Latin | Brazil 90 Items

Favorite Recordings proudly present its new series of 7" reissues with the following concept: each side dedicated to one Funky French track coming with its original artwork. You just have to flip it! On the first side, you'll get the amazing track "Funky Biguine" by West Indies band Crystal. Originally compiled by Charles Maurice on French Disco Boogie Sounds Vol. 2, the original eponymous album still goes for crazy prices. And there's a reason for that: "Funky Biguine" will bring the heat on the dancefloor with its enchanting synth bassline, its West Indies influences and melodious Funk arrangement. Don't miss the synth solo in the end! On the other side, you'll find a reissue of "Looking For You" by J.E.K.Y.S from the island of Réunion. The song has just started and you're already overwhelmed by the strong bassline and the sirens of this French boogie anthem - despite this one has English lyrics. Originally, you'll find it compiled by Charles Maurice on French Disco Boogie Sounds Vol. 3. Expect lovely harmonic progressions and perhaps a more spacey groove, as in these beautiful bridges leading to chorus where the lyrics blend perfectly with the synthesisers line and Fender Rhodes.

Original inner sleeve with seam splits

“It sounds amazing!” - Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music)
“This is pure bliss” **** SHINDIG!
“Yuhuuu” - Coco Maria (NTS Radio)
“Just copped doubles!” - DJ Spinna
No one has lived a life quite like Marcos Valle. He became an overnight international sensation, fled a military dictatorship, dodged the Vietnam war draft, had his music sung by Homer Simpson, made enemies with Marlon Brando, and became an unsuspecting fitness guru for multiple generations. But to truly understand the great Brazilian composer, arranger, singer and multi instrumentalist, one must listen to his music.
Between the release of his first album in 1962 and today, Marcos Valle has released twenty-two studio albums traversing definitive bossa nova, classic samba, iconic disco pop, psychedelic rock, nineties dance and orchestral music. He has also had his songs recorded by some of the all time greats, including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Sergio Mendes, Elis Regina, and (last but not least), Emma Button of the Spice Girls. He has also had his music sampled by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pusha T and many more.
With his twenty-third studio album Túnel Acustico, Valle set out to bring it all together.
“I believe my music is many things. It goes in different directions. I have many different ways of writing music, sometimes it’s melodies and harmony, sometimes the groove is the focus. But all the music I have made over my sixty year career is unified. It is all natural and it is all sincere. And this is what I wanted to bring to my new album.”
A prominent feature of Valle’s career has been his dual residence between Brazil and the USA. Originally moving over in the mid-sixties on the back of bossa nova’s international proliferation, Valle toured with Sergio Mendes and became hugely in demand as a composer and arranger. But the Vietnam War loomed and the threat of being drafted saw him return to Brazil. He spent the following years in Rio writing music for TV and film, as well as four cult favourite albums in collaboration with some of Brazil’s most groundbreaking musicians including Milton Nascimento, Azymuth, Som Imaginario and O Terco.
By 1975, Brazil's military dictatorship was at its most oppressive, making living and working increasingly difficult. Valle moved back to the US where he would reside in LA, writing songs for, and collaborating with the likes of Eumir Deodato, Airto Moreira, Chicago, Sarah Vaughn and Leon Ware, amongst others.
Túnel Acústico features two songs originally conceived during Valle’s time on the West Coast: “Feels So Good”, a stirring two-step soul triumph written in 1979 with soul icon Leon Ware, and the sublime AOR disco track “Life Is What It Is”, composed around the same time, with percussionist Laudir De Oliveira from the group Chicago.
Built around an unfinished demo Marcos found on a shelf in his house 44 years after it was made, the “Feels So Good” demo was restored with the help of producer Daniel Maunick, who also utilised AI stem-separation to remove the placeholder vocal ad-libs. Valle added Portuguese lyrics to sit alongside Ware’s vocal hook, as well as extra keyboards and percussion.
Also written in late seventies LA, “Life Is What Is It” was co-penned by Laudir De Oliveira from the band Chicago and first released on the bands’ Chicago 13 album with lyrics by Robert Lamb. Another nod to his good times in LA, Valle recorded his own version for Túnel Acústico, upping the tempo and deepening the groove for a blast of irresistible summer soul.
On Túnel Acústico, Valle's core band features two members of the renowned Brazilian jazz-funk group Azymuth: Alex Malheiros on bass and Renato Massa on drums. The rhythm section is completed by percussionist Ian Moreira, with additional contributions from guitarist Paulinho Guitarra and trumpeter Jesse Sadoc.
The contemporarily composed music on Túnel Acústico features an impressive lineup of guest lyricists, including renowned Brazilian artists: Joyce Moreno (Bora Meu Vem), Céu (Nao Sei), and Moreno Veloso (Palavras Tão Gentis) as well as Valle's brother Paulo Sergio Valle (Tem Que Ser Feliz).
The album closes with "Thank You Burt (For Bacharach)", a tribute to the legendary composer who passed away in 2023.

Marketed as “workout music" at the time, ‘Estrelar’ was his best-selling record with a total of around 90,000 sales.
‘Alleluia’ is a mid tempo groover, with rich horns, guitar, synth and vocal lines. An end of the night jam if ever there was one.

An absolute Banger from Ms. De Grasse’s 1959 LP La Cita.

I first got hip to her a few years ago on the @Panama45s account on instagram a few years ago with the title track from that album and was instantly taken with her voice—it’s fucking killer. And not that it matters, but she happens to have been stunning as well. I found a copy that’s been in heavy rotation ever since at my house and found myself wishing that I had 'El Chicotazo' on 7-inch. She was one of the first on my long list of dream 7s to put out, and I can’t front; I got a little emotional when I heard back from the amazing folks at Ansonia Records that they were willing to work with me on this.

