''Exuma'' is the self-titled debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by Bahamian folk musician

Exuma Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands, also called cays. The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge. The capital ...

. It was originally released in May 1970 on the

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

label.

Background

In the early 1960s, Exuma (born Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey) had moved to Greenwich Village,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and started playing guitar and singing in the cultivating folk rock scene developing in that area. After producer Bob Wyld came up to him offering a record deal, he chose to adopt "Exuma, the Obeah Man" as his name. The pseudonym draws from memories of Junkanoo festivals from his childhood.

Production

Wyld adopted the pseudonym "Daddy Ya Ya" and recruited a few musicians for the album, including Peppy Castro of the

Blues Magoos The Blues Magoos are an American rock group from The Bronx, a borough of New York City, United States. They were at the forefront of the psychedelic music trend, beginning in 1966. They are best known for the hit song " (We Ain't Got) Nothin' Ye ...

(who was credited under the pseudonym "Spy Boy Thielheim"). During recording sessions, Exuma would often turn off the lights and set up candles, recalling songs from his dreams. The album cover was painted by Exuma himself.

Release and reception

The album received positive reviews and moderate airplay at the time of its release. The opening track on the album, "Exuma, the Obeah Man", was released as a single. In a retrospective review, Richie Unterberger of AllMusic wrote, "Exuma's debut album was a real odd piece of work...it's kind of like a combination of the Bahamian folk of Joseph Spence with early

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...

at his most voodooed-out...It's a little surprising that this stuff hasn't undergone a sizable cult revival."

In popular culture

Nina Simone recorded a cover of "Dambala" on her 1974 record, ''It Is Finished''. "Exuma, the Obeah Man" was featured (playing from vinyl, with the album cover visible) in the 2022 film '' Nope'', with the song being featured on the film's soundtrack.

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from LP liner notes: *

– lead vocals, guitar, bells,

foot drum ''For another term, see footed drum'' A foot drum is any type of drum that is typically played by striking it with the bare foot or pedal and beater combination. The most common type of foot drum is the kick drum or bass drum of a drum set or ...

*Daddy Ya Ya – producer, vocals, bells, foot drum, "sacred sand" *Spy Boy Thielheim – backing vocals, triangle, cabasa, whistle, bells *Lord Wellington – congas *Frankie Gearing – backing vocals *Geraldine McBride – backing vocals *Mildred Vaney – backing vocals *Princess Diana – backing vocals *Sally O'Brien – backing vocals

References

External links

{{Authority control 1970 debut albums Folk albums Exuma (musician) albums Mercury Records albums