Latin | Brazil Vinyl 148 Items

Originally released in 1970 this was the third album from Os Mutantes, the geniuses of wacked out Brazilian psychedelic rock. They may have been trying to pay homage to their better known icons back in the States, but in doing so they created something that went beyond all that until, 30 years later, they became the ones that everyone was trying to imitate. This album, further testimony to their limitless creativity and considered by many to be their best, was recorded during the height of the Brazilian military regimes crack down on artists, and fellow members of the Tropicalia movement, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil had already been sent into exile in the UK.

This release comes on 180g vinyl and is a totally great album from Novos Baianos; the earliest one we've ever seen by the group, and a session that has them sounding a fair bit like Os Mutantes.

A great 70s album by Os Novos Baianos – a wonderfully youthful group that was one of the bright spots in Brazilian music after the Tropicalia years. The band had a style that mixed folksy percussion with honest personal songwriting, plus occasional touches of elements gleaned from the larger influences in Brazilian rock at the time. The album has a sound that's a lot more intimate than later work, with some especially great work on guitar and bandolim, and great production on the band's vocals. Titles include "Sorrir E Cantar Como Bahia", "Dagmar", "Vagabundo Nao E Facil", "Cosmos E Damiao", "Com Qualquer Dois Mil Reis", and "Os Pingo Da Chuva".

After NEF's album in 2019, Ici Bientôt is happy to present today the reissue of Comme Au Moulin by Nyssa Musique. Paris 1985... ‘Extra-European’ Traditions meet Jazz and Minimal Music. An unusual array of instruments turn music into a dialogue. For a unique record ... vivid, full of texture, somewhere between Midori Takada, Don Cherry and Jon Hassell. Beginning of the eighties, 5 musicians rehearse in a contemporary dance class hall, upstairs from the ‘’New Morning", renowned Music venue in Paris. Nyssa Musique is born. Passionate for a long time about traditional music, like those of the Middle East, India and East Asia, but also about African traditions, they throw a bridge between Jazz and ‘Extra-European’ traditions, resulting in what would be called "Spiritual Jazz" today, a little bit in the style of Don Cherry's Organic Music or Pharoah Sanders. With the notable difference, however, that their creations are strongly infused by contemporary classical and repetitive music, notably Steve Reich's work with whom they share a great interest for the traditional cultures of Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and its gamelans. In the original group we have Armand Amar, Ballet Music composer and John Boswell. Both specialists of traditional hand percussion which they had been studying for a long time in India and the Middle East, they are also very fond of synthesizers. Three other talented musicians quickly join them: Jean-François Roger, percussionist, marimba and vibraphone specialist, Henri Tournier, multi-flutist and Renaud Garcia-Fons, double bass player, who has a passion for the Middle East and has developed a virtuosic play of the bow, reminding that of Cecil Mc Bee. Each of them enriches the ensemble with their personality, originality and musical generosity. The rehearsal hall is rapidly invaded by the phenomenal instrumentarium put together by Armand Amar. A great opportunity for the musicians, for the dancers, to have access to an endless choice of instruments, offering infinite possibilities for mixing different colors and timbres. Their sense for being a group and their great capacity for improvising culminates, in 1985, in the composition of their first and only album Comme au Moulin (« As by the windmill"), testimony of years of creating without hidden agenda. Authentic, free and vibrant, still today, this album has no real equivalent. Even though it recalls the Fourth World current by its combination of traditional instruments with a subtle use of synthesizers, Comme au moulin gives more space to improvisation. It may also recall those of Midori Takada, less the New Age esthetics. An album that should delight as well lovers of "Love Supreme" by John Coltrane, of "Vernal Equinox" by Jon Hassell, as those of Moondog, an artist who, like them, invented a music based on the use of untypical percussions, at the confluence of 'Extra-European' traditions, Jazz and Classical, all together complex and hypnotic.

Out of print for ages, here’s a very welcome reissue of this Brazilian classic from 1974, licensed from Warner Brazil.

