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Infectious, hypnotic tropical grooves with a ragga kick from Australia’s premier

cumbia orchestra. If you like Ondatrópica, Frente Cumbiero, Ska Cubano and

Lucho Bermúdez, you’ll love Cumbiamuffin.

It was only a matter of time before cumbia hit Australia. After humbly coming to life on

Colombia’s Caribbean coast, this rhythm—and everything it represents: its multiethnicity,

its danceable pulse, its resilience—snaked its way up the mountains to reach

Colombia’s urban capitals, Bogotá and Medellín, who transmitted the signal to Mexico,

Peru, Argentina... Cumbia travelled, and wherever it landed it took hold; Charles Mingus

got his fill in the 70s, Mexicans brought it across the US border in the 80s, Joe

Strummer couldn’t get enough of it in the 90s; and wherever it landed, it has shown its

flexibility, its ability to adapt to new environments.

Cumbiamuffin are the perfect example of what happens when cumbia arrives in a

completely different continent. Since forming in 2010, they have become Australia’s

premier large format cumbia orchestra, offering a twist on the genre that no one saw

coming. They take their inspiration from cumbia’s brass band traditions, when the genre

was adopted by orchestras in the 1940s, the start of its golden age, but they do not stop

there. They also look further afield, to the big bands of Mexico and Peru, and even to

the Caribbean, which is how their name came about. Cumbiamuffin represents the

contraction of two musical styles that the group seamlessly bring together in one big,

vibrant, joyous experience: cumbia and raggamuffin reggae. This is a group that can

inject even more life into a bona fide Colombian classic like Lucho Bermudez’s

“Salsipuedes,” take a Greek club version of a Mexican banda track written by an

Argentine accordionist and come up with the cohesively international “Ritmo de

Sinaloa,” and then there’s that unmistakable ragga skank all over “La Promesa,” with

“La Cabezona” being an instrumental descarga that has no right to rumble so low,

designed with dance halls and sound systems in mind.

Armed with the collective energy of two authentic Colombian vocalists, a seriously

massive brass section, heavy bass, funky guitar, salsa piano and equally authentic

percussion, the 15-piece band combines elements of reggae, dancehall and roots from

the Colombian Caribbean in a deft mix that is both retro and futuristic, authentically

traditional and yet also experimental. Put together by a collective of Colombian and

Australian musicians, the project has the common vision of introducing the purest

sounds of the golden era of orchestrated cumbia to Australian audiences, but with a little

something more added to the formula to keep things fresh.

Having triumphantly conquered their home country’s competitive music scene with sold

out shows at numerous festivals and well-known venues all over Down Under,

Cumbiamuffin are poised to break out to a global audience with their debut self-titled LP.

Infectious, hypnotic tropical grooves with a ragga kick from Australia’s premier

cumbia orchestra. If you like Ondatrópica, Frente Cumbiero, Ska Cubano and

Lucho Bermúdez, you’ll love Cumbiamuffin.

It was only a matter of time before cumbia hit Australia. After humbly coming to life on

Colombia’s Caribbean coast, this rhythm—and everything it represents: its multiethnicity,

its danceable pulse, its resilience—snaked its way up the mountains to reach

Colombia’s urban capitals, Bogotá and Medellín, who transmitted the signal to Mexico,

Peru, Argentina... Cumbia travelled, and wherever it landed it took hold; Charles Mingus

got his fill in the 70s, Mexicans brought it across the US border in the 80s, Joe

Strummer couldn’t get enough of it in the 90s; and wherever it landed, it has shown its

flexibility, its ability to adapt to new environments.

Cumbiamuffin are the perfect example of what happens when cumbia arrives in a

completely different continent. Since forming in 2010, they have become Australia’s

premier large format cumbia orchestra, offering a twist on the genre that no one saw

coming. They take their inspiration from cumbia’s brass band traditions, when the genre

was adopted by orchestras in the 1940s, the start of its golden age, but they do not stop

there. They also look further afield, to the big bands of Mexico and Peru, and even to

the Caribbean, which is how their name came about. Cumbiamuffin represents the

contraction of two musical styles that the group seamlessly bring together in one big,

vibrant, joyous experience: cumbia and raggamuffin reggae. This is a group that can

inject even more life into a bona fide Colombian classic like Lucho Bermudez’s

“Salsipuedes,” take a Greek club version of a Mexican banda track written by an

Argentine accordionist and come up with the cohesively international “Ritmo de

Sinaloa,” and then there’s that unmistakable ragga skank all over “La Promesa,” with

“La Cabezona” being an instrumental descarga that has no right to rumble so low,

designed with dance halls and sound systems in mind.

