Jake Sollo - Jake Sollo – Jake Sollo

Jake Sollo has been described as the most prolific and the best music producer in Nigeria in the 1980s. His talents as a rhythm guitar player saw him through much of his career where he played with several Nigerian bands of varying styles. After a stint in the beat group the Hykkers, which he formed whilst studying at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, and then finding wider recognition for his talents in the Funkees, Sollo then went on to play with Afro-rock group Osibisa. His stint working alongside group leader Teddy Osei was short lived after he and two other members protested their low pay by no-showing at a historic London performance in 1977. Sollo, during this time had gained world-wide acclaim, by 1976 The Funkees had become very popular, not just in Nigeria where a rough demo of the track “Akula Owu Onyeara” was on constant rotation at the East-Central State Broadcasting Service, but the track was also picked up by the legendary BBC DJ John Peel whereby they found international fame.

After successes in bands, Sollo went solo and found a steady stream of work in London as a session musician and a producer. He returned to Nigeria in 1981 where he produced “bouncy, high gloss boogie” which was incredibly in demand. He had a distinctive playing and producing style and was incredibly popular. He utilized synthesizers which were uncommon in Nigeria at the time, particularly the Prophet-5. His use of this was fairly pioneering as the new decade ushered in new forms of music and he became involved in the band 1st Flight.

In the album here before you, to be released on 29th June 2015 on this exciting new label Africa Seven, evidence can be heard of his distinctive guitar playing and sleek production style that still retains a little funky coarseness with earthy African drumming as well as some big rock drum fills. These are sounds that are reminiscent of African music lovers contemporary of Sollo such as David Byrne and Talking Heads, and Paul Simon in Graceland, but with a glittering grooviness that is all Jake Sollo.