Adarce proudly presents the reissue of ‘Clásicos con Ritmo’ by Paco Ros. Originally released in 1978 on Discos Maller, still sounds as special and out of time as when it was released; a strange album that has become one of the most sought after jewels - and most hard to find - for lovers of Spanish Groove. 'Clásicos con Ritmo' offers a mix of sounds that range from a kind of analog pre-Balearic to something similar to Library Music, passing through a slow cadence groove based on sinuous layers of Hammond organ, Fender pianos, vibraphones and xylophones. During the 11 songs on the album, Paco Ros revisits his life trajectory through memories: his Valencian childhood in Godella, his professional beginnings in Madrid and his musical adventures as a backing band, his return to Valencia -where he would form 'Los 4 Ros, then simply the Ros - to finally take refuge in his Mallorcan retreat, cradled between Party Rooms, Hotel Discotheques and endless sunrises, moved as always by his infinite love for music.

The LP “Um Grito de Guerra” cover invites us to enter Pedrinho's ship and embark on a series of sounds that reveal Amazonian jazz harmonies, groovy guitars, a funky swing, and progressive keyboard attacks. However, the musical journey is not unambiguous in its style, unveiling a walk over the treetops beyond the “Southern seas”. So, we must get lost in the immensity before even commanding words defining this sound. From his cabin, Pedrinho controls his keyboards (an instrument that became so commonplace in the following decades), extracting all his creative power and masterfully conducting a band that swells the musical stew, bringing a new song that was part of the creative process of the eponymous show. An authentic Brazilian gem! Ranging from funk to soul to boogie, jazz and beyond, this little-known album by Amazonas state native Pedrinho Sampaio titled “Um Grito De Guerra” is the collection of musical works created for a theatrical show by the same name. The presentation focused on a few points, but the primary focus was rescuing the Amazonian identity and protecting the environment against Transamazonica. Pedrinho handles producing and arranging, along with keyboards and vocals.

The second release for Discos Fuentes by Peregoyo y su Combo Vacaná, recorded
circa 1967, is rich with diverse sounds and festive rhythms, from the exotic tranceinducing
coastal Afro-Colombian polyrhythmic syncopations of the currulao, abozao
chocoano, porro, cumbia and aguabajo to the more well-known genres of Cuban and
Puerto Rican origin like descarga, bomba, guaracha and son montuno. The ninemember
combo was formed by composer and tenor saxophonist Enrique "Peregoyo"
Urbano Tenorio in the Pacific coastal city of Buenaventura. His stated mission was to
modernize the folkloric music traditions of his region, proudly displaying AfroIndigenous
origins and spotlighting previously marginalized musical roots yet playing in
a contemporary way with Cuban-inspired instrumentation and arrangements, uniting
disparate genres into a commercially viable whole, thus contributing to the foundation
of future developments in transnational tropical Latin music. Presented in facsimile
artwork and pressed on 180g vinyl.

First ever reissue!! Psychedelic Latin-funk holy grail from Nicaragua, 1974!! Poder del Alma (“Soul Power”) was a supergroup formed by some of the best musicians from the Nica scene. This all-star band of nine members was assembled to play at the famous free concert of Santana in Managua in benefit for the 1972 earthquake. After that successful gig supporting the Latin-Rock superstar, what was to be a one-night stand became the seed of the most loved Nicaraguan act from the 70s. All the members had already played an important role in the history of the Nica music / hippie scene in the 1960s. Among them, we can find Román Cerpas (previously on Bwana), René “Chapo Domínguez (Los Rockets), Edgar “El Gato” Aguilar… A few months after the Managua concert with Santana, Poder del Alma traveled to Guatemala to record their first long play for Dideca (Discos De Centroamérica, S.A.) in just one week of recording sessions. Despite the low budget and precarious recording equipment, the band managed to obtain a powerful psychedelic / afro / funk-rock sound full of electric guitar, heavy drums, hot, percussion, horns, Spanish male/female vocals…featuring titles like “El Valle del Ayatimbo”, “Ia-Taa Yo”, “Zúmbale”…

HHV Exclusive edition on clear blue wax, limited to 100 copies worldwide.

