It was the sound of post-independence Nigeria, a time of celebration and wealth but, ultimately, of political oppression. The music reflected the times - a heady mix of traditional rhythms and big band highlife with the new rock, soul and jazz sounds crackling through transistor radios from Europe and the U.S. The rulebook of Nigerian musical heritage was ripped up as Santana, The Beatles and James Brown became as relevant to young players as Nigerian heroes like  Haruna Ishola, Victor Olaiya and E. T. Mensah. Led by the towering influence of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, established Nigerian stars and the rawest of college bands alike forged new fusions and began using their music confidently as a vehicle for new variations of traditional parables and thinly veiled social commentary.

There has been a more open-minded approached by Western artists towards African music across the board this year and the traditional pigeon-holing of “world music” seems to be changing. Other than crossover acts such as Tinariwen who topped ‘Best of Albums’ lists in 2007 in a wide spectrum of media, young and exciting bands such as Vampire Weekend and Foals have been experimenting with traditional West African arrangements and influences on their respective debuts.

Compiled by leading Afro archivist Duncan Brooker and Strut’s Quinton Scott, NIGERIA 70: LAGOS JUMP forms another chapter in the rich musical background of Africa and, as followers of the Strut label will have come to expect, it is accompanied by a full booklet featuring extensive sleeve notes by Ghana-based author and journalist, John Collins.