Mganaga!

Mganga!

The Primitive Sounds Of Tak Shindo
Edison International SDL 100
1958

Mganga! was the first album released on The Edison International label, according to a June 16, 1958 article in Billboard. The article listed distributors for the new label created by Jack Ames, former V.P. and general manager for Liberty Records. Tak Shindo is mentioned as having "...been active in screen and TV composing and recently received screen credit on 20th Century-Fox and CBS-TV vehicles. He scored "Destination Tokyo" for Fox."

Ames told Billboard that Edison-International's purpose will be to record the unusual in concept and treatment but still retaining commercial appeal.

Ames was one of the partners and co-founders of the Liberty Label in February, 1955.

Liberty, in my opinion, is one of the best labels creating music and especially great exotica in the 1950s. Apparently Ames intended to carry on what he started at Liberty. The cover image suggests that the record might be "tribal folk". But the LP is total Americanized exotica.

This recording is available on CD import as a double release with Ethel Azama's Exotic Dreams. Apparently the CD was mastered from a mono-release of this recording (I have the stereo vinyl release).

Interesting that Mganga! is packaged with Exotic Dreams. I have that album as well and the two, in my opinion do not mix well. I don't consider Exotic Dreams to be a strong release to begin with. A decent stereo release of this album would stand alone just fine I think.