Blo (band)

The roots of Blo lay in the successful mid-60s highlife group the Clusters, who also performed as a backing band for the Sierra Leonean pop star Geraldo Pino.[2] In 1970, the trio of Akintobi, Jones, and Odumosu left the group to form Afrocollection with sisters Kehinde and Taiwo Lijadu, exploring a more Afro-rock approach.[2] They collaborated on the jazz-rock project Salt with British drummer Ginger Baker of Cream in 1971.[2]

In late 1972, Akintobi, Jones, Odumosu formed Blo (standing for their names Berkeley, Laolu & Odumosu) and toured prior to recording their debut album Chapter One for the EMI Nigeria label.[2] The album drew equally on the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti and Tony Allen as well as psychedelic rock from America.[2] For their second album, the group signed to Afrodisia and moved further into funk and R&B territory. Commercial pressure forced the group to move toward more popular styles such as disco on their later recordings.[2] They disbanded in 1982.[2]

In 2009, the label Strut reissued many of their recordings on the retrospective Phases 1972–1982.[2]

OkayAfrica stated that the group is "considered by many to be the first psych-rock band to emerge from the continent" and credited them with developing "a pioneering fusion in afro-psychedelic funk."[3] FT called the group's debut "Nigeria's first psychedelic rock record," describing it as "a hypnotic brew of Hendrix-esque guitar noodling, Funkadelic-style rhythms and African-accented rock-outs."[4] AllMusic credited the band with developing "a wholly original sound embracing the full spectrum of black music."[2]

• Chapter One (1973)
• Phase II (1974)
• Step Three (1975)
• Phase IV (1977)
• Bulky Backside (1979)