The flip side is 'Matando Los Chivos', another smash hit in my opinion. A very similar rhythm but a slightly different vibe, and would probably mix very well, should you be so inclined to do so."—Devin

Limited run of 500 copies.

Sweet soul and sentimental music has never really gone out of style, and in the particular cases of the innovative wave of 1950's filin era Cuban boleros, or 1960's Nuyorican street soul, they both remain a thriving beacon of timelessness and universality, capturing a particular style of breezy Caribbean romantic music that has stubbornly thrived in the tough concrete landscape of New York City.
Perhaps there is some love in the heart of the city, as the new ensemble La Triunfadora has managed to tap into something of significant substance on their debut recording, Clasicos Sentimentales Para Una Nueva Generación. Co-produced by band leader Benjamin R. Juliá and renowned talent William Holland aka Quantic (recorded and mixed at the latter's Selva Recording studio in Brooklyn), the group has managed to capture the essence of this reemerging style of classic music, while further injecting their own inspired vision of experimental and psychedelic arrangements.
On A-side display for this debut 7-inch release on Names You Can Trust are two canonized Cuban boleros from maestro composer and guitarist Cesar Portillo De La Luz, stacked together in an old school continuous medley, and transformed with lush orchestration that has the talented musicians sparkling behind the duet of lead vocalists Candace Camacho and bandleader Juliá.
The B-side jumps from 1950's filin into Ralfi Pagan's iconic 1969 latin soul masterpiece "Hijo De Mama." Once again La Triunfadora peppers in just enough exquisite arrangements and musicianship to transform the original into something fresh, yet still guided from an analog sensibility, and ultimately performed with a familiar romanticism that these classic lovers' songs have managed to express over the decades to different generations.

Classic Brazilian soul funk from 1976 in the same vein as Tim Maia, Jorge Ben or Carlos Dafé's recordings from that period. All four tracks are stunning and feature dramatic vocals, fat drum beats and sophisticated arrangements, following the tradition of the best funk music coming from the States in the '70s. First time reissue.

Tony Bizarro was a Brazilian songwriter, producer and singer who worked with most of the greatest soul and funk artists in Brazil. Boogie and disco music were making headway and soon became popular in the Brazilian market. His own discography comprises just one solo album, released at the peak of his career, a bunch of compactos and some later LPs that did not get any bigger than his best-known hit 'Estou Livre'. This 1976 EP has been a long-time dancefloor weapon for DJs in the same vein as Tim Maia, Jorge Ben or Carlos Dafé's recordings from the same period. All four tracks are stunning! The opening song 'Que Se Faz Da Vida' is a downtempo funk joint with some dramatic vocals by Tony Bizarro, fat drum beats and Isaac-Hayesque wah-wah sounds that could have easily been included in the soundtrack of a blaxploitation movie_ The strings and sophisticated arrangements featured on the flipside elevate this record to the top of the best Brazilian funk ever recorded in the '70s. Very hard to find, especially in good condition, this record now gets a proper reissue for the first time.

Credited to the unexisting La Sonora MAG, this mega rare late '50s album was actually recorded by Peruvian percussionist Ñiko Estrada and his Sonora, comprising hits from the repertoire of the most famous Cuban and Boriquen orchestras: guarachas, boleros and one instrumental tropical beguine.It features three great vocalists: Manolo Castro, Rafael "Chivirico" Dávila and Vicky Zamora, whose take on 'Pepito' became one of the most popular songs of the year in Peru.Reissued for the first time. 180g vinyl pressing.DESCRIPTION/DETAILS:This album comprises hits from the repertoire of the most famous Cuban and Boriquen orchestras in the late '50s, performed by young Peruvian percussionist Ñiko Estrada and his sonora. However, due to contractual restrictions, the album was released under the fictitious Sonora MAG name.Fascinated by the music of the Cuban orchestras broadcast on the radio and the colourful and flamboyant outfits they sported when played Lima, Ñiko Estrada named his first band Los chicos de Cuba (The Cuban Boys). In 1958 he put together his own group, sonora, signing to the local label Smith and recording a number of hits. At the same time, he also agreed to anonymously record more music for MAG, the Peruvian company owned by Manuel Guerrero. An imaginary Sonora MAG was born_"El Negro Bembón con la Sonora MAG" includes, with the only exception of the instrumental track 'Té Para Dos', mostly vocal songs -guarachas and boleros- by the likes of Manolo Castro, Rafael "Chivirico" Dávila, and Vicky Zamora, being her take on 'Pepito' the biggest hit of the album.This album is currently almost impossible to find in its original edition, so we are now happy to present the first ever reissue of "El Negro Bembón con la Sonora MAG" in its original artwork and 180g vinyl pressing.

A Espetacular Charanga do França is Sao Paulo's most hyped carnival collective and brass band led by Thiago França - best known as a founding member of Afro-punk explorers Metá Metá. The collective combines retro horns with cumbia, baile funk, jazz and features Brazilian vocal legends such as Lucas Santtana, Tulipa + Jucara Marcal.