Armed with the collective energy of two authentic Colombian vocalists, a seriously

massive brass section, heavy bass, funky guitar, salsa piano and equally authentic

percussion, the 15-piece band combines elements of reggae, dancehall and roots from

the Colombian Caribbean in a deft mix that is both retro and futuristic, authentically

traditional and yet also experimental. Put together by a collective of Colombian and

Australian musicians, the project has the common vision of introducing the purest

sounds of the golden era of orchestrated cumbia to Australian audiences, but with a little

something more added to the formula to keep things fresh.

Having triumphantly conquered their home country’s competitive music scene with sold

out shows at numerous festivals and well-known venues all over Down Under,

Cumbiamuffin are poised to break out to a global audience with their debut self-titled LP.

Grupo Casabe can lay claim to being Ray Pérez’s last great group. Fresh from the successes of Los Dementes and Los Kenya, Pérez was at the forefront of salsa in the mid-70s, and still experimenting with música bailable and all the danceable hornblazing styles that were beginning to be known collectively as salsa. The finest tracks of this short-lived combo, active from 1974 until 1975, are now being celebrated by El Palmas Music on a new compilation simply titled Ray Pérez y El Grupo Casabe. Pérez was bandleader for an astonishing number of groups, which was partly due to his in-demand status, with each move to a new label meaning he needed a new band name. Such was the case with Ray Pérez y El Grupo Casabe, formed when CBS came calling. Their line-up built on his previous groups, with both a drum kit and percussion for additional power, with Pérez himself belting out those trusty piano montuños, however there was one significant change, with Pérez using saxophones for the first time, alongside his usual brass section of trumpets and trombones. With him for the ride were vocalists including Rodrigo Perdomo (brother of “El Negrito Calavén”, from Pérez’s earlier group, Los Calvos) and Rafael Morillo. The compilation begins with “María Antonia”, the first 7” Grupo Casabe released in 1974. Instantly, it’s clear why Pérez is so loved in salsa circles, for this is salsa of the highest order, the focus switching between piano, vocals and brass effortlessly, while the drums restlessly inject the song with energy; then there’s the breakdown, Rodrigo Perdomo stretching his vocals to a rasp and throwing the brass into an extended passage; suddenly, they stop and Ray, El Loco as he was affectionately known, lets loose with a piano solo that’s elegant in its efficiency, before the band return for one more trip round the salsateca. 1974 and 1975 were important years in the trajectory of salsa. It was this period when salsa became a collective name for urban orchestras playing Latin music styles like son, guaganco, mambo, cha-cha-cha and rumba. Though undoubtedly salsa – Ray was a “rey de salseros” after all – there is so much nuance in the music. “Campesino Nuestro” is a slow-building rural son, taking the Cuban countryside to the dancefloor; “Santa” and “Oye Nena” are twisting guaguancos, the former possessing one of Perdomo’s finest vocal performances, and the latter the finest showcase for the band, with percussion, brass and piano on fire. “La Reina”, a danzón, show that the band can do the slow numbers too, and then there’s “Sábado En La Tarde”, Perez’s take on surf with a melody seemingly taken from the finest Steve McQueen crime caper. There are few that come close to Ray Pérez for musical inventiveness and a sheer ability to keep dance floors moving. If Ray had been born and raised in New York then no doubt he’d be regarded as one of salsa’s pioneers. He’s had to work harder for his reputation, but there can be no doubt, he deserves to be one of the greats, and his work with Grupo Casabe is even more proof.

