Saturday 11 April 2009

What is Musik Line?

Musik Line is dedicated to notes about sound system culture and music around the world. It is likely to concentrate on African, Caribbean and UK dub music although it will probably make some forays in other directions as and when it feels inclined.

Music Line is also a killer highlife tune from 1977 by Prince Nico Mbarga and Rocafil Jazz. The cover of this record is so good that Strut used it on their excellent Nigeria 70 comp even though they cheekily didn't include any Prince Nico tunes on it...Prince Nico narrates a story 'about my own very, very self'; about how he tells his papa that 'music go be my work', to which his papa replies, 'music be no good, musician they never get better money, they never marry'. Prince Nico, however, after three months has made 'big big money', after a year has married 'one fine girl', and six months later is on to wife number two. As he says, 'music is business!'