Give the Beggar a Chance

Led by keyboardist and singer Joni Haastrup (himself a scion of Nigerian royalty), the band MonoMono was one of the most popular funk-rock acts in West Africa in the early '70s. Give the Beggar a Chance is the first of a set of three reissues from that decade, two by MonoMono and one by Haastrup as a solo artist. Although the sound quality is marginal at times (these CDs were mastered from audibly damaged vinyl records), the music itself is fascinating and sometimes deeply compelling. Of the band's two albums, Give the Beggar a Chance is the most consistently fun and interesting. This was a period when Afro-pop was coming into its maturity, and the endlessly repetitive grooves of Fela Kuti were starting to give way to influences from British and American traditions — listen closely to the title track and you'll hear more than a hint of Ray Manzarek in Haastrup's organ playing, while "The World Might Fall Over" hints at a Santana-esque blues-rock and "Find Out" segues abruptly from a jaunty, swinging jazz-reggae groove to an even jauntier and sauntering 6/8 feel. It must be said that Haastrup is a good singer but not a great one; he often struggles to hit his high notes, which can distract from what are generally pretty good songs and ferocious grooves. But his arrangements are brilliant, dense, and busy without ever feeling ponderous. Surface noise notwithstanding, this album is a genuine gem that should be welcomed back to the commercial marketplace.