MOG Editorial Review

At a time when world music just beginning to get mainstream exposure, it came as no surprise that an Afrobeat band as multicultural as Osibisa would be one of its first breakthroughs. Featuring core members from both Nigeria and Ghana, the songs on the band's self-titled debut served as an extremely accessible introduction to the genre, dressing it up with equal elements of rock and jazz. Opener "Dawn" showed off Osibisa's globetrotting style best, propelled by Afrobeat drums and built upon by jazzy horns and psychedelic guitar riffs, letting just enough Western influence in to win over skeptics without compromising their sound. Fela Kuti may get more credit as a pioneer of the genre, the less political, more inviting sounds of Osibisa deserve just as much recognition for bringing the sound to a large audience for the first time.