Latin | Brazil Vinyl 502 Items

Straddling the line between new and old, Meridian Brothers’ mischievous blend of Latin rhythms and psychedelic grooves is the creation of Eblis Álvarez, one of the key figures of the experimental music scene in Bogota. As with all of the Meridian Brother’s releases, every instrument on ‘Deseperanza’ was played and recorded by Eblis himself.

A true avant-garde guitar player and composer, Eblis also plays in Mario Galeano’s band Frente Cumbiero and was one of the 42 musicians involved in the recording of Ondatrópica.

Meridian Brothers are at the core of a burgeoning music scene with cumbia, salsa and currulao all being explored by a new generation of Colombian musicians. Last year’s "Meridian Brothers VII" received key recognition from New York’s Names You Can Trust, who combined two of its tracks on a highly collectible special edition 7”.

‘Desesperanza’, Meridian Brothers first fully-fledged worldwide release, is dedicated exclusively to salsa and tropical music, twisting it through a dark and theatrical psychedelic soundscape but never abandoning the traditional aesthetics.

Unas cumbias pesadadas brought to you by Discos Resaca.

The Discos Reseca Collective is a collective of songwriters and musicians whose sounds are distinctly from the Bay Area: mixing traditional cumbias with hip-hop and oldies, honoring the band members’ roots while providing a solid party soundtrack. Based in the Bay Area (Oakland, East Bay), Mariposas Del Alma are fronted by the Meza-Blanco Sisters. Jasmin, Nathaly, and Marina captivate the audience with their soulful vocals and powerful harmonies. Having grown up in a home with a musician father, and a lineage (Maternal Grandfather) that traces back to the days of the Trios all throughout Latin America—it was only natural that the sisters became the amazing vocalists they are today. "Music by the collective Discos Resaca—Spanish for hangover—leaves listeners feeling anything but zapped. The family of Bay Area musicians specializes in cumbia—the popular, accordion-forward and rhythmically percussive genre of Latin music with variations from Colombia, Peru, Mexico and beyond... Y Te Cuento (And I’ll Tell You) is full of powerful stories, a traditional feature of cumbia. Some songs tell tall tales (“Chupacabra”), others big up their communities throughout the Bay (“Cumbia de San Jose” and “San Juan”) and several tell the history of the area’s cumbia movement (“Movimiento De Cumbia”). The album’s love songs meld boleros, corridos, cumbia and cha-cha with mid-tempo soul, forming a familiar aural history."—KQED

Progressive quartet Combo Chimbita debut the first release on their own label with a track that combines their psychedelic tendencies with the rootsy elements of dub reggae filtered through the guacharaca and chicha-influenced guitar of cumbia. "Margarita" and its dub companion "Nene" comprise a sonically lush 7-inch single that represents the latest chapter in the ever-evolving Combo's sound. After a multi-year run that saw them grow from a loose improvisational collective into a compact, electrifying act that held enthralled concert halls in their hands, Combo Chimbita has entered a period of introspection and new experimentation. Turning to a producer who has been a guru of sorts to the Brooklyn scene, in late 2023 they entered the studio of Victor Axelrod, aka Ticklah, to record a couple new compositions. In contrast to the outward boundary-pushing of their last album, these new songs see the group burrowing deeply into their interior roots. "We wanted to make a song returning to cumbia, one of those rhythms that has influenced us," says frontwoman Carolina Oliveros. The added ingredient of Ticklah — a musician and producer heavily steeped in the sonic stew of reggae — overseeing the recording added a distinctive flavor to the session, and gave the group room to "play with the nuances between dub reggae and cumbia," as Oliveros puts it. "I like how the band brought in traditional Colombian elements, but never anything outright derivative," Ticklah says. "Margarita" inhabits a middle ground, an in-between area much like that of Abya Yala, an indigenous name for the isthmus that connects South and Central America and, not coincidentally, the namesake of the group's own newly formed label, of which this single is the first release. The metaphor runs deeper, as the group members' lives are lived between their Colombian heritage and their assumed status as immigrants in New York City (and, given their international fame, further beyond), and deeper still as the themes of displacement and mutable identity are threaded thru Oliveros's lyrics. The ambiguity of time, space, and meaning itself coalesce in the combination of those hair-raising, utterly soulful vocalizations — "what I cannot say by speaking," Oliveros explains — and the hypnotic rhythm born of the unspoken communication between Niño Lento, Prince Of Queens, and Dilemastronauta. The vocal version of "Margarita" is backed by a trademark Ticklah dub version of the cut ("Nene Dub"), awash in analog delays and King Tubby-like punch-ins and drop-outs, shot through with Oliveros's plaintive cries to "not worry" ("no te preocupes").

