Lumumba

 

Although the name of the band is Lumumba & that is also the name of the lead vocalist, this is really the work of Rim Kwaku Obeng. Obeng is a noted Ghanan drummer who played with Fela Kuti. Rim moved to Oakland, California in the 70s. Rim released an album in 1980 called Rim Arrives. It is known as one of the funkiest disco-fied Afrobeat albums ever recorded. He also released music under the name Kwaku Kwaakye Obeng on small indie labels & private presses, mostly solo drumming affairs.

Lumumba was recorded in 1974 in Los Angeles. Other than bassist Luther Coffey from Trinidad &
guitarist David T. Walker from Los Angeles, all the other main musicians are from Ghana. The identity of the
artist Lumumba is shrouded in mystery but it has been suggested that he might be Duke Lumumba. There are
a few similarities between this album & the Jungle Funk album Duke recorded to suggest this might be
true. George Bohanon plays occasional horns & (The Jazz) Crusader’s Wilton Felder plays bass on both
this & Duke’s album which were also both recorded in Los Angeles. Add to that the fact that Duke
played trumpet & Lumumba here plays flugelhorn. However, outside of this circumstantial evidence,
there's not much proof that they're the same person.

Other noted Ghananians on the album are sax player George Lee & keyboardist Emmanuel Rentzos who
played on Toots & The Maytals' Reggae Got Soul release & multi-instrumentalist Eddie Quansah
who also played on the Toots LP plus worked with artists as diverse as Osibisa & Slade. Here only 
Emmanuel plays his usual instruments while Lee & Quansah simply provide backing vocals.

On Lumumba, Lumumba is: Lumumba – narration, vocals, doroben urugya (whistle flute), ammoo durugya
(long flute), fritwiwa (thumb gong), dawuro (gong), akasawa (shaker), jews harp, conga, ntoa (round drum), 
& flugelhorn; Rim Kwaku Obeng – vocals, ntumpan (talking drum), drums, donno (squeeze drum),
fritwiwa (thumb gong), akaswaa (shaker), brekete drum, dawuro (gong), conga, ntoa (round drum), electric
piano, & ammoo durugya (long flute); Emmanuel Rentzos – vocals, electric piano, & organ; Luther
Coffey - Fender bass; Kwabena Gyanfi - Fender bass, electric guitar; & David T. Walker - electric guitar
with George Bohanon - bass euphonium; Red Callendar - acoustic bass; Bobbye Hall – conga; & Victoria
Miles, Gloria Green, George Lee, Eddie Quansah, & Willie Cheetan – backing vocals.

Lumumba – Lumumba, A&M Records SP-3610, 1974.
decryption codes in comments

Side 1 –

Sing With the Birds                 

Ahoma Trofo (Telephone)                   

Twoo Boe (Work Chant)                     

Ananse Sem (Akan Folk Tale)

Side 2 -                       

N.S.U. Shiw (Hot Water)                    

Love Is 50/50               

Kwaku Ne Kwaku

 

I’ve also included Duke Lumumba’s Jungle Funk to make for a most Lumumba day.

 

 

Duke Lumumba – Jungle Funk, Capitol ST-284, 1969.

Side 1 –

Jungle Funk

It’s My Time

Kusasi Rain

Mafam (My Part)

Peace Brother

Side 2 –

Money No Play

Afrikaloo

Let Me Have Fun

Akagruge

Like It Is

Enjoy,

NØ