A selection of 24 Colombian cumbia bangers for the dance floor from the deep vaults of Discos Fuentes, the most emblematic and best remembered label in the golden age of the genre. An invitation to enjoy and be amazed, above and beyond ethnographic and academic concerns. Double LP"Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!!" combines well-known classics and rarities that are difficult to find in their original formats. The historical origins of cumbia in Colombia are nebulous and imprecise. The mythology surrounding it suggests an ancient past when Amerindian, African and European musical sounds were mixed together.The main record companies in Colombia such as Discos Fuentes, Discos Tropical, Sonolux, Zeida-Codiscos, Silver, Ondina, Discos Atlantic, Vergara and Curro were created between Barranquilla, Medellín, Cartagena and Bogotá from 1936 to 1954. All of them, without exception, recorded Colombian tropical music that over the years was given different names such as porro, gaita, fandango, paseaito, merecumbé, mapalé, bullerengue or, of course, cumbia.This first volume in the series "Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!!" comprises 24 Colombian cumbia bangers for the dance floor from the deep vaults of Discos Fuentes, the most emblematic and best remembered label in the golden age of the genre. This is complemented by a selection of cumbias recorded by the label Discos Tropical, which sold most of its catalog to Discos Fuentes in 1990. Discos Fuentes concentrated on recording cumbias played on the accordion and by orchestras and ensembles. The label produced a prodigious number of albums devoted to cumbias between 1962 and 1979, which served to define ambiguous stereotypes, rooted as much in authenticity and modernity as in demure sensuality and joyful nostalgia.Side A:1.JUAN PIÑA Y SUS MUCHACHOS - Toquen Cumbia2.LOS CORRALEROS DE MAJAGUAL - La Pollera Colorá3.ANIBAL VELASQUEZ Y SU CONJUNTO - La Negra Celina4.CUMBIA CIPOTE VAINA - Soledad5.CALIXTO OCHOA Y SU CONJUNTO - Recordando el Pasado6.LUCHO CAMPIL...

Record is close to NM.

In 1975, Joyce Moreno, who had just wrapped up a tour with legendary Brazilian composer Vinicius de Moraes, found herself in a studio with producer Sergio Bardotti in Rome, Italy.

She had been taking a break from writing and she decided to pick up a selection of her favorite compositions from contemporary Brazilian writers who‘s songs were beacons of hope in times of an ongoing intense Military leadership in her home country. Unlike their previous albums, these recordings live from their reductiveness and intimacy.

For a long time, Passarinho Urbano was considered a secret masterpiece and was highly sought after by record collectors, now Week–End Records is glad to be making it available internationally on vinyl for the first time ever.

(Clássicos Em Vinil) 180gr vinyl. Lovely work from Marisa Monte – perhaps a bit sweeter than some of her earlier stuff, but pretty darn catchy, and with some excellent production by Arto Lindsay!

Polysom Brazil vinyl LP repress import, released in 1971. Erasmo Carlos sounds even cooler here than usual – still working with tunes penned with his brother Roberto – but also taking on music by Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, and Marcos Valle too!

Formed in 1980 by guitar prodigy Leonardo Vela Rodriguez, Sonido Verde de Moyobamba created some of the hardest, craziest Cumbia to emerge from the Peruvian jungle. With distorted, surf-addled guitar facing off against lysergic organ and hyperactive tropical rhythms, Sonido Verde conjured the organic sound of the dense forests surrounding their hometown while riding their dance-party grooves to dizzying psychedelic peaks.

Compiled by Analog Africa, Sonido Verde de Moyobamba presents eight ultra-rare tracks of guitar and organ madness drawn from the band’s five albums recorded for Discos Universal between 1981 and 1987. Pressed on Sun Yellow colored vinyl, housed in a screen-printed jacket and strictly limited to 2000 copies, Sonido Verde is a definitive trip into the heart of the jungle.

Original compositions by Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker created with an analogue Oberheim synthesizer, a Midi sequencer, and an effects unit.

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.

Close to VG+

Record is slightly warped but still enjoyable.

Front cover has two small foxing spots and a piece of tape with some writing on it. Record looks unplayed. Comes with OBI and insert.

Looks unplayed. Comes with OBI and insert. Small piece of tape on back cover.

Vinyl close to VG+

Comes with OBI and insert. Record looks unplayed. Cover looks great although with a bit of ring wear and discoloration, close to VG+

We’ve taken a selection of the most in-demand and asked-for titles in our Brazil 45’s catalogue and given them a loving remaster and repress.

This edition takes two hugely sought-after tracks from Quinteto Ternura, and their original outfit Trio Ternura, and cuts them loud and proud on either side of a seven inch.

First up, a hit of pure sunshine from Quinteto Ternura. Trio Ternura, who were made up of two sisters, Jussara, Jurema and their brother Robson, also formed Quinteto Ternura by joining forces with Léo and Zé Roberto. ‘Baby’ is an absolutely killer, blissful Brazilian modern soul jam written by Caetano Veloso, arranged by Arthur Verocai, covering Gal Costa. Once a real rarity in Brazil, this beauty is now accessible for all to enjoy and is one that rarely leaves our record bags. Taken from the Quinteto Ternura self-titled LP from 1974.

On the flip side, ‘Filhos De Zambi’ is an exquisite, uptempo samba-funk cut from the same year, but released as the siblings original Trio Ternura lineup. Infectious, feel-good fire from the trio, co-written by their father Umberto Silva and José Ribamar. Contains a brilliant, harmonised chorus and wondrous key change that is sure to light up any dancefloor.

As mood changers go, this track is up there with the best. Last year whilst DJing with miche at Shapes festival in the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland, a breathtaking yet ominous Alpine sky suddenly became a picture postcard moment. The clouds parted and a double rainbow formed, as miche dropped Studio Rio's bossa nova remake of Bill Withers’ all-time classic 'Lovely Day'. From there, the dancefloor shifted gears and morphed into full-swing feel-good vibes, in a beautiful, spontaneous moment nobody could have planned for.