The compilation ‘Les Belgicains – Na Tango Ya Covadia 1964-1970’ (‘Les Belgicains’ during the time of Covadia 1964-1970) tells the remarkable story of the first Congolese student orchestras in Belgium. During that time Congolese referred to countrymen living in Belgium as ‘Les Belgicains’. The music presented on this compilation blew a new, fresh wind through the musical landscape of Congolese popular music under the supervision of the legendary editor and producer Nikiforos Cavvadias (Ngoma label)

The largest country in Africa is experiencing its early independence. During that period, Belgium invites many Congolese students to take classes at its universities. They are the future executives and ministers of the new republic. Out of a feeling of homesickness for their beautiful country, these students set up music groups. To dance and get carried away by the music the 45 rpm records they brought with them from Congo were too short. That is why they decide to bring live music to the events of the Congolese diaspora. Their own compositions are strongly influenced by their life in Belgium, resulting in a unique sound.

Nikiforos Cavvadias arrives in Belgium around the same time. At that moment he is one of the best-known editors and producers in Congo and he works for the Ngoma label based in Léopoldville. Niki is at the origin of the success of, among others: Antoine Mundanda, Léon Bukasa, Manuel d'Oliveira, Wendo Kolosoy... Due to the political instability in Congo, he permanently moved to Belgium with his wife and two children (1964). The student orchestras, like Los Nickelos and Yéyé National, are quickly noticed by Niki, who is looking for young, talented musicians to house under his new label Covadia.

You can hear the extraordinary result on this compilation!

This album is available in a deluxe vinyl edition with gatefold sleeve (1lp) + insert or a CD with a 24-page booklet. Both editions contain the story of 'Les Belgicains' and the Covadia label, with unique photos of the original orchestras. Renown sound engineer Roger Verbestel made the recordings between 1964 and 1968 in the recording studio Studio Madeleine in Brussels. All music has been remastered from the original master tapes.

Accomplished NYC singer-songwriter Kelli Sae unveils joyful new single Good Feeling on 21st June 2024, the first fruit of her fourth solo artist album due early next year. Good Feeling swings, sways and shimmies with playful Latino spirit; a summer-fun delight all about seizing the day and embracing love and life. Sae’s sizzling vocals dance in and around deft keys, layered horns, tight guitar parts and, of course, that infectious percussion. Verses switch up to agile scat solos and down to emotive breakdowns – it’s the very best of feelings….

Good Feeling is produced by Chris Franck, co-founder of Da Lata, chief instigator behind Zeep, Smoke City and Batu, and long-standing mastermind for a wealth of other studio projects and remixes. The record features a talented cast of musicians including award-winning Brazilian composer Rafael Martini, who arranged and conducted the horn sections in one of Latin music’s truest heartlands Belo Horizonte.

Kelli Sae’s story has it all. An internationally acclaimed artist, she previously shone as lead vocalist for renowned jazz-funk collectives Incognito, Count Basic and Defunkt, and worked with Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Ashford & Simpson and Me’shell Ndegéocello among others. Born of Puerto Rican, African and French descent, Sae has soulful eclecticism in her blood. The exciting mix of sounds, cultures and influences across her three, independently-released solo albums to date is testament to this, as well as her respected forays into composing, playwrighting and stage performance.

