Search – Egyptian Nursery
Search – Egyptian Nursery
God’s Window – Egyptian Nursery
A Pom, a Maurituian and a Congolese walk into a South African group and call it Egypitan Nursery. This may sound a bit like the start of a bad joke, but its not. Despite their different nationalities and naming their group after a 4th, Egyptian Nursey became one of the dance acts in the country during the late nineties and early naughties.
‘Search’ is funky, sexy, slick and earthy. Cragie Dodds (the Pom in the equation) creates the soundscape of chilled beats, funky guitar licks and keyboard beeps and noodlings. Ariane (the Mauritian) lays down a silky and sexy vocal about searching the whole world but never finding the rich man she’s after, then Mojama (the Congolese) comes in, firstly with a sung vocal that is not too dissimilar to those found on a Blk Sonshine record, except that here they are in French, adding to the sexiness of the song. He returns later for an English rap.
This laidback dance music opened the way for acts like Moodphase 5ive, Felix LaBand and others on the African Dope label to explore further. Dodds himself went on to work with Jenny Delenta and QZoo before returing to the UK to have some success with the Sugababes.
Where to find it:
God’s Window – Egyptian Nursery (2000), Fresh Music, FREDCD100
Video:
1001 South African Songs You Must Hear Before You Go Deaf 