foundars 15: fire woman

The 1970s in Nigeria were an age when mighty bands walked the earth. In Lagos, Afro-rock stalwarts such as BLO and Monomono ruled the roost; eastwards, it was deeply funky groups like The Funkees, The Apostles and The Friimen. Up north you had soulful ensembles such as The Elcados and The Moonrakers. And in the southeast, you had Foundars 15. Foundars 15 were not the only rock band operating in the southern city of Port Harcourt, but they were without question the tightest and most eclectic not just in Port Harcourt but perhaps in Nigeria as a whole. Formed initially as an army band in the wake of the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970, Foundars 15 released a string of singles in the early seventies, followed by four albums of heavy, jittery funk-rock between 1976 and 1978 before splitting up to pursue solo careers. 1977's Fire Woman is perhaps the finest (and rarest) of Foundars 15's albums, offering a spicy buffet of groovy pop, reggae, native rock and dense, off-kilter funk. Long sought after by aficionados, Fire Woman has been an LP that is more often heard about than actually heard. That is about to change. Comb & Razor Sound is proud to present a new, fully-authorized reissue of Fire Woman, featuring eight crucial cuts representing the gold standard of the golden age of Nigerian pop music. Here's your chance to catch the fire!