Good Feeling is Kelli Sae’s latest impactful outing for Reel People Music, following singles Good Love, Right Now and Believe In A Brighter Day earlier this decade. The special relationship is set to blossom further over the coming months. We. Can’t. Wait.

The much-talked-about cover of Yoshitaka Minami's "Yakanhikou" is now available on 7inch release! From Yoshitaka Minami's 70's urban pop sound masterpiece album "south OF THE Border", for which Ryuichi Sakamoto wrote all the songs, Halfby has produced a superb cover of the famous song "Yakanhikou", which has a brilliant Brazilian essence of samba and bossa nova, with Keiichi Sokabe on guest vocals.

A mysterious release, not only for its unique expressive style but also because it isn't even known when it was initially recorded let alone its release date. According to non profit Studio Piccolo owner Vincent Bruley, it could have been recorded during the 70s and eventually released in the early 90s, sometime throughout Nilton Castro's time in Paris making music for contemporary dance classes (often led by his wife). This album was originally intended for accompanying dancers in classes with an emphasis on rhythm and coordination. Given Nilton's background and expertise in percussion, the focal point of this album is to present an array of Afro Brasilian rhythms performed by himself with additional moments of choir, flute and keys/metallophone. Effortless due to Nilton's prowess and unburdened by typical financial pressures (often behind the release of a record), the result feels like charmingly unadulterated and pure expression throughout the entire album. But what really takes the listener to places of unheard-of bliss is “Ondes (Les Vagues)” a track that has plagued the curiosity of diggers and collectors for a while now. With its harmony crescendos elegantly coming and going as per the title, overlayed on Nilton's subtle percussive patterns, an aural landscape of illusory beauty - listening is believing. Remastered and officially re-issued with its original artwork.

Irresistible Brazilian blues reggae from the heart of the Amazon rainforest. A psychedelic guarana induced trip and ode to the fading indigenous cultures and shifting hegemony in Brazil. This one-off release by Manaus native Natacha Fink was originally written in 1986 as the lead track on Nossa Musica - a compilation celebrating regional music from the Amazon. Emerging out of the dictatorship, Natacha and her fellow artists rejected the aesthetic standards driven by internal colonialism and sought out new ways to express themselves away from the styles of the dominant Rio-São Paulo axis. What surfaced was a melodic blend of genres, with Natacha’s haunting vocals and playful lyrics gliding over an arrangement of guitars and double bass. Vocal backing is led by Torrinho, well known for his layered composition style, whose song ‘Porto de Lenha’ is recognised throughout Amazonas as an unofficial anthem. Hidden within the Amazon, Pirarublue lies in that wonderful space between innocence and honesty. Proudly exploring cultural and ecological spaces through a refreshing, ghostly infectious groove. For fans of Gal Costa, Elis Regina, Chico César, Jorge Ben Jor and Joni Mitchell.

Accompanying Natacha’s beguiling single is the field recording “Unseen Songlines” by artist and academic Nimalan Yoganathan. The composition immerses the listener in the soundscapes of Mamori Lake, a remote village inside the Brazilian Amazon. Nimalan explores the ambiguous perception of sounds emanating from the dense rainforest and deep beneath the Amazon River, where we hear the sounds but cannot see their sources: an acousmatic concert performed by the rainforest itself. Processed field recordings of birds and frogs, as well as underwater hydrophone recordings of dolphins and fish subtly weave throughout electroacoustic textures and beats. The listener is invited to hone in on the musical subtleties hidden throughout the environment. The compositional methods employed in this piece draw on the concepts of sonic rupture, presence, absence and memory found in the dub music tradition.