Mr Bongo now proudly presents a reissue of this brilliant, bossa-channelling Bill Withers reinterpretation from Studio Rio’s 2014 release ‘The Brazil Connection’. Masterminded by the German Grammy award-winning Berman Brothers, the project was born out of their deep love of Brazilian music. “Our goal was to bring the Brazilian joie de vivre to iconic performances by well-known artists. What would these classic songs sound like had they been recorded in the studios of Rio de Janeiro in the first place, with the best Brazilian musicians and arrangers?” the brothers reflect.

Capturing the life force of Brazil, the beating heart that is its music, they set out to find the musicians who would fit best with their concept. Landing in Rio in 2013 a series of coincidences led to them being introduced to their idols Marcos Valle and Roberto Menescal, who both agreed to come on board. The Berman Brothers also wanted to find some of the musicians who recorded with one of Brazil’s most influential composers Tom Jobim. “Fifty years after Jobim made the music that really defines bossa nova, we found that many of his sidemen were still active, including Paulo Braga of Jobim’s famed rhythm section. It was magic; everything just fell into place.”

There's no question that the original of ‘Lovely Day’ is up there as one of the most feel-good, spirit-lifting anthems of all time. Here the brothers, with the help of a whole host of Brazil’s finest musicians, rework Bill’s soul-fuelled groove into a bossa nova slice of sunshine. With the blessing of Bill and Sony, they were given access to the original multitracks so they could incorporate Bill’s vocals perfectly into the new arrangement.

Joy-injected horns and bouncing double bass blend with the smile-inducing samba flavour of Pretinho da Serrinha’s cavaquinho playing. Tying it all together Torcuato Marinao who worked with the likes of Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, completes the line-up as arranger of the songs.

The perfect end-of-the-night track, mood lifter or soul warmer, remakes don’t get much better than this.

The latest release in the much loved Mr Bongo Record Club Series, Available on CD, 2LP Standard Vinyl & Special Edition 2LP Pink Translucent Vinyl. Curating the tracks for a Mr Bongo Record Club compilation is always such a pleasure. At a time when the expression "Music is My Sanctuary" has an even greater cathartic impact for many people, we set out to make this volume an extra special one - like an old favourite mixtape or playlist. For Volume 4 in this series we continue in the same mould as with previous editions, selecting current favorites and rare lost gems from the Brazilian, African, soul, funk, and disco genres. We present tracks from artists such as Azwon, Cindy & The Playmates, and Zé Roberto to name just a few. However, one main departure and progression to this edition is the first time inclusion of recordings by contemporary artists. These come from Matthew Tavares (of Badbadnotgood fame), Wax Machine, and DJ Format & The Simonsound, which were originally featured on either limited private press vinyl releases or were previously only available digitally. We felt their inclusion was important and wanted to share these wonderful discoveries with a wider audience. They also complement, enrich, and fit perfectly with the flow and journey of the compilation. Here at Mr Bongo we hope you will enjoy this selection of seventeen eclectic songs (in tempo and style) as much as we do, whether they make you move your feet, take you on a trip somewhere, or trigger a happy memory.

Golden-era, 1977, Brazilian jazz-funk-fusion album from the legendary Azymuth.
Lush Rhodes, soaring synths and fusion guitars from Malheiros and
Bertrami combine with the inimitable drum grooves from Ivan “Mamao” Conti that create the signature Azymuth sound.
The album moves from mellow soulful moods, into screaming disco-jazz-fusion, samba funk, synth boogie and ends with a tough 160bpm Batucada workout.
This is actually the first Azymuth album that we have released on Mr Bongo, which came as a surprise to us too.
Official Mr Bongo reissue. Licensed from Warner Music.

Official Mr Bongo reissue. Replica original artwork.
Mr Bongo brings another Brazilian rarity to the masses with this sublime reissue of Tim Maia’s Disco Club. Recorded in 1978, it’s a latter-period gem from the larger than life legend, combining the glitz and glamour of disco’s heyday with Maia’s raw funk and soul roots. When Maia first heard Little Richard as a teenager, he knew what kind of singer and artist he wanted to be. Five formative years spent in the US, where he ran wild in NYC and joined a doo-wop group called the Ideals, did little to dampen his enthusiasm for black music. Stirred by the civil rights movement in the US and driven by a punk spirit, Maia went on to blaze his own trail through the early 70s over the course of four successful albums for Polydor. Moving away from the straight MPB, Tropicalia and international rock dominating the airwaves, his sound represented a new black Brazilian consciousness. When he sang, he could be raspy and defiant one moment … and then romantic and reflective the next. But always on a groove and with a hook. It was an irresistible combination.
Yet by 1977 he was bankrupt and in limbo having first joined a religious cult called Superior National and then alienated listeners with his first album sung entirely in English. To complicate matters further, Brazil was feeling the Saturday Night Fever. Gloria Gaynor, Chic and Kool & the Gang were dominating the charts and filling hotspots such as New York City Discotheque in Ipanema and Frenetic Dancing Days in the Gávea Mall. Maia left his usual band and went into the legendary Estudios Level with a mighty ensemble of Rio’s finest including Paulinha Braga on drums, Jamil Joanes on bass, Robson Jorge on clarinet, Hyldon De Souza on guitar, Sidinho on percussion, trombonists Edmundo Maciel and Darcy Seixas, and Juarez Assis on tenor sax.
Arranger and keyboardist Lincoln Olivetti was a crucial presence during these sessions. He added that all-important string flourish and brassy joy to the uptempo tracks while giving the star enough room to express himself. The album kicks off with a trio of floor fillers: the exuberant party starter ‘A Fim De Voltar’, a sing-a-long anthem in ‘Acenda O Farol’ and the undeniably funky hit ‘Sossego’ (file that one next to Fatback).
But then Maia drops it down and gets existential on ‘All I Want’, questioning the meaning of happiness. He also shows his tender side on slow burners such as ‘Murmúrio’ (written by the great Cassiano) and ‘Pais E Filhos’, the latter featuring a supersoft bed of harmonies you can't help but lay down on. But the party ain’t over and mid-tempo groover ‘Juras’ gets the feet moving again before ‘Jhony’ sends us swaying off into the night.
Maia’s appetite for excess would eventually get the better of him. But Disco Club is the sound of an unpredictable genius on top form. Get ready for the time of your life.