First ever reissue!! Psychedelic Latin-funk holy grail from Nicaragua, 1974!! Poder del Alma (“Soul Power”) was a supergroup formed by some of the best musicians from the Nica scene. This all-star band of nine members was assembled to play at the famous free concert of Santana in Managua in benefit for the 1972 earthquake. After that successful gig supporting the Latin-Rock superstar, what was to be a one-night stand became the seed of the most loved Nicaraguan act from the 70s. All the members had already played an important role in the history of the Nica music / hippie scene in the 1960s. Among them, we can find Román Cerpas (previously on Bwana), René “Chapo Domínguez (Los Rockets), Edgar “El Gato” Aguilar… A few months after the Managua concert with Santana, Poder del Alma traveled to Guatemala to record their first long play for Dideca (Discos De Centroamérica, S.A.) in just one week of recording sessions. Despite the low budget and precarious recording equipment, the band managed to obtain a powerful psychedelic / afro / funk-rock sound full of electric guitar, heavy drums, hot, percussion, horns, Spanish male/female vocals…featuring titles like “El Valle del Ayatimbo”, “Ia-Taa Yo”, “Zúmbale”…

Impossible to find second album by this band from Nicaragua, 1975. A cool mix of Latin funk, jazz, salsa and psychedelic grooves. Including some of their most sought after tracks like ”Bacanal’ 76”, “Mimo” or the antiracist statement “La Conga de las Dos Razas”. After recording their first LP in Guatemala, Nica supergroup Poder del Alma travelled to Costa Rica to register their second album. This time the recording studio and equipment (including Mini-Moog) were better and the band featured a new line-up. The result was a powerful album which is now one of the holy grails of Latin funk worldwide.

Mad About Records officially reissues super rare private press Quintessence’s 1981 LP. With every famous jazz recording, many others remained on the shelf of oblivion without ever receiving the recognition they deserved, and this is the case of Quintessence.

Led by Ron Ancrum, with George Sovak, David Gaedeke, Winston Johnson and Steve Muse recorded an exceptional and fundamental album of 80's jazz.

If you are into Fender Rhodes, this is an LP to be collected.

Raposa Velha was a notable Jazz group from Brazil, which was part of the wave of great musicians and bands in Bahia during the 1980s, such as Sexteto do Beco, Saul Barbosa and Andréa Daltro.

Thus, Raposa Velha only released this album, independently in 1981. Lined between Jazz-Fusion and Avant-Garde Jazz, this LP has become a very obscure piece within the Brazilian Jazz universe and one of the rarest of Brazilian Jazz.

The King of Miami's Cuban music scene, the late Ray Fernandez, is featured here fronting his enormously talented family band on an album that first brought him into the spotlight.

Heavily influenced by deep funk and Latin music, their psych-tinged creations also incorporated many other kaleidoscopic sound infusions, including soul, calypso, Afro-Cuban and salsa. Fronted by Ray Fernandez, his band included his very talented wife and two sons and proved to be a highly influential group on Miami's Latin music scene in the late 70's. What also made them stand out was their versatility; this group could easily shift from Cuban funk to Reggae in a blink. Their instrumentation was also different to the 'norm', and where a lot of similar sounds were saxophone-led, this band used a bass clarinet. Instead of bongos, Ray and His Court played with the unique Osi drums from Africa.

Sampled heavily by DJs worldwide (including DJ Shadow) On High presents a must have piece of music for any serious Latin, funk, or rare groove collector. Remastered and pressed on audiophile virgin vinyl for your listening pleasure.

Considered ultra rare, even amongst TSG’s mythical catalog, Ricardo Marrero and The Group’s A Taste is getting a special edition 7-inch single! Featuring “Babalondia” and “And We’ll Make Love” this is a one of a kind doublesider!

Active in the Latin music scene of New York City during the 1970’s, pianist and composer Ricardo Marrero’s debut album “A Taste” has been considered by some collectors as the crown jewel of releases from famed tax scam label TSG. This special edition 7-inch single features floor killer latin funk number “Babalonia” on the A-side, and the mellow grooves and lively female vocals of “And We’ll Make Love” on the B-side.

The reissue comes on 180g. A wild solo project from Rita Lee – done after the breakup of Os Mutantes, and offered up almost as some sort of commentary on mainstream rock in the 70s.

