'Bokoor Beats' is a collection of music recorded by John Collins that came out of Ghana in the nineteen-seventies, a time of political uncertainty not long after the country declared its independence. It features the bands Brekete & The Big Beats, Mangwana Stars, Oyikwam Internationals and T.O. Jazz the Bookor Band, of which Collins was a member.

As a country develops, one of the first places the culture begins to show change is in its music. A fusion of styles will often take place, creating an amalgamation of new and old, of what was and what will be. Bookor Beats demonstrates this perfectly with its obvious western influences mixed in with Ghanaian tradition.

Immediately noticeable is the influence of both Carlos Santana and James Brown amongst the distinctly African rhythms and beats. This music, the first of what would become known as Afro-pop, is preserved and remastered on this disc offering the listener a glimpse back in time to what was an exciting time in Ghana’s history.

Bookor Beats may not offer listeners the stimulation of the latest Timbaland track, but it does present a kind of time capsule; a look back in music’s past at the creation of a very important hybrid of styles. It is a collection of classics that stands well on it’s own and would also lend itself well to film scores and sampling.