Billboard

October 17, 2009

GLOBAL PULSE

BYLINE: Edited by Thom Ferguson

SECTION: MUSIC; HEADLINES

OSIBISA BUSY

Long before the term "world music" was coined, Osibisa was taking its energetic blend of African, Caribbean, disco, rock and jazz musical fusions across the world. Now the band, formed in 1969 in London, is back, still led by Ghanaian-born multi-instrumentalist Teddy Osei.

Osibisa's first two albums, "Osibisa" and "Woyaya" (MCA, both released in 1971), hit No. 11 in the United Kingdom. But later albums on various labels failed to repeat that success, and the group eventually disbanded. Osei put together a new lineup in 1996, releasing "Monsore" (1996), "Aka Kakra" (2000) and "African Dawn, African Flight" (2003) on the U.K. indie Red Steel.

The band's first studio album in six years, "Osee Yee" (Golden Stool/Cadiz), gets a U.K. release Oct. 19, rolling out in Europe the same week. A U.S. release through E1 follows Oct. 27.

A compilation, "The Very Best of Osibisa," will be issued simultaneously with the new album. "We thought we'd celebrate our 40 years by releasing 'The Very Best Of,' and at the same time, give our fans our new album," Osei says. The new set includes an Afro-jazz-tinged cover of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" -- "A song I've always loved," Osei says.

The band is published by Osibisounds. It's booked by the U.K.-based Tomtom Music and will tour internationally during 2010. -- Kwaku

stacked up