Latin | Brazil 323 Items

Nico Gomez, a Belgian orchestra leader of Dutch roots, has long been a favourite with Latin fans, record diggers, DJs, and collectors alike. His blend of bossanova, latin jazz, and easy listening always turns up a few choice nuggets and surprises; what is perhaps most remarkable is that it was recorded in Europe.

Back in 2013, Mr Bongo re-issued Nico Gomez's sought-after 'Ritual' album from 1971, and now we follow it up with another jewel from his catalogue his 1972 album 'Soul Of Samba'. For this re-issue, we have opted to present it with the cover art originally used on the Trio Records version released in Japan. In the Netherlands and Belgium, the album was released with different cover art under the title 'Bossa Nova’, on Omega International and International Bestseller Company records, respectively. We loved the beautiful psychedelic design of the Japanese version and wanted to use it for this re-issue.

'Soul Of Samba' features several euro-bossa-jazz favourites such as the catchy 'Rio'; which was a firm DJ choice cut at jazz dance nights, including Brighton's 'Jazz Rooms' in the 90s. It also featured in Rainer Trüby's classic ‘Glücklich' compilation series which explored European-Brazilian-inspired music. The beguiling ‘Aquarela', with its engaging latin shuffle, entices feet to the dancefloor and is not one to miss. 'Agua’ has a lazy-quirky latin-funk feel with breathy-stoned vocals floating in the background. The album additionally features numerous breezy latin, Brazilian, and easy listening joints, some of which are ripe for sampling.

Original inner sleeve, Vinyl is close to NM. 1977 repress.

On vinyl, here's a reissue of the second album by the highly regarded Colombian group Fruko Y Sus Tesos, originally released in 1972. The album is full of energetic and tough guaguance, bomba, plena, oriza, bolero, cha-cha-cha and descarga rhythms, all blended with Latin soul elements and performed by the group featuring a trumpet and two trombones for a more robust brass attack. The material is a mix of spirited cover versions and authentically Nuyorican-sounding originals with a Colombian twist. The bonus track 'Tihuanaco' appeared on the US edition of the LP.

1990 reissue.

Vinyl is Close to VG+.

This isn’t just a seminal album. It is an estuary. All the black rivers that would form Brazilian funk/hip-hop flow through it. Led by Paulista pianist Salvador Silva Filho – Dom Salvador – “Som, Sangue, e Raça” from 1971, one year after the explosion of Tim Maia on the scene, catalyzed the bossa nova and jazz background of its leader with the rhythm and blues of its members like saxophonist Oberdã Magalhães, nephew of samba-enredo master Silas de Oliveira and future leader of Banda Black Rio, who since the group Impacto 8 (which had, among others, Robertinho Silva on drums and Raul de Souza on trombone) had already been trying to reconcile MPB with Stevie Wonder and James Brown.

Add to all this a mixture of samba, Nordestino accent, and even the black side of the Jovem Guarda represented by the authorial presence of Getúlio Cortes (older brother of Gerson King Combo, our James Brown “cover”) in ‘Hei! Você’. Alongside these elements and the presence of Rubão Sabino (bass), who still called himself ‘Rubens’, drummer Luis Carlos (another member of Black Rio), the record enlists the trumpet and flugelhorn of symphonic musician Darcy in place of the original Barrosinho (yet one more founder of Black Rio), who was traveling during the recording but would end up being a leading force of the band.

The album ‘Som, Sangue e raça’ paves the way for future generations of musicians and producers of the Carioca scene at the beginning of the 1970s. The lyrics that dealt with the question of race and the explosive fusion of samba, soul, jazz, and funk, elaborated by Dom Salvador and his troupe, Abolição, established the bases for the development of new sounds and tendencies in Brazilian music.

Black Vinyl Edition.
Still shrink wrapped but opened.
Cover as new with slightly dented corners.

In Summer 1977, Syndicate band from Las Cruces, New Mexico, recorded and released this album "Conveyance". It is the only recording the band ever released. Super rare Latin Funk album from New Mexico with a killer cover of Curtis Mayfield and the Sisters Love masterpiece "Give Me Your Love".

Released in 1971 while Gil was living in London, this is the third self-titled release from the bossa nova and tropicalia legend. Gil recorded this album while in political exile from his native Brazil and its somber, straightforward tone is a welcome change from the experimental, psychedelic assault of his 1969 long player. Featuring 8 originals and a brilliant cover Steve Winwood's 'Can't Find My Way Home,' this Water release also contains 3 bonus tracks including covers of Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. A tropicalia classic.

First ever vinyl reissue of this fabulous French / West Indies afro-jazz-funk-caribbean-fusion album from 1976, originally released on the Moshé-Naïm label by poet-singer-painter FRANCK VALMONT, accompanied by multicultural progressive jazz-rock band SYNCHRO.

Featuring JO MAKA (Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra) on sax, LOUIS XAVIER on bass & fuzz-bass, GEORGES NOUEL on electric piano and organ, GERARD CURBILLON from Magma related prog-fusion band SPEED LIMIT on electric guitar, YVES DOLPHIN on drums…

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.

Reissued on vinyl, with reproduced artwork and labels, this is a 1977 soul and funk-inspired masterpiece from the Latin jazz vibraphone player and composer.

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.

One of the most obscure records ever released in Venezuela that was originally distributed in tiny quantities as a promo-only album in 1972. A magic blend of protest songwriting, with a strong environmentalist statement, and folky pop with psych ingredients -such as the use of sitar sounds- recorded by the collective of artists "Una Luz", and "El Zigui" who was once described as the local Bob Dylan. Latin, Psych, Folk - First time reissue, 180g LP, RSD exclusive release, 500 copies ww.