180 gram reissue of Rita Lee's (Os Mutantes) debut solo album, originally issued in Brazil in 1970. Orchestral arrangements by Rogerio Duprat and production by Arnaldo Baptista, with a cover of The Beatles' "And I Love Her."

Considered by many worldwide collectors as one of the best hard-rock albums ever, Rockcelona's "La Bruja" saw the light in 1978 and sank without trace. The band came from Barcelona and could be seen as one of the early Spanish proto-punk bands along with La Banda Trapera Del Rio. Killer sound with primitive English/Spanish vocals and heavy, and I mean Heavy fuzz-wah wah assaults from start to finish!! A must!!!

Sweet Soul Funk from 70s Brazil. Ronie aka Ronaldo Mesquita, the drummer of Bossa Três Combo! This album's got a smoother groove and luxurious use of Fender Rhodes, gliding alongside sweet samba soul arrangements in a mode that's a bit like some of the funkier 70s work by João Donato. Reissue on vinyl for the first time in a 180 gram heavyweight vinyl.

Recorded between 1985 and 1987, this album brings together the two founders and leading performers of candombe-beat, Ruben Rada and Eduardo Mateo. They hadn´t collaborated in a project since 1969. Both artists had reached their creative prime, with Mateo having released “Cuerpo y Alma” and Rada, “La yapla mata” (which included the classic song ‘Tengo un candombe para Gardel’). 140 gram vinyl with OBI & Insert This initiative sprang from the artists themselves. But when it was time to create, they rarely got together in the studio, preferring to work on their own. Once finished, the album failed to make an impact, since neither of them promoted it. This revival brings that semi-hidden treasure to light. It includes two tracks of the artists strictly performing a duet, the only recordings of Mateo and Rada working alongside each other and no one else. It also contains two additional tracks where you can relish Rada accompanied by Mateo’s guitar and Mateo backed by Rada’s percussion. It includes a track where Mateo commands the instruments (as in Mateo solo bien se lame) and another with Rada’s solo on vocals and percussion. There are instances when Rada’s band of that moment and “super-group” (with Osvaldo Nolé on keyboards, Ricardo Lew on electric guitar, Urbano on the bass and Osvaldo Fattoruso on drums), makes an appearance. Sometimes, Urbano comes forth as lead singer, completing the triad of singers of “El Kinto”. All excellent songs. This album is exceptional and one-of-a-kind, an overflow of talent, musicality, swing, imagination, rhythm, spark, and transcendence. Guilherme de Alencar Pinto

El Palmas Music rescues a hidden gem of Venezuelan salsa

With the vinyl reissue of En La Conquista del Mundo Latino (1979), by the Salsa Suprema Orchestra, it pays a fair tribute to Larry Francia.

“Larry Francia's work deserves nothing less than transcendence,” says Miguel Álvarez, the Venezuelan musical collector and archaeologist who one day came across with this Salsa legend from his country without planning it and knew it was fair and necessary to spread this magnificent work.

Born in Barlovento, an Afro area of Venezuela where the drum rules, Larry Francia grew up in San Agustín del Sur, a Caracas neighborhood that is salsa territory par excellence. When he was barely 12 years old, Víctor Piñero, one of the most popular orchestra singers in Venezuela in the 60s, summoned him to record choirs. An early initiation that marked Larry forever and at the same time revealed his indisputable talent.

“His driving force is singing. If you're talking to him, he often stops talking to sing" says Álvarez. “He was a man who never stopped being a musician, even though his living conditions were never the best. And the legacy of Salsa Suprema is key to Venezuelan popular music.”

When that orchestra stopped working (there were no producers who supported their tours, their records were pirated in Spain in the 80s), Larry suffered an emotional breakdown and even gave up devoting himself to music for a few years. He was someone who undoubtedly lived for and through music.

Larry Francia left this world in 2023, but we are left with a fabulous album like En La Conquista del Mundo Latino, recovered from the chest of memories by Álvarez and the Suicide Diggerz collective, specialists in rescuing hidden gems. “It’s a collector's item of the most exquisite and least known Venezuelan salsa” he defines.

