Osibisa's New Dawn is pleasurable, infectious and colourised

Afro-rockers Osibisa are still with us after 50 years, and New Dawn shows them still rejuvenating

By ( Classic Rock ) published
Osibisa: New Dawn
(Image: © Marquee Records)

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

Osibisa are a reminder of the length and endurance of the Black British musical inheritance. 

Ghanian in origin, they formed in 1969 and have worked on and off as a fluid collective ever since, with keyboard player Robert Bailey now the only original member. But constant rejuvenation of their line-up has enabled Osibisa to remain fluid and eclectic. 

New Dawn merges a range of styles, from the gruff 70s boogie of Adjuawa Aye (Go With The Flow) to the contemporary R&B juicy fruit of Dark Matter, featuring R&B vocalist Faye Jones. 

In between they alight on highlife, Afrobeat, reggae and muscular funk in a casual yet meticulously practised manner that is never less than pleasurable, infectious and colourised.

David Stubbs
David Stubbs

David Stubbs is a music, film, TV and football journalist. He has written for The Guardian, NME, The Wire and Uncut, and has written books on Jimi Hendrix, Eminem, Electronic Music and the footballer Charlie Nicholas.

Read more
Osibisa
“We didn’t know we were creating a new style… we took sounds from anywhere and everywhere”: Tony Visconti, Roger Dean and the making of Osibisa’s debut album
Teddy Osei onstage in 1974
Osibisa founding member and singer Teddy Osei dead at 88
Soft Machine – Softs
“The dynamic twists and thoughtful depths of the mix suggest these pieces aren’t so much produced as dramatised”: Soft Machine’s Softs vinyl remaster
Nazareth group photo
"If you can live through the dinosaur period, you become a legend": The albums by Nazareth you should listen to... and one to avoid
Seven Impale – City Of The Sun 10th Anniversary
“Plenty have paddled in the same murky waters, but few have done it with such eye-popping vigour”: Seven Impale’s City Of The Sun: 10th anniversary edition
Jethro Tull – Curious Ruminant
“The rustic feel of Songs From The Wood or Heavy Horses… a sense of urgency still surrounds the band”: Jethro Tull’s Curious Ruminant
Latest in
Queen posing for a photograph in 1978
"Freddie’s ideas were off the wall and cheeky and different, and we tended to encourage them, but sometimes they were not brilliant.” Queen's Brian May reveals one of Freddie Mercury's grand ideas that got vetoed by the rest of the band
Mogwai
“The concept of cool and uncool is completely gone, which is good and bad… people are unashamedly listening to Rick Astley. You’ve got to draw a line somewhere!” Mogwai and the making of prog-curious album The Bad Fire
Adrian Smith performing with Iron Maiden in 2024
Adrian Smith names his favourite Iron Maiden song, even though it’s “awkward” to play
Robert Smith, Lauren Mayberry, Bono
How your purchase of albums by The Cure, U2, Chvrches and more on Record Store Day can help benefit children living in war zones worldwide
Cradle Of Filth performing in 2021 and Ed Sheeran in 2024
Cradle Of Filth’s singer claims Ed Sheeran tried to turn a Toys R Us into a live music venue
The Beatles in 1962
"The quality is unreal. How is this even possible to have?" Record shop owner finds 1962 Beatles' audition tape that a British label famously decided wasn't good enough to earn Lennon and McCartney's band a record deal
Latest in Review
/news/the-darkness-i-hate-myself
"When the storm clouds clear, the band’s innate pop sensibilities shine as brightly as ever": In a world of bread-and-butter rock bands, The Darkness remain the toast of the town
Sex Pistols at the RAH
"Open the dance floor, you’ll never get to do it again." Forget John Lydon's bitter and boring "karaoke" jibes, with Frank Carter up front, the Sex Pistols sound like the world's greatest punk band once more
Arch Enemy posing in an alleyway
Arch Enemy promised they'd throw out the rule book for Blood Dynasty. They didn't go quite that far, but this is the boldest album of the Alissa White-Gluz era - and it kicks ass
The Darkness press shot
"Not just one of the best British rock albums of all time, but one of the best debut albums ever made": That time The Darkness added a riot of colour to a grey musical landscape
Roger Waters - The Dark Side of the Moon Redux Deluxe Box Set
“The live recording sees the piece come to life… amid the sepulchral gloom there are moments of real beauty”: Roger Waters' Super Deluxe Box Set of his Dark Side Of The Moon Redux
Cradle Of Filth Press Shot 2025
Twiddly Iron Maiden harmonies, thrash riffs, horror, rapping (kind of) and sexy goth allure: The Screaming Of The Valkyries is peak Cradle Of Filth
Queen posing for a photograph in 1978

"Freddie’s ideas were off the wall and cheeky and different, and we tended to encourage them, but sometimes they were not brilliant.” Queen's Brian May reveals one of Freddie Mercury's grand ideas that got vetoed by the rest of the band

Mogwai

“The concept of cool and uncool is completely gone, which is good and bad… people are unashamedly listening to Rick Astley. You’ve got to draw a line somewhere!” Mogwai and the making of prog-curious album The Bad Fire
Robert Smith, Lauren Mayberry, Bono

How your purchase of albums by The Cure, U2, Chvrches and more on Record Store Day can help benefit children living in war zones worldwide
See more latest