM will know that we go a long way back with Wah Wah 45s and Mr. Dom Servini so for the 25th Birthday Party compilation that came out last week, here's a bit of a selective retrospective!

Especially as there's a massive 32 tracks to celebrate 25 years (Ed. Wonder who thought of that equation?) and as Dele Sosimi has had such a fantastic year here's a chance to check the track 'Mo Se B'ólá Tán'? (Track 31. on the compilation - see below and original album review in earlier this year).

Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - The Confluence LP (Wah Wah 45s)

Posted by Gerry Hectic | File under : Dele Sosimi, The Confluence LP, The Estuary 21, Wah Wah 45s

This confluence is the meeting of the musical minds of the Thames Estuary and the "Afrobeat Ambassador" from The Shrine, Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80 and cofounder with Femi Kuti of the Positive Force. 

That's a pretty big body of water (no get enemy) as once aain, Dele Sosimi (formerly keyboardist and other musical duties with aforementioned Afrobeat legends) who is now based in the UK joins Sam Duckworth (formerly known as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly).  "Hang on", you may be thinking to yourself, "Didn't this come out this time last year and still sounds brilliant?" We'll you'd be right on both counts except that this is the new LP verson and it's bigger and therefore even more brilliant!

As this album is firmly rooted in Afrobeat, the obvious tracks that will engage are the previous singles, 'Ride Out The Storm' / 'Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán' (see review HERE) and 'You Don't Have To' (see reveiw HERE) and, again, 'Ori Mi' and 'Òt​í​tó Ti J​áde' (albeit my calls for longer versions has been unheeded) along with 'Open Up' which also features UK jazz legend and Essex resident, Snowboy (aka Mark Cotgrove).

Other top musicans featured include Alfa Sackey (percussion), Callum Green (drums), Philip Van Den Brandeler (bass), Pete Fraser (sax), Sam Eagle (voice/guitar) and Lizzy Dosunmu (vocals) along with multi-instrumentalist Duckworth.

'Stories' is at the carib-pop-end of this meeting of minds but the new 'BIG' tracks are 'Alagbara Ma Me Ro' that's a time-after-time winner plus the Essex Go-Go of 'For The Love Of It' and at 60s jazz club towpath shuffle of 'The Ramblings'.

This is no Sosimi-lite (or Mr Get Cape etc 'heavy' for that matter) as this is all giving it their all and finding something special.  Who'd have thought that chance radio interview Dom Servini (now Jazz FM DJ you know) did with Dele did all those years ago would find us at 'The Confluence' (LP version). Who indeed.

P.S, get lively as the vinyl is likely to sell out quick.

 

Artist: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21
Release: The Confluence LP
Release Date: 5th April, 2024
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: WAHLP025 
Format: Vinyl 12 - Limited Edition / Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - You Don’t Have To (Wah Wah 45s)

Afro sunshine from your main man, Dele Sosimi and this ban The Estuary 21.

Double bubble this month as the single follows the Deluxe Edition reissue of the album 'You No Fit Touch Am' (see review HERE) and follows the new band's 'The Confluence' album (see review HERE).

'You Don't Have To' is definitely summer afrobeat pop in the Osibisa style and you can't argue with that.

And there's news of more Dele / Sam Duckworth session as 'The Confluence Vol. 2' has been marked up for later this year.

As label boss Dom Servini would say, "We’re very proud to present to you a brand new song from our Estuary 21 project - 'You Don’t Have To'. We hope you enjoy!" Not to be missed.

 

Artist: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21

Release: The Confluence

Release Date: 19th May, 2023

Label: Wah Wah 45s

Catalog Number: Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - The Confluence (Wah Wah 45s)

Hot on the heels of his launch party show at the Jazz Cafe (London), the new Wah Wah 45's album by Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21, 'The Confluence' is out now.

Battling with loads of other Bandcamp Friday releases, this does stand out not only as it's meeting of Afrobeat legend, Dele Sosimi with Sam Duckworth (once aka 'Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly') it's the start “The Estuary 21” (see review of the single, 'Ride Out The Storm' / 'Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán' HERE). 

Since the connection with Wah Wah 45s, Dele has linked up with diverse musicians as The Milk, The 'meets' Prince Fatty & Nostalgia 77 project (Nostalgia 77 having just released their new album on Jazzman, review HERE), Lokkhi Terra, Eparapo and Medlar so we should not be surprised that The Shrine meets Southend-on-Sea at 'The Confluence'!

The six track have a stong afrobeat/pop sound, particualary the single and 'Open Up' which also features UK jazz legend and Essex resident, Snowboy (aka Mark Cotgrove - last seen live in Dorset at the time of his last LP, 'New York Afternoon' with the Latin Section).

Other highlights for me are 'Ori Mi' and 'Òt​í​tó Ti J​áde' but this is such a great production, all I can think is that we need the longer versions!

I'll save the story as to how Dele Sosimi got involved with Wah Wah 45s' Dom Servini for another day, but back in 2005 he was telling me of his philosphy "Any music that has that little twist, a bit of added spice that separates it from the norm is alright by me." (see Interview HERE); 'The Confluence ' has that "added spice" and it's more than alright by me too!

Artist: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21
Release: The Confluence
Release Date: 7th April, 2023
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: WAHLP022 / BANDCAMP

Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - Ride Out The Storm / Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán (Wah Wah 45s)

Trust Wah Wah 45s to try the unthinkable - and get it spot on!

The legend of Afrobeat, Dele Sosimi has got together with Sam Duckworth so as to produce the Afro-Essex estuary sound as “The Estuary 21” (the younger version of Sam was more generally know as indie kid, 'Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly' you may recall) . 

This is no Barking Riverside project as both tracks on the single, 'Ride Out The Storm' and 'Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán' are both cool examples of modern pop meets soul.

Full release, 'The Confluence' on 7th April, 2023

Artist: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21

Release: Ride Out The Storm / Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán

Release Date: 3rd February, 2023

Label: Wah Wah 45s

Catalog Number: WAHDIG158 / BANDCAMP