AM FM Stereo Explosion in Lagos
"This is NBC 2, Am FM Stereo with Tony Ibegbuna reporting. Now it's time for us to bring you the news beat." The year was 1976 and fm radio had just popped up in the waves. Ibegbuna's news beat announcement was normally followed by a theme extracted from a series of Pure Funk vibes including renditions of the Invasion Forces led by General George Clinton. Record stores all around the Lagos metrolpolis made brisk business selling imported records from the UK and the United States.
Guyana-born Multitalented artist Randy Muller who led the sensational Brass Construction had released its first smash hit "Moving," blasting all over on the streets of Lagos and the fm stereo with Ibegbuna and veteran announcer Benson Idonije never gave it up.
The Pure Funk had just exploded and Muller's crew who evolved from the Dynamic Souls to Brass Construction were sending strong messages that music got to be changed as time passes by. Everything had been joined together, from R&B to soul-funk. Muller and his crew's ">"Moving" were favorites of NBC 2 AM FM Stereo as it was played more than the likes of B.T. Express' "Can't Stop Grooving Now," Con Funk Shun formed by Louis A. McCall and Michael V. Cooper's "Con Funk Shun" album released later in 1976, K.C. & the Sunshine Band "I'm Your Boogie Man," Donna Summer's "Four Seasons of Love" album and toooooo many funktified vibes that drowned the funk era.
FM Stereo listerners did not care much about the news beat. The music of the time was what mattered and it did blast all over and not even the juntas could stop the hippies from doing what makes them happy. Local ensembles had their stuff going, too. Not much was heard of them on the air as Ibegbuna concentrated on those funktified imports.
1977 through the 80s changed a little bit of all that when sex symbol Teddy Pendergrass' ">"Life Is A Song Worth Singing" album masterfully produced by the duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff as newer disc jockeys - Jacob Akinyemi Johnson, Fred Oshodi, Bode Seriki, Jones Usen and the rest - emerged replacing veterans Ibegbuna and Idonije.
Everything changed. NBC 2 AM FM Stereo was renamed. Local artist began airing. Tirogo, Bongos Ikwue, Chris Okotie and the rest exploded and were catapulted to the top which gave the new wave some kind of different flavor as the funk era paved way to a whole lot of different music categories.
I enjoyed the funk era and NBC 2 AM FM Stereo was the bomb!
Guyana-born Multitalented artist Randy Muller who led the sensational Brass Construction had released its first smash hit "Moving," blasting all over on the streets of Lagos and the fm stereo with Ibegbuna and veteran announcer Benson Idonije never gave it up.
The Pure Funk had just exploded and Muller's crew who evolved from the Dynamic Souls to Brass Construction were sending strong messages that music got to be changed as time passes by. Everything had been joined together, from R&B to soul-funk. Muller and his crew's ">"Moving" were favorites of NBC 2 AM FM Stereo as it was played more than the likes of B.T. Express' "Can't Stop Grooving Now," Con Funk Shun formed by Louis A. McCall and Michael V. Cooper's "Con Funk Shun" album released later in 1976, K.C. & the Sunshine Band "I'm Your Boogie Man," Donna Summer's "Four Seasons of Love" album and toooooo many funktified vibes that drowned the funk era.FM Stereo listerners did not care much about the news beat. The music of the time was what mattered and it did blast all over and not even the juntas could stop the hippies from doing what makes them happy. Local ensembles had their stuff going, too. Not much was heard of them on the air as Ibegbuna concentrated on those funktified imports.
1977 through the 80s changed a little bit of all that when sex symbol Teddy Pendergrass' ">"Life Is A Song Worth Singing" album masterfully produced by the duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff as newer disc jockeys - Jacob Akinyemi Johnson, Fred Oshodi, Bode Seriki, Jones Usen and the rest - emerged replacing veterans Ibegbuna and Idonije.Everything changed. NBC 2 AM FM Stereo was renamed. Local artist began airing. Tirogo, Bongos Ikwue, Chris Okotie and the rest exploded and were catapulted to the top which gave the new wave some kind of different flavor as the funk era paved way to a whole lot of different music categories.
I enjoyed the funk era and NBC 2 AM FM Stereo was the bomb!
Comments