V.A. - The Rough Guide To Highlife (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In Ghana and Nigeria, highlife was one of the main popular musics of the 20th century, made for dancing. While this collection doesn't reach back to the very early days of highlife, it does cover a fair number of classic artists, including the great E.T. Mensah, acknowledged as the King of Highlife. Joe Mensah (no relation), offers a jazzier take on highlife with the lengthy "Bosoe." While essentially guitar music, saxophone is often featured, as in Celestine Ukwu's "Igede." The incessant groove swirls all through these tracks, about the only common denominator between the pieces and the times. Unfortunately, no dates are given for the tracks, with the exception of George Darko's "Hilife Time" from the '80s, where the rigid drum machine and keyboard work against the flow of the music rather than with it; this needs a human touch to make it real. More than half the tracks here are unavailable on either vinyl or CD, making this a treasure trove for anyone remotely interested in the percolating music. And the excellent sleeve notes give a short history of the style. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1 Celestine Ukwu – Igede 4:04
2 Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe – Ka-Anyi Jikota 5:05
3 Jerry Hansen & The Ramblers Dance Band – Ekombi 3:10
4 Joe Mensah – Bosoe 9:34
5 Sir Victor Uwaifo – Guitar Boy 5:18
6 Nana Ampadu & The African Brothers – Bone Biara So Wo Akatua 4:22
7 Alex Konadu – Asare 4:56
8 Inyang Henshaw – Esonta 3:09
9 E.T. Mensah – Medzi Medzi 2:52
10 Victor Olaiya – Omo Pupa 2:46
11 King Onyina – Ohia Asoma Wo 2:44
12 Rex Lawson – Bere Bote 2:54
13 TO Jazz – Agyeman Baidoo 4:12
14 Orlando Julius – Binu Binu 2:52
15 George Darko – Hilife Time 6:07 

V.A. - The Rough Guide To African Disco (2013) 2xCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Though the iconic imagery of the disco era feels distinctly tied to the United States, the style had a wide-reaching influence that made it all the way to Africa. While Africa was already no stranger to the pulsing rhythms of funk, Afro-beat, and highlife, the rise of disco added a slick sheen to the music, with musicians from all over the continent incorporating elements of the genre into their sounds. This era is the focus of The Rough Guide to African Disco. Delivering two discs of solid jams along with a liner-note essay that helps to contextualize the whole scene, the good people at World Music Network once again help to make the world a little bit smaller, and a whole lot funkier. by Gregory Heaney
Tracklist 1 :
1 Mixed Grill – A Brand New Wayo 4:59
2 Pat Thomas – Yesu San Bra 3:49
3 The Lijadu Sisters – Come On Home 5:14
4 Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens – Kazet 3:44
5 Yvonne Chaka Chaka – Kwedini 4:35
6 Sir Victor Uwaifo – Ohue (Frankie Francis & Simbad Edit) 5:35
Edited By – Frankie Francis, Simbad
7 Bibi Tanga & The Selenites – Be Africa 4:13
8 Manu Dibango – Yekey Tenge 5:55
9 Osibisa – Dance The Body Music 3:46
10 Mango Groove – Tsa-oo 4:13
11 Teaspoon & The Waves – Oh Yeh Soweto 4:12
12 Tony Allen & The Afro Messengers – Love Is A Natural Thing 9:06
13 Marumo – Toitoi 3:38
Tracklist 2 :
Bonus CD: Vincent Nguini And Maloko : Soul On FIre    
1 In The Midnight Hour (Medley I) 4:00
2 Stand By Me 3:20
3 Wonderful World 4:26
4 Words Of Love 2:37
5 In The Midnight Hour (Medley II) 4:22
6 Direct Me 5:49
7 Soul Man 3:43
8 Cold Sweat 5:02

V.A. - The Rough Guide To West African Music (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