The El Palmas Music label - created by musician, DJ, designer and cultural agitator Maurice Aymard, whose base of operations is in Barcelona - has been committed since 2020 to making known the best and least visible of the rich heritage of the popular music from Venezuela. Now he is pleased to present the reissue of this fundamental album as a posthumous tribute to an artist with capital letters: the great Larry Francia.

Brazil’s Black Rio movement had a lasting impact on the country’s marginalised black youth. Inspired by the African-American Civil Rights Movement and the revolutionary, politically conscious soul and funk being produced by the likes of James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Gil Scott Heron, Billy Paul and Nina Simone, a new scene began to incubate in Rio’s poor and oft-neglected North Zone - one which put black culture front and centre. At bailes funk (funk balls) revellers proudly sported afros and danced to their own beat while artists such as Banda Black Rio, Trio Ternura, Tim Maia and Emilio Santiago subverted officially-sanctioned Brazilian styles by fusing elements of imported soul, funk and jazz with samba rhythms to create a new form of music they could call their own.

Sérginho Meriti was one of many young artists caught up in the excitement of the movement. Born Sérgio Roberto Serafim and raised in the north Rio suburb of Meriti (from which he’d take his stage name), he began his career with Black Rio funk/soul outfit Copa 7, for whom he penned the stridently funky dance floor hit Som Da Copa 7.

Snapped up by Polydor at the turn of the 80s, Bons Mementos was his first work as a solo artist. It’s the work of a young musician brimming with musical ideas and creating a new take the Black Rio sound - one he would refer to variously as Meritiense (the sound of Meriti) or as Electric Samba. The title track is perhaps the perfect distillation of his ideas, mixing Black Rio’s funky bass and guitar lines with a healthy dose of the samba rock style developed by Jorge Ben, a pinch of eighties synths, and some of the best call-and-response female vocals this side of Fela Kuti. The result is a potently-rich musical stew that has made the track a compilation favourite and the album hugely collectable among funk connoisseurs.

Elsewhere on an all-killer-no-filler effort, Madureira adds reggae-fied guitar rhythms and low-slung bass to the mix while Malandro’s added bursts of brass give playful homage to Glenn Miller’s Big Band standard In The Mood. Memorias demonstrates Meriti’s mastery of tempo. Beginning with a languid slice of samba rock the track abruptly changes speed half way through for a bright and zippy finish of brass-heavy funk. Serjane adds layers of flute and saxophone the latter adding to the natural warmth of Serginho’s rough-hewn vocals. Tipo is a classic funk workout with some deliciously squelchy synths, while Batalha ends the album with a warm slice of funk, it’s yin and yang melding of joyful horn bursts with mournful vocals a potent demonstration of the sadness that underpins the album’s seemingly sunny soul.

This is a classic Latin must-have.

Som Imaginário (Imaginary Music) is a Brazilian band from the 70s. They joined together to support Milton Nascimento in his first record and shows. Their style is heavily influenced by jazz, classical music and rock. Their self-titled debut from 1970 is a must have, a psychedelic south-american cult all in all.

Fantastic Proto-Zouk from Georges and Pierre-Edouard Decimus NSI (New sound From the Islands) is a concept launched by the Decimus family, and the album was released at the end of 1981, at the same time as Kassav's Album "n'4" with the singer Jocelyn Moka.

Under exclusive license George Decimus

An icon of Brazilian popular music, Tim Maia was a musical polymath and prolific recording artist best known for introducing American soul to the Brazilian music scene, pioneering the sambalanço style by blending elements of soul, funk, rock, and samba. Maia recorded four self-titled albums for Polydor Brazil, this fourth release from 1973 arguably the best, with its outstanding hits ‘Réu Confesso’ and ‘Gostava Tanto de Você’; ‘Do Your Thing, Behave Yourself’ shows how the soul form fitted him perfectly and ‘O Balanço’ full to bursting with Brazilian flavour. A superb set from start to finish, it’s a must for all Tim Maia fans.

This is 180g vinyl. A great step forward for the legendary Tim Maia – working here in a style that's even tighter and more sophisticated than before – yet still equally filled with funk and soul.

