Soul Messengers + Pharaohs

The Soul Messengers : Equilibrium and Heaven Of Heavens
From Soul Messages From Dimona (Numero, 2008)

The Pharaohs : African Roots
From In The Basement (Luv N' Haight, 1996)

There’s nowaday prolifics, qualties and genuine releases of compilation that digs 70s funk from all around the planet. Often it’s engaged series and proposed 70s funk from singular countries. Singular because never 70s Benin and Togo afrofunk was released. And it’s also the case for Soul Messages From Dimona. Personnally I was waiting for a Black Hebrew compilation since I’ve been introduced to it two years ago. Bywayof made it again ! Tracks posted by DZ appears on this new Numero Group compilation Soul Messages From Dimona and focus in fact on The Soul Messengers. From Numero Group series, best regionalistic 70s funk ever release are this one and Cult Cargo : Grand Bahama Goombay… I believe.

Before touring in Liberia and Israel, members of The Soul Messengers was settled in Chicago. Black Hebrew community from Chicago shared Marcus Garvey’s vision and black nationalism ideas. Chicago’s black art movement was synonymous of Soul Jams and Social Justice. Boscoe cover art album take the colours of black nationalist flag. Check out this article for more details about these Chicago scene. Yehudah was guitarist for the afro-centric band The Pharaohs. He’s credited on both Awakening and In The Basement albums. “In 1971, the group recorded Awakening for the Scarab label, with Yehudah taking lead guitar duties for most of the set and lead vocals on “Tracks Of Tears” and “Freedom Road”, their only single”. Then Soul Messengers set down to Israel in 1972.

Equilibrium and Heaven Of Heavens tunes sound more like the instrumental Africadelic Manu Dibango album than Chicago music scene. Even if Equilibrium goes to blues jam with a cover of I’m A Man Chicago Transit Authority version. West Africa is linked with Chicago.