Apala: Apala Groups in Nigeria 1967-70

Apala is a style of call-and-response music popular in the Islamic culture of the Yoruba population of south-west Nigeria. It is played at a similar pace and groove to the jùjú style, which is mostly Christian; but apala music is performed without the electric guitars that are so prominent in jùjú. Like jùjú, it is predominantly a praise song style and the instrumentation in most examples of apala is entirely percussive. Dundun (large talking drum) stabs into the hypnotic vocals, which are underpinned by an incessant rhythm of small talking drums, sekere (beaded calabash rattle), agogo (metal bells) and thumb piano.

This collection includes 18 tracks by eight different ensembles. The songs are short, mostly three minutes – recording limitations at the time restricted song durations. Five are by Haruna Ishola, the best known and most prolific apala performer whose powerful and sublimely controlled vocals are spiritual and trance-inducing. It is also worth seeking a copy of the excellent compilation Apala Messenger on the sadly defunct IndigeDisc label for some examples of his more extended recordings. The other performers are less known but still fascinating to discover – particularly as two of the bands are female led. A good introduction, with informative sleeve notes, to a comparatively underexposed musical style.