Sam Fan Thomas

I picked up my first copy of African Typic Collection at a little basement record shop in Adams Morgan in D.C. I had never heard of Thomas, though I was vaguely aware that Makossa was an energetic form with some similarities to Soukous. I was also unaware when I bought it just how popular it was in the mid-eighties across Africa.

Sam Fan Thomas is much less known in the US than Manu Dibango, who is considered one of the architects of modern Makossa, but I personally prefer Thomas' infectious, fun style. It's even been termed Makassi rather than Makossa, as a lighter, bubblier style.

The first tune, African Typic Collection, gives its name to the album for good reason. It's a fantastic song, full of great riffs and joyous singing. The bass is popping, the horns are tight, and Thomas' guitar work is smooth and light.

Sabina comes next. I love the chorus on this song. Most of these songs follow a pattern similar to soukous. There's a B section part of the way through. Sometimes this will include a key change, but it's where the high guitar really comes in. There's no soloing in this music the way there is in rock or jazz. It's all about constructing the ensemble. The high guitar takes "lead," but there's no noodling about. Don't get me wrong, I love a great guitar solo, but in music like this it's not missed in the slightest.

One of my favorite tracks on the album has to be Si Tcha. It's hard listening to this album as I write, because the music just makes me want to move! If you listen to this album, you'll see why. This isn't music made to be listened to - it's made to be felt. Who can avoid smiling at the three minute mark in Si Tcha when it kicks into that B section? Awesome.

It's albums like this that really hooked me on African music. There's a joy to it that's lacking in so much American music, where angst and depression seem to rule the day.

I was able to find a few of these tunes on Youtube. Unfortunately these aren't live videos, just album versions played over a video of a still picture, but worth listening to, especially if you have never heard Thomas' music before. Neng Makassi, Olga, and African Typic Collection are the only ones I could find there. Give them a listen, I think you'll like it!

Finding Thomas' albums can be a challenge. Makassi is available on iTunes, as is a compilation titled the African Typic Collection, which has three of Sam Fan Thomas' big songs. If you live near a big city, I'd suggest the out-of-the-way little record shops that specialize in world music. Sometimes those little African import stores - the ones that sell all the African art and jewelry - can be a great place to find CDs or records. In fact, it's from those sorts of stores that I've obtained some of my most precious recordings - live Youssou N'Dour recordings that weren't even available commercially in the US.

I'll close with a link to another video. This time, it's The West African Highlife Ensemble at the University of Colorado in Boulder, performing African Typic Collection. They do a great job! I love this video mostly because it's great to see young people in the US getting excited about African music! If you are anything like me, when hear music like this, you wonder why everyone isn't listening to this amazing stuff. So, it's always a great feeling to see people "getting" it, particularly at a young age. My hat is off to Dr. Kwasi Ampene, the director of this group.