Led by percussionist
Bonjo I,
African Head Charge formed in the early '80s and has released seven albums with a shifting lineup that also includes
Prisoner, Crocodile,
Junior Moses and Sunny Akpan. The band works in the same dub psychedelia territory as
Adrian Sherwood's work, which isn't surprising since most of
African Head Charge's albums have been released through -- and produced by --
Sherwood and his On-U Sound label.
After debut album A Hole in the Ground was released in 1981,
African Head Charge released
Environmental Studies,
Drastic Season and
Off the Beaten Track (these first four albums have been released as two-fers on two volumes of On-U Sound's
Great Vintage series).
African Head Charge soon became On-U Sound's most popular act, and though they had not played a live date during the first four albums, the group hit the road and began to do live shows. After a break of several years, they returned in 1991 with
Songs of Praise and then released
In Pursuit of Shashamane Land in 1994 and
Akwaaba a year later.
–
John Bush, Rovi