Never been released on a 7” before!

Guyana folk music reinterpreted and infused with Afroroots and culture, reissued on vinyl for the first time. A year after their debut album ‘Ojinga’s Own’, the Yoruba Singers from Guyana released the singles ‘Black Pepper’ and ‘Basa Bongo’. These two songs were recorded in Barbados and released on the Green Shrimp label and became extremely popular throughout the Caribbean and South America. The music also became an integral part of the very beginnings of what was later to become the Champeta Criolla sound in the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Jorge Ben is surely one of the world’s greatest all-round musical artists. He is internationally renowned and vastly influential as a vocalist, musician, performer and phenomenal songwriter. Famed for penning ‘Taj Mahal’, which was the source for Rod Stewart’s ‘Do You Think I’m Sexy?’, and also ‘Mas Que Nada’, one of Brazil’s most iconic anthems, Jorge Ben is a powerful musical force. A simple glance at his impressive back catalogue reveals a master of his craft, with a depth and quality that is seldom paralleled.

For 'Tudo Ben' we take a side-step, focusing on Jorge Ben’s songs that have been performed by other artists. Complied by Mr Bongo, Greg Caz and Sean Marquand, this collection features the Brazilian legends Elza Soares, Claudette Soares, and Wilson Simonal, alongside prodigious artists such as Marijô, Os Brazoes, and Doris Monteiro to name but a few. The selection covers a wide range of genres including samba, bossa nova, MPB and batacuda workouts. Many of the songs featured have become staples in Mr Bongo DJ sets over the years and are some of our most loved classics. As with many of history’s great songwriters, Jorge Ben’s songs transcend genres and styles, they can be covered and reinterpreted, yet the quality of the writing holds up to the standard of the original.

In the dark days of the mid to late 2000s when the end of vinyl seemed inevitable, Mr Bongo released 'Tudo Ben' on CD only. Years later, we finally get to put this right and present it for the first time on vinyl with alternative artwork by Mr Krum.

This special Record Store Day 5 x 45s collection comes packaged in a limited-edition Brazil 45 clamshell collector’s box.

The long-running relationship between Masters At Work and Mr Bongo has been a fruitful affair. Beginning in the 90s, it has included releases such as their seminal 'Brazilian Beat' 12" featuring Liliana, their magnificent rework of Atmosphere’s ‘Dancing In Outer Space’, and their recent hit Surprise Chef remixes 12". The influences of Brazilian music is evident in their DJ sets and productions, take the poly-rhythms of the 'Nervous Track’ as a prime example. We couldn't think of anyone more fitting to curate the third volume in our "Brazil 45 Boxset Curated by" series than one half of the MAW duo, the mighty Kenny Dope.

For his volume of the series, Kenny selected 10 knockout tracks from the golden era of Brazilian music. As you would expect from such a legend, he surpassed the brief of simply compiling the tracks, as he re-edited and remixed a number of his favourites especially for this boxset. Amongst these exclusives is a blazing, heavy psych-funk remix of Antonio Carlos & Jocafi's 'Quem Vem Lá’, and a hip-hop breakbeat bounce woven into Luli Lucinha E O Bando's folky-MPB beauty 'Flor Lilás’. Di Melo and Miguel De Deus are also given the Dopeman remix and edit treatment.

Kenny's selections pull out some forgotten classics and recently overlooked gems, many of which were once top of the want-lists for collectors in the 90s. These include Milton Banana Trio and the irresistible version of 'Berimbao' by Jayme Marques. Along with the Brazilian funk and jazzy-bossa dancefloor-oriented tracks, Kenny has also chosen the leftfield, deeper, trippy psychedelic folk sounds of Papete.

As with previous volumes, the selections are very personal and represent the individual sound and taste of the selector digging from the rich tapestry of Brazilian music. Its unique palate and stamp are exactly what you would expect from a Master At Work.

Soundway Records re-issue the massively in-demand Soca cover-version of Sade’s classic cut “Sweetest Taboo” by Caribbean band Rebles from 1986.
In the late 80s, as electronic music permeated popular culture, Rebles helped define the soca genre outside of the Caribbean. Also known as D’ Rebel’s Band and led by St Vincentian band-leader and trombonist Denniston Young, the group were the 1980s house band for probably the largest Caribbean label, Strakers Records, based in Brooklyn, New York. Strakers released hundreds of Calypso and Soca releases over a thirty year period from 1970 to 2000.
Finally available again after becoming a big record with a number of open-minded contemporary DJs who play Soca, Zouk, Highlife and Soukous alongside Disco and House, the 12” has been officially licensed and re-mastered ready to hit the summer party season head-on.
This 12” paves the way for a big compilation album of Soca crossover sounds coming later this year on Soundway.