THIS ALBUM SYMBOLIZES THE VERY ESSENCE OF TWO GREAT ARTISTS AT THEIR VERY BEST. THE 'CUBAN EDITH PIAF', CELIA CRUZ AND THE UNPARALLELED TITO PUENTE GIVE THIS ALBUM EVERYTHING IN SPADES: FEELING, STYLE, RHYTHM AND CLASS!

Incredibly unique concept album from the one and only, Tom Zé. As featured in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Brazilian Albums of all-time list (2007).
One of Ze’s finest albums in our opinion, originally released by Continental Brazil in 1976 – a tough one to find at a good price in its original form now. ‘Estudando do Samba’ (or ‘Studying The Samba’) is a post-Tropicalia studio
experimentation laiden with layers of hypnotic percussion, effects & samples that deconstructs the ‘samba’ form. Recorded during what was arguably his most creative period.
David Byrne found the record in Rio in the late 90’s and included several songs on his Tom Ze collection for Luaka Bop a few years later. At that time Tom was not recording or touring much; playing low-key shows in Sao Paulo and
contemplating a move back to Irará to work at a service station owned by one of his cousins. Byrne’s project helped to reignite his career and he hasn’t looked back since.
Official Mr Bongo reissue. Licensed courtesy of Warner Music UK Ltd.

Polysom Brazil vinyl LP repress import, released in 1973. Crazy stuff! This record is incredible, with a mix of amazing songs that piece together hard percussion, spare production and some of the strangest vocals ever recorded in Brazil.

Todos Os Olhos is one of the most important Brazilian records of all time. Tom Zé is considered the most “paulista” of all Tropicalistas. He came from Bahia, but his wry urban poetry, infused with the uncomfortable sounds of the largest metropolis of South America, is pure Sao Paulo.

Following the recent reissues of Jose Mauro's Obnoxius, Piri's Voces Querem Mate? and Victor Assis Brasil's Toca Antonio Carlos Jobim, Far Out Recordings presents a second album from Victor Assis Brasil from the treasure trove of the Quartin Records catalogue, Esperanto.

Altercat proudly presents the definitive reissue of one of the crown jewels of South American jazz. Essentially the brainchild of Argentinian jazz's leading figure Jorge López Ruiz, the project Viejas Raíces marked Lopez Ruiz's departure from the traditional forms of jazz. The trio that recorded this album, consisting of López Ruiz joined by his life-long friend drummer Pocho Lapouble and gifted Chilean pianist Matías Pizarro, created a thrilling blend of jazz and Uruguayan candombe, surrounded by an undeniable cinematic feel spurred by López Ruiz's long experience in the soundtrack field. When read as one element, the cleverly chosen combination of group name and album title (in English: 'Old Roots of the Colonies of the River Plate') readily hints at the kind of sounds the listener will be challenged with when diving into this LP.

Altercat proudly presents the definitive reissue of one of the crown jewels of South American jazz. Essentially the brainchild of Argentinian jazz's leading figure Jorge López Ruiz, the project Viejas Raíces marked Lopez Ruiz's departure from the traditional forms of jazz. The trio that recorded this album, consisting of López Ruiz joined by his life-long friend drummer Pocho Lapouble and gifted Chilean pianist Matías Pizarro, created a thrilling blend of jazz and Uruguayan candombe, surrounded by an undeniable cinematic feel spurred by López Ruiz's long experience in the soundtrack field. When read as one element, the cleverly chosen combination of group name and album title (in English: 'Old Roots of the Colonies of the River Plate') readily hints at the kind of sounds the listener will be challenged with when diving into this LP.