This limited edition 7” by Sticky Buttons puts these two outlying works together for a unique listening experience, combining the human and more-than-human experience of life at the heart of Brazil. Both uniquely Amazonian but with a universal appeal.

Far Out Recordings kicks off its 30th anniversary celebrations with the long awaited first ever vinyl pressing of The Ipanemas’s Samba is Our Gift. Originally released in 2006, the album combined Afro-Brazilian-bossa grooves with classic vocal samba: a step back in time to 1960s Rio de Janeiro.

The Ipanemas, aka drummer and vocalist Wilson Das Neves and guitarist Neco, were instrumental in breaking bossa nova in the 1950s. In the decades following, they recorded with practically every Brazilian great there is, including Elis Regina, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Wilson Simonal, Chico Buarque & Elza Soares to name a small few. Bringing together jet-set swinging bossa, with the roots samba and Candomble music of the religious black Brazilian working class, ‘Samba is our Gift’ united two sides of Brazilian culture that rarely met.

Alongside Wilson Das Neves and Neco, the album featured Azymuth’s original drummer Ivan Conti who helped put the project together and shared drum and percussion duties with Das Neves. Neco passed away in 2008, Wilson Das Neves in 2017 and Conti in 2023 but between the three of them, they left us with an enormous body of beautifully joyous music spanning over half a century.

With a remaster and vinyl cut by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis Music, Samba is our Gift will be released on vinyl LP for the first time ever for Record Store Day 2024 via Far Out Recordings.

23 Tracks - Limited 180-gram Virgin Vinyl Edition. Born in Bahia, Brazil, singer/song writer Joao Gilberto (1931-2019) was a true legend of bossa nova. While Antonio Carlos Jobim set the standard for the creation of bossa nova in the mid-'50s, with songs like "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Desafinado", it was Gilberto who brilliantly reimagined and, arguably, defined the genre. This edition includes the complete contents of the album Brazil's Brilliant Joao Gilberto, which received a five-star rating from AllMusic, plus several of his greatest hits from his early years. "This vitally important record introduced Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and thus, bossa nova to the United States in 1961, a year before Stan Getz scored a hit with 'Desafinado'."- AllMusic (Richard S. Ginell), 5 Stars

New Parisian label, Disques Messager, presents its new and second release. As its name suggests, the label has a simple leitmotiv: to place itself among the best messengers for rarities and sought-after gems of the international rare groove. A mission which began like fire last year with a 7inch reissue release including two Brazilian Disco bangers by Cristina Camargo. For this second efforts, the label doesn’t deviate from the artistic and quality path taken, however also making quite a U-turn, this time presenting 2 underrated kind of musical UFO, both from the French scene. Not many info can be found about Yoanson & Karamie, two young artists from the French African diaspora, who randomly met with Nessim Saroussi and his label Ness Music in the late 80s. Nessim himself doesn’t remind much about the 2 guys, except that he quickly offered to produce them, which resulted in their only EP release, Kalimba (1988). Part of this EP, “African Leaders” is a stunning track melting Afro-Tropical percussions, Disco bass, Early-Electro beats and Leftfield vocals in a way that could remind of Doctor L or Arthur Russel productions. On the contrary, Philippe de Lacroix-Herpin (aka Prof Jah Pinpin) has a long musical career started in the mid-70s and became a renowned saxophonist playing and recording for many famous French acts such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, Alain Chamfort, FFF, or even rap band NTM. In 1994, he moved definitely to the Reunion Island where he quickly launched the Prof Jah Pinpin 4tet, in his own words willing to play “free/funk/jazz/rock/tropical” music… Quite a vast and large musical tag, but which immediately make sense when listening to the surprising “The Final Bird” track. Only released as CD in 1996, this instrumental production has indeed a unique sound and flavor mixing all kinds of elements together (even samples of Weather Report). Well as you can understand, words are not the best way to describe these 2 hidden treasures, so we strongly recommend the spinning to make your own view!