Osibisa's New Dawn is pleasurable, infectious and colourised

Afro-rockers Osibisa are still with us after 50 years, and New Dawn shows them still rejuvenating

Osibisa: New Dawn
(Image: © Marquee Records)

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Osibisa are a reminder of the length and endurance of the Black British musical inheritance. 

Ghanian in origin, they formed in 1969 and have worked on and off as a fluid collective ever since, with keyboard player Robert Bailey now the only original member. But constant rejuvenation of their line-up has enabled Osibisa to remain fluid and eclectic. 

New Dawn merges a range of styles, from the gruff 70s boogie of Adjuawa Aye (Go With The Flow) to the contemporary R&B juicy fruit of Dark Matter, featuring R&B vocalist Faye Jones. 

In between they alight on highlife, Afrobeat, reggae and muscular funk in a casual yet meticulously practised manner that is never less than pleasurable, infectious and colourised.

David Stubbs

David Stubbs is a music, film, TV and football journalist. He has written for The Guardian, NME, The Wire and Uncut, and has written books on Jimi Hendrix, Eminem, Electronic Music and the footballer Charlie Nicholas.