1970’s best-kept Bossa Nova secret. Surrounded by mystery for nearly 50 years due to its obscurity, this is one of the most honest, personal and unpretentious albums of its genre. A selection of 12 exquisitely crafted songs supported by measured, subtle arrangements.
The list of musicians born or raised in the Tijuca district of Rio de Janeiro is long and illustrious and includes names that have shaped Brazilian music: Tom Jobim, Roberto Carlos, Tim Maia, Milton Nascimento, Jorge Ben or Erasmo Carlos – to mention but a few. We can now add to that list another name: Werther. In 1970, a man by that name recorded an album unique in its personality, its honesty, and its lack of pretense. In a time when Bossa Nova had become a global phenomenon and its main characters were already household names in Brazil, Werther assembled a collection of songs that uncannily – almost naively – remind us of the time when Bossa Nova was just a group of youngsters making music. His songs are about simple things: bohemian life, the sea, love.
Despite Werther and his friends being only in their teens, without any previous experience recording music, those working behind the scenes were not equally amateur. Producer Peter Keller had already worked with Aloysio De Oliveira in the quintessential Bossa Nova label Elenco, and was also an initial partner in Roberto Quartin’s cult label Forma. Studio owner Bill Horne was a very loved character in the Rio jazz scene who had regularly taken part in the legendary meetings in Nara Leão’s apartment and befriended some of Brazil’s most respected musicians. Some of these musicians were, for example, Naná Vasconcelos and Edison Machado, who provided small contributions to Werther’s album.
It was only in the 1990’s that Werther’s album was rediscovered by a handful of collectors and Brazilian music enthusiasts, who recognised in it a purity that had already vanished from the mainstream Bossa Nova recordings. But due to the haziness around the original release and the relative anonymity of its instigators, many questions surrounding these recordings were left unanswered. Today we are finally able to disclose the full story behind Werther’s short-lived contribution to Brazilian music.

Limited edition of 300 copies for the 2022 Summer of Jazz campaign, focused on Brazilian jazz.

1970’s best-kept Bossa Nova secret. Surrounded by mystery for nearly 50 years due to its obscurity, this is one of the most honest, personal and unpretentious albums of its genre. A selection of 12 exquisitely crafted songs supported by measured, subtle arrangements.
The list of musicians born or raised in the Tijuca district of Rio de Janeiro is long and illustrious and includes names that have shaped Brazilian music: Tom Jobim, Roberto Carlos, Tim Maia, Milton Nascimento, Jorge Ben or Erasmo Carlos – to mention but a few. We can now add to that list another name: Werther. In 1970, a man by that name recorded an album unique in its personality, its honesty, and its lack of pretense. In a time when Bossa Nova had become a global phenomenon and its main characters were already household names in Brazil, Werther assembled a collection of songs that uncannily – almost naively – remind us of the time when Bossa Nova was just a group of youngsters making music. His songs are about simple things: Bohemian life, the sea, love.
Despite Werther and his friends being only in their teens, without any previous experience recording music, those working behind the scenes were not equally amateur. Producer Peter Keller had already worked with Aloysio De Oliveira in the quintessential Bossa Nova label Elenco, and was also an initial partner in Roberto Quartin’s cult label Forma. Studio owner Bill Horne was a very loved character in the Rio jazz scene who had regularly taken part in the legendary meetings in Nara Leão’s apartment and befriended some of Brazil’s most respected musicians. Some of these musicians were, for example, Naná Vasconcelos and Edison Machado, who provided small contributions to Werther’s album.
It was only in the 1990s that Werther’s album was rediscovered by a handful of collectors and Brazilian music enthusiasts, who recognized in it a purity that had already vanished from the mainstream Bossa Nova recordings. But due to the haziness around the original release and the relative anonymity of its instigators, many questions surrounding these recordings were left unanswered. Today, we are finally able to disclose the full story behind Werther’s short-lived contribution to Brazilian music.

Imagine for a moment that Arthur Russel had learned to speak Brazilian and then moved to Italy to produce an Italo-Disco single back in 1984. There's a good chance it would sound like the Dub version of the B side on this record (Remixed by Bob One). A percussive foundation channeling Latin Freestyle beats sets the groundwork for the chill sunset vibed melody to pleasantly unfold intertwined with the alluring Brazilian lyrics. The recording engineering on this production is clearly at a higher standard (than the usual neighborhood italo disco studio from back in the day) with some of the techniques at play giving it a very balanced and sophisticated sound for its time. The meticulous remastering this re-issue underwent allow for a generous low end with crystal clear mid range – game changing on any well calibrated dance floor sound system.

