Upcoming Gigs:
The Sol Power All-Stars are twice-monthly residents at Tropicalia in Washington, DC
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Top Ten All-Time Sol Power Joints: #5 Luisito Quintero - Gbagada, Gbagada, Gbogodo, Gbogodo (Louie Vega EOL Mix)
#5 Luisito Quintero - Gbagada, Gbagada, Gbogodo, Gbogodo (Louie Vega EOL Mix)
There’s so much I could say about this record, but none of it can really describe what it feels like to ease it into a mix and envelop a dancefloor with it. When I drop this, it’s a signal that I’m in a zone.
There’s more to this 12 minute slice of afro-house perfection than how it rocks a party, and you know we’re all about context over here. “Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo” was originally recorded by Fela Kuti and derived from a Nigerian folk song. He even says so in the lyrics, recreated exceptionally well by vocalist Francis Mbappe on percussionist Luisito Quintero’s cover version.
Quintero’s cover hews pretty close to the original, until Louie Vega got his hands on it to apply his impeccable remixing touch. With his band Elements of Life, Vega transformed “Gbagada” into a deep, sexy, churning house burner with bubbling keys and rolling percussion. You can get it at the usual spots (Amazon, iTunes) or head over to Traxsource for all of the versions to add to your DJ tool kit.
