View source for Assagai

{{Short description|English Afro-rock band}}
{{About||the racehorse|Assagai (horse)|the polearm|Assegai}}
{{Use South African English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
'''Assagai''' was an [[Afro-rock]] band, active in the early 1970s in London, whose relatively short career produced two albums recorded in 1971. It has been described as "the second best-known African group of the late 60s/early 70s in Britain" after [[Osibisa]].<ref>Jon Stratton and Nabeel Zuberi (eds), [https://books.google.com/books?id=KwEHDAAAQBAJ&dq=assagai+band&pg=PA56 "'Spearheading the Afro Trend' — Assagai"], in ''Black Popular Music in Britain Since 1945'', Routledge, 2014, p. 56.</ref>

==History==
The original band consisted of five members, three from South Africa and two from Nigeria: drummer [[Louis Moholo]], trumpeter/flautist [[Mongezi Feza]], alto saxophonist [[Dudu Pukwana]], tenor saxophonist Bizo Mngqikana, and guitarist/bassist Fred Coker – the latter, according to Rob Fitzpatrick in ''[[The Guardian]]'', "helped guide Assagai into position as the only real West African competition to the super-star firepower of Ghana's Osibisa" before Coker left Assagai to replace Spartacus R in Osibisa.<ref>Rob Fitzpatrick, [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jun/11/the-101-strangest-records-on-spotify-assagai-zimbabwe "The 101 strangest records on Spotify: Assagai - Zimbabwe"], ''The Guardian'', 11 June 2014.</ref> [[Canterbury scene]] keyboardist [[Alan Gowen]] and [[King Crimson]] percussionist [[Jamie Muir]] were also briefly members (1971–72).<ref>[http://www.nndb.com/people/963/000044831/ "Alan Gowen"], NNDB.</ref>

The band recorded for the British label [[Vertigo Records]], and are thought to be "the only African or 'Black' band ever signed" by the label.<ref name=radagast>[http://www.radagast.org/assagai/ "Assagai"], radagast.org.</ref>

Assagai's self-titled debut album was released in 1971; among the African musicians who played with the group on the recording was [[Terri Quaye]].<ref name=Bradley>Lloyd Bradley, [https://books.google.com/books?id=KZAkAAAAQBAJ&dq=assagaisounds+like+jazz+lloyd+bradley&pg=PA155 ''Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital''], Serpent's Tail, 2012, p. 155.</ref> ''Assagai'' was reissued on CD by [[Repertoire Records]] in 1994. The band's second and final album, ''[[Zimbabwe (Assagai album)|Zimbabwe]]'' (with cover artwork by [[Roger Dean (artist)|Roger Dean]]), was released later in 1971. It was re-released as LP by [[Music for Pleasure (record label)|Music for Pleasure]] label, but under a different title, ''AfroRock''. Both Assagai albums featured songs written by members of the British group [[Jade Warrior (band)|Jade Warrior]] and included guest appearances from them as well.<ref name=radagast /><ref name=Bradley />

Previously, in the 1960s Pukwana, Feza and Moholo had been members of the jazz band [[The Blue Notes]] alongside [[Chris McGregor]].

==Discography==
===Albums===
* ''Assagai'', Vertigo Records, 1971 (LP #6360 030); Repertoire Records, 1994 (CD #REP 4448-WP)
* ''[[Zimbabwe (Assagai album)|Zimbabwe]]'', Vertigo, 1971 (LP #6360 058); re-released as ''AfroRock'', Music for Pleasure, 1975 (SPR 90054)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=assagai-mn0001191588|label=Assagai}}
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Assagai Assagai at Discogs]
*[http://www.radagast.org/assagai Radagast.org]

{{Louis Moholo}}
{{Dudu Pukwana}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:South African rock music groups]]
[[Category:Vertigo Records artists]]