Imagine for a moment that Arthur Russel had learned to speak Brazilian and then moved to Italy to produce an Italo-Disco single back in 1984. There's a good chance it would sound like the Dub version of the B side on this record (Remixed by Bob One). A percussive foundation channeling Latin Freestyle beats sets the groundwork for the chill sunset vibed melody to pleasantly unfold intertwined with the alluring Brazilian lyrics. The recording engineering on this production is clearly at a higher standard (than the usual neighborhood italo disco studio from back in the day) with some of the techniques at play giving it a very balanced and sophisticated sound for its time. The meticulous remastering this re-issue underwent allow for a generous low end with crystal clear mid range – game changing on any well calibrated dance floor sound system.

Mr Bongo is proud to present an official reissue of Zé Rodrix E A Agência De Mágicos ‘O Esquadrão Da Morte’. Written, arranged and composed by the genius of Zé Rodrix and performed by his band 'Agência de Mágicos’, this Brazilian library funk beauty is the soundtrack to Carlos Imperial's 1975 film of the same title. Echoing European soundtrack maestros such as Roy Budd and Ennio Morricone, but with a Brazilian swagger, Zé Rodrix's score is a sublime gem that needs rediscovery.

Rich in 70's soundtrack cool, the score is packed with orchestrated jazz, chase scene-funk, breaks, psychedelic freakouts and plenty of drama. The loose and quirky break-beat jazz-funk of 'Assalto' feels almost tailor-made for today's hip-hop production aesthetic. The opening drum break of 'Esconderijo' is a sampler’s dream and has already been reinterpreted by the Turkish Rapper Anıl Piyancı, as well as Brazil's DJ Caique.

Carlos Imperial was a jack of all trades. As a songwriter and music producer, he created a highly impressive back catalogue. It includes working with or writing songs for Tim Maia, Elza Soares, Brigitte Bardot, and Wilson Simonal. He also co-wrote the rare cult Brazilian 7" compacto 'Lindo Sonho Delirante (L. S. D') by Fábio. Carlos Imperial wrote liner notes and was an actor, filmmaker, television presenter, and media figure. His film 'O Esquadrão da Morte' is a violent heist movie starring Beto Bandeira, Claire Chevalier, and Baby Conceicao; in the vein of exploitation films and gritty, raw B-Movie cinema of the day. Both the film and album share striking, macabre artwork by artist Benicio.

The instrumentalist, arranger, and singer-songwriter Zé Rodrix has a musical achievements list that is also one to admire. He’s worked with the cream of Brazilian music, having written songs covered by the greats, including Quarteto Em Cy, Ronald Mesquita, Elis Regina, Karma, and Célia, to name just a few. His written arrangements have graced the music of Luli Lucinha E O Bando and Helio Matheus. He was a member of the iconic group Som Imaginário and played piano and synthesizer on Secos & Molhado's classic 1973 album.

We are super pleased to make this dusty treasure available again. It is a wonderful soundtrack score that more than holds its own with its European and American counterparts of the era.

Edmony Krater grew up on the side of Morne Rouge in Sainte-Rose, north of Guadeloupe. His mother sang in church, but Edmony was drawn to the sound of Gwo Ka, which was frowned upon but very present in ceremonies or funeral vigils. As both a fashion designer for the theater and a musician (percussion, trumpet, vocals) in the group Gwakasonné, formed by Robert Oumaou and Georges Troupé, Edmony left Guadeloupe in 1983 to settle in mainland France just after recording their first album. Upon his arrival in Paris, with the desire to give his own version of Gwo Ka, he founded the group Zepiss with Eddy Lebouin, Freddy Tisseur, Philippe Augusty, and Rico Toto and immediately recorded a first album, Natibel. In a singular way, Natibel perpetuates Gwo Ka Modèn, a movement initiated by the iconic jazz guitarist Gérard Lockel, who was the first to theorize and politicize this music previously transmitted only orally. In just six tracks, Natibel combines the sophistication and roughness of its root music, as Gwo Ka combines an intense rhythmic section with intoxicating melodies. In the tradition of other Gwo Ka musicians who took the music further such as Guy Conquet, Fabriano Fuzion, Gwakasonné, Erick Cosaque, and above all legendary drummer Marcel Lollia aka Vélo, Edmony Krater and his group Zepiss have contributed to preserving its heritage and bringing an obvious touch of modernity.