The Unique Sound of Jicco Funk

Best of Jicco Funk Volume 1
A door to a lost world

Dig This Way Records has captured this unique sound on "Best of Jicco Funk Volume 1", a door to a world of music that is high grade in quality, diverse, and open to interpretation even if the selected tracks are all from the same record label. One's questions might include: When did they start? Why did they start? Who was behind it? Where did the artists come from?

In the early 1970s through to the '90s, Onicha was one of Nigeria's most important cities, sitting on the banks of the river Niger about halfway between Benin City and Enugu. Aside from commerce, Onicha was also an important center for music production; live music thrived and the city had a nightlife that embraced music. It's where in the late '60s, the label Jicco was also established, an enterprise that would commercialize Kenyan and Congolese music in Nigeria.

By the mid-late '70s, Jicco opened itself to new projects, launching a number of sub-labels, from Vox Africa to Guy, more specialized in highlife, native and soukous music, as well as Jicco Funk which was produced by small, local groups playing Reggae, Rock, and Funk. Features: Jah Children, The Combats, Black Gold, Freedom Family, The Combats, The Sea-Men International, Felix Lebarty, and Jimmy Sky.

Best of Jicco Funk Volume 1 (detail)
Best of Jicco Funk Volume 1 (detail)
Best of Jicco Funk Volume 1 label
Best of Jicco Funk Volume 1 label