The official soundtrack of the 2021 Rumba Rules, New genealogies documentary movie by Congolese artist Sammy Baloji and Quebec filmmaker David Nadeau-Bernatchez. A deep dive into Kinshasa’s vibrant Rumba scene, including remastered classics by Brigade Sarbati, Werrason, Papa Wemba, Franco & le Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz Rumba Rules, New genealogies is about contemporary rumba in Kinshasa, but this music has deep historical roots nevertheless. Born in the interstices of the colonial world and thriving during the three decades of the Mobutu era in Zaïre, Congolese rumba has been iconic and popular all over Africa for decades. The roots of Rumba are even deeper, and the many paths it evokes trigger the imagination. The story goes that this music came with the migration of the ‘Kumba’ drum and dance in previous centuries, African slaves having carried it all around the Americas and giving birth to Cuban ’Rumba’, Colombian ‘Kumbia’ and many others. With its varied rhythms, guitars and horns, through LPs and radio stations, Rumba came back to (re)conquer Africa throughout the 20th century, paving the way for new practices. One could say this music is a sort of palimpsest, a memory in itself of Atlantic migrations and histories. Rumba is nowadays discussed all around the world, igniting many debates among the Congolese diaspora. Being the constant talk of the town sometimes overloads public debate, and many people get tired of this broken record. Thus, over the last decade, enterprising producers have worked hard to promote Kinshasa’s musical diversity and tried to emulate new sounds to reach worldwide attention. But Kin’ locals and urban dwellers will not be fooled : new shoots cannot hide the forest. Despite some difficulties to innovate, despite the pastoralist sermons and the diaspora fighters pushing for concert cancelations, rumba is still at the core of the Congo today. Talented artists such as Fally Ipupa, Ferré Gola, Brigade Sarbati and others are leading the fifth generation, and the religious world has also proven to be a nurturing environment for the cultural and economic dynamism of this music. Focusing on the music of Brigade Sarbati and his Orchestra, this record offers a deep dive into Kinshasa’s rumba scene. Halfway between professional studios and Zoom H4 field recordings, the rumba herein is about today’s youth : dense, full of energy and breakdowns, insights and name-dropping. The cavacha rhythm, the solo and bass guitar’s playing style, the singing style and numerous dedications all resonate with the history of Rumba. In an era where digital sound is taking over, it is interesting to highlight the instrumental and live performance compositions of this music. Digital technology is indeed used during the recording and mixing phases, but Congolese rumba still relies strongly on instrumental playing. There is all that but also, many other things to hear on this record… It’s time to let it be. A big thanks to Étienne Tron for making it possible: it is on his initiative and through his patience that this album is in your hands today. (David Nadeau-Bernatchez, december 2021)

Having established himself first as a DJ and then as a remixer, Sam Redmore is now very much making himself known as an original producer of quality global grooves that can light up any dancefloor, carnival or party.

After garnering early support for his remixes from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Quantic, Nightmares On Wax, The Nextmen, Lauren Laverne, Danny Krivit and Craig Charles, Sam has built a name for crafting soul-drenched remixes of the classics, with his army of fans eagerly awaiting every new re-work.

Signing to Jalapeno Records for his debut album of original material, Sam has kept the eclectic tastes of all his fans satisfied with a series of very different singles showcasing the wide range of styles he is known for - all picking up rave reviews and a very wide spread of radio support including Radio 1 / 6 Music / Radio 2 / Jazz FM / Worldwide FM in the UK as well as hitting Number 1 most added on US college radio charts (world).

The single Nagu in particular has become a mainstay on daytime 6 Music but each successive release has been finding new fans. From his killer cumbia covers (Tears / Just Be Good To Me) through to the afro-house exuberance of One More Time and leading neatly up to Just Can't Wait, an extremely soulful disco house floorfiller, this is an album with broad appeal both in the UK and overseas.

In the meantime, Sam has been honing his live shows throughout 2022, with festival bookers keen for a piece of the action. Boomtown, Wilderness, Green Man, Kendal Calling and a whole host of others have seen what the punters at Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival saw last summer, when Sam debuted his live show on the main stage of a key festival on the Saturday afternoon. Anyone who was there and saw the audacious 12-piece live ensemble playing their first show knew they were seeing something special.

Détends-Toi is the debut EP of the parisian-born, berlin-based singer & DJ Stella Zekri. Produced and co-written by Ed Longo, Détends-Toi is a sunny collection of four original songs, one dub version and one special cover, heavily influenced by zouk, boogie and the sound of the mid-80s French underground. Coming to you in advance of summer ‘22 the record marks also the first release of Berlin label Cosmic Romance.