Sensation – Adolf Ahanotu, 1986

🇳🇬 🎶 🎸 🎷 🌍 Dr Ahanotu has your best interests at heart—and his therapy is primarily musical, much like his academic background. A doctor in ‘music compilation’, he applies his expertise to his compositions. Two albums emerged: Odejimjim in 1985, followed by Sensation in 1986. While each track is clearly labelled by genre, Adolf Ahanotu leaves little room for doubt: the eponymous opener is a disco track steeped in infectious afrobeat, universally appealing. A surprising blues follows, then Ijéré, a tropical afro-jazz piece. The Nigerian doctor reignites the energy on Side B with Cupid, a rock-infused—even afro-rock—track, nodding to the spirit of Racine and Forcha’s Rock Town Express. Sensation concludes with Happy Nigeria, a swaying calypso that caps off an album too remarkable to overlook. Originally released on his own Mirabel Records label (named after his orchestra), the album was reissued in 2017 by Austrian label PMG.