5. Prince Nico MbargaSweet Mother
My dad was an architect who worked in Africa most of his life. My earliest memory of me sitting on his lap at the drawing table, and I still think what I saw there influences how I make music now – I think of my basslines as horizontal lines, my higher lines as vertical. Dad brought this record home from Nigeria and it’s the height of highlife. It’s a proper mood switcher! When I put it on, I don’t know whether to laugh or be seriously impressed by the great talent of these guys – the harmonies are so wacky, slightly out of tune and just wonderful. I love the memory of my dad turning up with this record with this guy on the cover dressed so flamboyantly, and then the music being just as amazing.