‘Barumba’ is an uptempo funk-jazz monster with heavy drums and piano right from the off. Soaring horns add to the drama. Originally released on his self titled LP on CBS Brazil in 1974. ‘Morre o burro, Fica o Homem’ is the third Osmar Milito track to feature in our Brazil 45’s series. A classic samba-rock track; funk drums fills and punchy horns underpin the MPB vocals, building in tempo slightly over the track. The song was originally written by Jorge Ben. Taken from his expensive and hard to find ‘Nem Paletó, Nem Gravata’ LP released on ATCO Brazil in 1973.

Anilza Pinho de Carvalho, better known by her stage name Anilza Leoni was a Brazilian actress, singer, former ballerina and painter.

Balumba is uptempo samba jazz at it’s finest. Originally appeared on a very obscure 7” on Copacobana in 1967 entitled ‘Enfarte Musical / Festa Do Balamba’, and was included by Nicola Conte on his Viagem Vol. 4 compilation.

Sambalanço Trio were formed by Cesar Camargo Mariano, Humberto Clayber and Airto Moreira in 1960’s Sao Paulo. The group released some of the most important records of the period and in the genre of samba-jazz.

When the group split in 1965 Airto formed Quarteto Novo with Hermeto Pascoal, and Cesar Mariano went on form Som Tres.

Sam Blues is a Mr Bongo HQ favourite - uptempo bossa jazz fusion, taken from their self-titled LP originally released on Audio Fidelity (Brazil) in 1964.

This wonderful self-titled album by pianist, singer and composer, Johnny Alf, was first released on vinyl in 1966 by Rozenblit. Here the bossa nova pioneer sings beautiful songs, featuring the legendary musicians Hermeto Paschoal (flute) and Airto Moreira (drums).

To launch Mr Bongo’s new Cuban Classic Series, we are thrilled to present this sought-after, psychedelic-funk masterpiece. A fusion of traditional Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms meets disco, jazz, and funk, with hints of 70s soundtrack productions, this much-loved cult album featuring nine predominantly instrumental tracks is a real treasure that deserves a much wider appreciation. One look at the trippy artwork and you know it is going to be special.

Originally released in 1977 on Areito Records, a sub-label of the state-owned label Egrem, it has become one of the rarest (even in Cuba) and most in-demand albums to come from the label. It is the sole album from Grupo Los Yoyi and was composed, orchestrated, and produced by the mysterious, Jorge Soler Leó.

After Castro ring-fenced Cuba with an embargo on, among other things, Western music, the ‘Yoyi’ album had a sound more left of centre than what was normally allowed to be recorded there at the time. It subtly and covertly flirts with disco, jazz-funk, and electronic sounds coming from the US and Europe. It is probably best known for the space funk, bubbly club cut 'Paco La Calle’. A track that was edited in 2008 by the fantastic DJ / producer, Nick the Record, and one that is guaranteed to set a discerning dancefloor alight. However, ‘Yoyi’ is far from a one-track album. Other highlights include, 'Banana’, with its call and response trombone and horn section, squelchy keys, pulsating breaks and percussion, and a loose, floating vocal arrangement. 'Tu No Me Puedes Conquistar' is a beautiful, bouncing plodder with a variety of instruments interchanging as the track progresses. 'Ruta 30' takes things in a straighter Latin direction, which we are accustomed to from Cuba at that time, yet it is still full of personality, treats and vigour. Take our word for it, this album is strong throughout.

This is one of our favourites and most beloved albums to come out of Cuba and is the perfect flagship for our Cuban Classics Series. Look out for plenty more to come real soon.

Sim Sim Sim' is the Latin Grammy award-winning debut album from Bala Desejo. A band who are at the forefront of Rio de Janeiro’s artistic renaissance, they channel influences of Brazilian 60s Tropicália, 70s psychedelia and MPB to create a nostalgic, yet joyfully, avant-garde sound.

The band is comprised of four distinct characters, each one an incredible talent in their own right and each with impressive credentials in the Brazilian Independent music scene. Central to the resurgent Rio de Janeiro musical community, the quartet of Dora Morelenbaum, Julia Mestre, Lucas Nunes and Zé Ibarra thrive in a group dynamic. They formed Bala Desejo to play collaboratively for a festival date in 2021, but when that show became a victim of pandemic shutdowns the idea for an album project materialised.

'Sim Sim Sim’, which translates into English as ‘Yes Yes Yes’, weaves through a fusion of genres, taking twists and turns as it progresses. There is Tropicália, MPB, rock, samba-canção soul-funk and reggae in the mix. It possesses many of the qualities of a classic album from Brazilian music’s golden era of the 60s and 70s, but also manages to sound very now, which is not an easy task to pull off. As solo musicians, they have worked and collaborated with Brazilian icons Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso and Milton Nascimento to name but a few. Bala Desejo feels like a natural extension of what came before, taking the baton from these luminaries, adding their unique spin and moving the sound forward.

When we first heard Bala Desejo, we were blown away. Their epic theatrical live shows leave audiences stunned and they are the band we had always been hoping to find. A modern-day Novos Baianos or Mutantes, but definitely not an imitation. They celebrate their influences, but are an innovative group, and consequently, they have created one of the finest records to come out of Brazil in recent years. A truly sensational debut!