How do you try to capture the music of such a large, rich area as West Africa on one disc? The answer, of course, is that you can't, although this compilation does glide over some of the high spots -- but only some. So there are classic performances by Mali's Super Rail Band and Ali Farka Toure, plus Orchestra Baobob, revealing the influence Cuban music had on the nascent homegrown scenes in both Senegal and Mali. Altogether, it offers some semblance of a picture, fleshed out by the thrilling kora work of Toumani Diabate on "Djelika" and the south Mali wassoulou vocals of the excellent Oumou Sangare, who brings a rougher dimension to the proceedings. There's no Youssou N'Dour or Baaba Maal to show their stuff as Senegal's brightest stars (West Africa's biggest names, in fact), but Maal's sidekick, griot Mansour Seck, is represented. Perhaps one of the oddest choices is the inclusion of Dimi Mint Abba from Mauritania. Granted, she's the country's most famous singer, but there are others artists of greater stature from the region not included. E.T. Mensah is an astute pick for Ghanaian highlife, and Kante Manfila is probably a fair nominee for mande music. The real problem with this album isn't the music, which is glorious throughout, but the fact that it suffers from the size of its ambition and the inability to full realize it. Within a small range -- Ghana, Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania -- it does a partial job, but to call it a summing up of West African music is neither fair to the geographic area nor the listener. by Chris Nickson 
Tracklist:
1 Super Rail Band – Foliba 7:46
2 Toumani Diabate – Djelika 7:11
3 Ali Farka Toure – Roucky 8:15
4 Moussa Poussy – Toro 4:41
5 Sona Diabate – M'Bore 6:43
6 Oumou Sangare – Djama Kaissoumou 6:43
7 Bajourou – I Ka Di Nye 5:17
8 E.T. Mensah – 205 3:02
9 Orchestra Baobab – Utru Horas 8:39
10 Mansour Seck – Almamy Bocoum 4:54
11 Khalifa Ould Eide & Dimi Mint Abba – Mauritania My Beloved Country 3:29
12 Kante Manfila – Agne Anko 4:38

V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of Nigeria & Ghana (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It might be more apt to call this a guide to some of the musical styles of Nigeria and Ghana. While both highlife and juju are well represented, with the less conspicuous, very percussive Fuji genre evident in the track by Adewale Ayuba, something's missing -- Afro-beat. One can only assume the label couldn't license any tracks by Fela Kuti or his son, Femi; instead, the closest they've come is a cut by Fela's former drummer, Tony Allen. It's fabulous stuff, very cutting edge in its approach -- but it's not Afro-beat, which is arguably the most successful music to come out of the area. That said, the rest of the album is great, tracing juju from its pioneer, I.K. Dairo, to the man who brought it to the international stage, King Sunny Ade (and having an early-'80s cut, rather than something more familiar, proves to be an inspired idea, as you can see the succession from Dairo). And the highlife content from Ghana, often difficult to find in the West, is exemplary. The "King of Highlife," E.T. Mensah, offers "Day By Day," a classic cut, followed by the wonderful guitar player Eric Agyeman, who brought a Congolese rhythmic feel to the music, and then Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, whose Nigerian take on this Ghanaian music is much more percussive. So, in what it does cover, this compilation does a generally excellent job, although you have to wonder why modern artists like Lagbaja weren't included. And if you understand from the beginning that this is far from being a complete exercise, you won't be disappointed. But if you want the whole story, well, this just isn't it. by Chris Nickson  
Tracklist:
1 I.K. Dairo – Okin Omo Ni (The King Of The Children) 6:40
2 King Sunny Ade & His African Beats – Maa Jo 3:22
3 C.K. Mann - Funky Hi-Life 3:50
4 Tony Allen - Asiko 7:55
5 Captain Yaba – Neribalankina 6:15
6 Adewale Ayuba – Fuji Shuffle 5:56
7 E. K. Nyame – Bra Ohoho 3:01
8 Sir Victor Uwaifo – Joromi/Monkey Yanga 6:16
9 E.T. Mensah - Day By Day 2:41
10 Eric Agyeman – Matutu Mirika 6:18
11 Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe – Oyolima 8:41
12 Sweet Talks Featuring A.B. Crentsil – Fakye Me 5:19
13 Amanzeba Nat Brew – Baawo 7:09