Strut present a brand new edition of Oneness of Jujus Afro-jazz classic African Rhythms, originally released on Black Fire in 1975 and first reissued on Strut in 2002. For bandleader James Plunky Branch, African Rhythms marked a significant return to his home town of Richmond, Virginia after a politically charged five years based on the East and West coasts. His personal journey had taken him from activism at Columbia University to San Francisco where Zulu musician Ndikho Xaba used theatre to resurrect Afro-Americans with a new African identity. The first incarnation of Plunkys band, Juju, drew attention to the struggle in South Africa under apartheid, layering heavy Afro rhythms under uncompromising avant garde jazz. Back in Richmond, Plunky tapped into the mid-Atlantic preference for Southern R&B and gospel: Juju had always been blues-based and it was a natural progression to add R&B and dance rhythms. It didnt change our message. African Rhythms by Oneness of Juju