Pique is the sensational debut solo album from Dora Morelenbaum, one of the key talents spearheading Brazil’s new musical wave. A member of the Latin Grammy award-winning band, Bala Desejo, Dora showcases a new side to her solo productions on this special LP. Whereas Dora’s first solo EP, Vento de Beirada, was a leap of faith, Pique sees her soaring as one of Brazil’s standout stars, emboldened, emphatic but ever elegant. Building bridges between past and present, it’s a funkier, more groove-based affair, weaved together with those signature, slower, celestial tracks. Touching on disco, MPB, soul, R&B and jazz, the album is enriched with an indie pop aesthetic courtesy of fellow Brazilian star and co-producer, Ana Frango Elétrico.

With an ethereal, enveloping air few can match, Dora’s gift shines through both the serene and the spirited songs contained within. The blissful, sun-soaked ‘Não Vou Te Esquecer’ opens, before the funk-fuelled, feel-good ‘Venha Comigo’ and ‘Sim, Não.’ give a glimpse of the creativity bursting from the production partnership between Dora and Ana Frango Elétrico. Elsewhere, the album reclines into hazy lean-back realms via ‘A Melhor Saída’ and ‘Petricor’, virtuoso jazz funk in the form of ‘VW Blue’ and radiant MPB through the album’s title track ‘Pique’.

The drumming is tight, fresh and swung, the horns and strings deftly arranged, as funk-driven basslines and strutting guitars mesh with playful production touches that give an added vibrancy to the record. It is an album that exhibits every side of Dora and one she has been involved in from the ground up, from the songwriting, singing, arrangement and production to booking the studio time and sourcing the artwork designer, Maria Cau Levy.

An exchange of musical ideas powers every great scene and Rio’s contemporary landscape is no different - a family of interconnected musicians and friends that collaborate on each other’s productions. Pique is graced by a wealth of these leading Brazilian lights including her Bala Desejo bandmates Lucas Nunes, Julia Mestre and Zé Ibarra, as well as Guilherme Lirio, Alberto Continentino and Tom Veloso to name just a handful. This exchange crosses generations merging tradition with modernity. In a full circle moment, Dora’s parents Paula and Jaques Morelenbaum, who featured in countless recordings from Tom Jobim's Nova Banda and Ryuichi Sakamoto to Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil, join on the album through backing vocals and arrangement.

Pique sees Dora embrace a freedom through fresh forms, showcasing the depth and diversity of her creative artistry. An infinitely listenable release that nods to Brazilian greats like Gal Costa, Banda Black Rio and Lincoln Olivetti, fused with the indie pop edge of Ana’s production. The result is truly unique and sure to be a future Brazilian classic.

The Latin Jazz classic that started it all! Mandatory!

Compuesto, grabado y producido por Pedro Ojeda Acosta en los estudios Romperayo, Teusaquillo, Bogota, Colombia. 2024 Arte por Mateo Rivano Romperayo en vivo es: Ivan Medellín, Nicolas Eckardt, Juan Manuel Toro, Pedro Ojeda Sellos discográficos del vinilo: discos elgozo y Girando Discos

Limited Clear Vinyl edition, 500 copies! "Bossa Nova Soul Samba" came as Ike Quebec's best contribution to the fruitful marriage between Jazz and Brazilian music. Recorded in 1962 and released on Blue Note in the same year. this was Quebec's final recording before his death in January 1963. A beautiful studio session dominated by Quebec's tenor sax warm tone and the light and gentle groove provided by Kenny Burrell - guitar, Wendell Marshall - bass, Willie Bobo - drums and Garvin Masseaux - chekere.

Dominican multi-instrumentalist Alex Malajunta is back on wax with a super hot, up-tempo, original merengue with "Rumbón." Party tested and dancer approved! The B-side is an updated version of the 1980s Ramon Orlando hit "Weo" featuring the merengue legend himself! Excellent call and response on this song for audience engagement.

Apparently when this album was originally released in 1972, confused and bewildered fans, expecting more of the same found on Transa, released earlier that year, returned the album to the shop, demanding a refund. Meanwhile, critics raved, and many now consider Araçá Azul known as CAETANO VELOSO’s “experimental album” to be one of his great creative moments. To be fair to his many fans, it was a stark departure from his previous releases, which were decidedly more pop, but Veloso had been through a lot recently, having just returned from political exile in the UK, so it is no wonder that the artist was feeling a bit like he needed to fly in the face of conformity. In Veloso‚s own words, “I made this album without thinking, without taking the time to stop to think.” He refers to the album’s “insolent experimentalism” and calls it a kind of “last stand.” Color vinyl version.

The release is on 180g vinyl and in a gatefold cover. Milton's second volume of tracks cut with his legendary "corner club" – with a very similar approach to the landmark first volume! Loads of great artists make guest appearances on here, like Lo Borges, Wagner Tiso, Toninho Horta, and Chico Buarque – and the production has haunting blend of baroque, jazz, and soul that we can only define as "Nascimento like"! A really fitting companion to the first volume, and a double-length set with tracks that include "E Dai", "Pao E Agua", "Canoa, Canoa", "Credo", "Nascente", "Meu Menino", "Que Bom, Amigo",

MELINGO's Tangos Bajos is a milestone in Argentina's young generation in tango music. When Melingo moved back to Buenos Aires in 1997 after a decade in Europe, he turned to tango. He recorded an album that became an instant classic, first in Buenos Aires and then in Spain, UK and France—where they call him "Le Tom Waits du Tango". Using minimal resources: bandoneon, double bass and nylon string guitar, Melingo creates the foundation for his stories—a landscape of losers, desperados, hustlers, drug addicts and killers. The style is raw—a direct influence of he "Guardia Vieja" (Old Guard), but it's updated with arrangements that flirt with elements of ambient dub.

Japanese pressing with Obi.

US original.

Reissued on 180-gram black vinyl. A legendary set of Latin music.

No obi.

