Search - Letta Mbulu :: Naturally

The 1970s saw a plethora of great funk and jazz albums that for somewhat mystifying reasons have failed to be reissued. Sitting at home one night it occurred to me that we had better get a move on and get them out. With this in mind we are launching BGP Funk and Soul Classics: long out-of-print albums on CD featuring the very best mastering, great packaging and some nifty sleeve notes to let you know where the album fits into the scheme of things. Our first batch of releases come from the extensive catalogue of Fantasy Records and feature a host of albums that are sought after by collectors the world over.South African singer Letta Mbulu had come to the United States in the mid 60s as an exile from the apartheid regime in her home country of South Africa. For nearly 30 years she toured, acted and recorded music until her triumphant return to her home after the dismantling of apartheid in the 1990s.The music she recorded was always exceptional, and her one offering for Fantasy is a very special recording. She was brought to the label through her friendship with Cannonball Adderley - they shared a manager at one point. He appears on the album alongside his brother Nat. Her husband Caiphus Semenya produced and worked alongside members of the Crusaders creating the mix of funk and African sounds, which meld beautifully not just on the club tracks but on such beautiful pieces as Kube.