Having previously offered up compilations championing all manner of Nigerian styles of music (juju, highlife, Afrobeat and so on), Soul Jazz has now turned its attention to Apala: a style indigenous to the Yoruba people characterized by hypnotic rhythms, powerful drumming, nasal singing and extensive use of Agdigbo (a type of thumb piano). The 18 tracks showcased here (for the first time outside Nigeria, impressively) were all recorded and released by leading Apala groups between 1967 and 70. While there's some then contemporary production trickery added to a handful of tracks (mostly effects such as delay and reverb), for the most part what you get is the sort of infectious drumming and chanted group vocals that have been part of Yoruba culture for centuries.