Reissued for the first time ever on 7 inch, having previously only ever been on the Take A Trip Pussycat LP, Latin Blues Band - (I'll Be A) Happy Man. A dynamic dancefloor jazz and boogaloo belter from 1968, with a legendary piano riff and breakbeats that were most famously sampled by DJ Premier for Christina Aguilera’s classic ‘(Ain´t No Other Man)’. The B side houses another boogaloo bomb in the form of ‘Take A Trip’ that will set you back £80+ for an original copy. Yellow label version with white sleeve.

Record Store Day 2020 Release.
Limitation: 1000 copies.

180g vinyl reissue of the mega rare Mexican-only Luiz Eτa album from 1970 in facsimile artwork and remastered sound.The Brazilian pianist and founder member of Tamba Trio is accompanied here by a large group of top-notchBrazilian musicians.

Koko-Jean & The Tonics' second album modernizes their classic approach by delving into the pure soul sound and the social and musical atmosphere of the 70s. There are essentially danceable songs, like 'The Spin', others that are more romantic and slow-burning, like 'Never Ever', and pieces that transport us to Brooklyn in the 60s and 70s, like the protesting 'Frank's Zone' or the nostalgic 'Love Child'.

The musician Roberto Enrique "Tito" Chicoma forged one of the most solid and constant career paths in Peruvian music. Self-taught, he started playing tenor saxophone in his father's orchestra, also playing the trumpet, piano or trombone when the occasion arose.In 1959, at the age of 23, Tito moved to Lima, where he soon joined ensembles such as the Koki Palacios and Armando Boza orchestras, which took him abroad for the first time on tour. A recognized musician in his own right, Tito would later decide to form his own orchestra, which was soon hired by América Televisión, starring on programs such as "El Show de Juan Silva", where he accompanied international artists that visited Lima.In 1966, Tito made his first record under his own name on the MAG label, performing two cumbias by the Colombian group Los Teen Agers. The praise the single received led to the recording of his first LP, "El ritmo de moda", where he continued to compile Colombian songs.At the end of 1967, he dedicated his new LP project to recording two fashionable rhythms at the time: cumbias y boogaloos. The Colombian cumbia became popular in Peru from 1964 onwards, when local orchestras like those of Andrés de Colbert, Mario Cavagnaro, Eulogio Molina and Lucho Macedo recorded cumbia hits, then the genre soared when groups like Los Pacharacos and Los Demonios del Mantaro mixed it with Andean music. Boogaloo in Peru was popularized chiefly by the record label MAG, which kept its listeners up to date with developments in tropical music in New York, releasing and distributing records by Alegre Records and recording versions of hit songs such as 'El pito' and 'Mamblues' with local musicians.The recording sessions for "Cumbias y boogaloos" began in December 1967, when Tito released one of his first compositions: 'Dale U'. He also recorded the instrumental track 'La cigüeña' and 'Plaza de toros', two compositions by the Venezuelan artist Hugo Blanco.At the beginning of 1968, Tito and his band traveled to Buenos Aires, hir...

First time reissue! The very first LP released by Lima pianist Alfredo Linares under his own name is brimming with tropical hits from the mid-sixties ncluding a Frank Sinatra classic) and was aimed to bring listeners up to date with the tropical sound developments in the States, to which Linares added touches of jazz."El Pito" comprises guarachas, guaguancós, jazzy descargas and, obviously, contagious boogaloos, including an outstanding version of the J. Sabater anthem.By the time he recorded his version of 'El Pito' in 1966, Alfredo was already an accomplished musician. He studied music in parallel to his schooling, attending the Conservatoire in the afternoons and soon went on to lead Alfredito Linares y su Salsa All Stars, a continuation of the orchestra founded by his father.In 1966 the song 'El Pito' became a hit in the United States, which is why Distribuidora Peruana Sudamericana, associated with MAG, released the single as well as Joe de Cuba's sextet LP. MAG's next step was to suggest Alfredo Linares record the song, which he did in August 1966, with lead vocals by Raul Ducós Domínguez from Chalaco and backing vocals by Tony de Cuba, Benny del Solar and Rolo Bernal. The lyrics include references to the effects of marijuana that Ducós improvised during the recording in just one take. Charlie Palomares plays the vibraphone, accompanied by "Negro" Santos on bass and "Cheverin" Miguel Villanueva on the bongos. It is one of the few songs on the album where there are no trumpets.'Strangers in the Night' topped the Billboard charts in 1966, which was a powerful reason for Manuel Guerrero to suggest including the song. This cover version features brass instruments and the participation of Peruvian crooner Lalo Bisbal.The first of the two guarachas on the album, 'Qué mala fue esa mujer' is a composition by Chivirico Dávila, a mythical and globetrotting tropical singer who lived in Lima at different times. While the Peruvian singer Benny del Solar is the lead vocalist on the secon...

Limited Edition for Record Store Day 2022.

Multi-talented musician and Moons' singer-songwriter Jennifer Souza presents her second solo album, produced and recorded by Leonardo Marques at his Ilha Do Corvo studio in Belo Horizonte. With a sound palette that moves from Brazilian song to jazz, from melancholic folk to indie rock with multiple and unexpected instrumentation, "Pacífica Pedra Branca" reveals a musical geography that is highly unique to the artist, one of the most exciting names on the Brazilian music scene today. Welcome to a unique and magical world of soft pop, indie rock and folk from beautiful Brazil!

180g heavy vinyl pressing, comes with studio pics, lyrics sheet and English translations. Produced and recorded by Leonardo Marques at the Ilha Do Corvo studios.