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.

THE RECORD IS SHRINK-WRAPPED BUT WAS OPENED DUE TO A SUBSEQUENT STICKER ON THE INSERT!

Jards Macalé’s biography is a testament to the electrifying energy of music and the unwavering spirit of artistic rebellion. Macalé has remained true to his vision, unapologetically embracing the unconventional and challenging the status quo. His music, a conduit of emotion and a mirror to society, continues to weave a sonic tapestry that resonates with the souls of listeners.

In 2022, Macalé celebrated the momentous 50th anniversary of his debut solo album, a groundbreaking masterpiece released by Philips in 1972. This iconic record gifted us timeless tracks such as “Vapor Barato”, “Mal Secreto”, “Farinha do Desprezo”, “Revendo Amigos”, and “Hotel das Estrelas”. Its sheer brilliance united the realms of Brazilian music, infusing samba and bossa nova with the fiery essence of rock, classical harmonies, and the improvisational spirit of jazz. As the years passed, a new generation of musicians and fans discovered this gem, fueling its resurgent popularity and inspiring fresh collaborations.

Last year, Jards Macalé assembled a formidable new band, igniting stages across Brazil with a tour that now sets its sights on Europe. Together with Gui Held on guitar, the Paulo Emmery on bass, and Thomas Harres on drums, Macalé conjures an exhilarating homage to his illustrious body of work. This live performance embodies the untamed spirit and boundless musical freedom that define this visionary artist, transporting audiences to a realm where the past intertwines with the present in a breathtaking display of artistic prowess.

1982, Brussels: The former au pair for Rick Wakeman of Yes and two of her teenage friends are at the doorstep of Les Disques Du Crepuscule, ready to cut an album with Gilles Martin. Living on busking wages and next door to Tuxedomoon, their work results in a contemporary bossanova record that would provide a missing link between Antonio Carlos Jobim and Kraftwerk. Camino Del Sol was issued and promptly forgotten, with Isabelle Antena moving toward jazz in Asia and the others returning to France. Twenty years later, it was findable only as a VG+ LP with a sticker price of $4.99. Intrigued by the striking cover's sunlit patio furniture emptiness basking in the south of France, we scooped up Camino Del Sol and grouped the extant Antena recordings from that exceptional period by session. 2LP reissue of the original five-song mini-LP adds the group's first 12" (a cover of Jobim's "Girl From Ipanema," naturally), the Seaside Weekend 12", compilation tracks, and two previously unissued cuts, recasting this short-lived combo's forward-thinking milemarker as a modern-day masterstroke.

Still in shrink but opened with hype sticker. Few paper scuffs. 2018 reissue.

"Mestiço" was originally recorded in 1975 to be the first release of Luiz Henrique´s own label Itagra, after coming back from fifteen years as a sucsseful musician in the U.S during the 60´s. Mestiço, meaning, "mixed race" in Portugues plays this exact roll mixing a variety of genres manking it impossible to be labeled a a single bossa-nova or samba-jazz album. Featuring Laércio de Freitas, Tenório Jr. Chico Batera with arrangements by J.T Meirelles, Mestiço was a precious jewel, only pressed 300 copies at the time.

The Brazilian label, Somatória do Barulho dug deep for the original master tapes for this reissue, and was blessed to find three extra themes, never heard before. A real masterpiece brought back to life, with incredible remaster work and a gatefold version for the beautiful sleeve designed by Florianópolis artist Hassis.

Includes 7" with bonus tracks.

Super thick heavy cardboard cover, this is what “deluxe” is meant to be in all terms.

Limited to 500 copies. Latin Funk Psych Fuzz Blaster basically covers all the realms of rare record collecting in one shot!!
There's the Funk Fuzz Blaster "Maranatha" or the Ray Barretto Latin Jazz Groove cut "El Que Se Fue" with freaky synth blasts.
The Texas Easy Funk moves of "Squeeze" which remind of Steam Heat, or the lounged out soul rendition of Stevie Wonder's classic "Bird Of Beauty”. Something for everyone and impossibly rare!!

The most requested Mr Bongo reissue /// Ze Roberto aka Joaquim Roberto Braga is a composer, singer and instrumentalist from Brazilian folk music roots.

'Lotus 72 D' is a tribute to the Brazilian Formula 1 world champion driver of 1972, Emerson Fittipaldi.
In Roberto's own words: "Lotus 72 D is a tribute to the sensational talent of Formula 1 driver, Emerson
Fittipaldi, who was crowned world champion in 1972. I can't remember the names of the musicians who participated in the recording because they were hired by the original record label, RCA/Victor. The production team consisted of artistic co-ordinator, Henrique Gastaldello, and arranger, Severino Filho. The year of recording was 1973. I'm not aware of another fast version of the song 'Lotus 72 D'... My contract with the RCA/Victor was for 2 years. All my musical works belongs to me.”

The mystery surrounding the ‘fast version’ stems from the Via Brazil compilation from 2001 – the version featured was pitched up.
Hence, a lot of people know it at that tempo, because it is otherwise impossible to obtain!

Continuing the Cape Verde series Mar & Sol bring this fantastic masterpiece of an LP ”Nha D’stine” from the legendary singer Américo Brito and his band Djarama. Includes insert. TIP! Originally recorded in 1983 on a private press by Américo Brito , and now in 2018 we bring it back to life with the stamp of our label, from Mar & Sol records to all the world.

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.

After the recent reissue of their first eponymous album, Favorite Recordings proudly presents Vegas, the second LP from Venezuelan band Esperanto. Rare and sought-after for many collectors, it was recorded in between Las Vegas and Caracas and originally released in 1981. Following bandleader Jorge Aguilar in his musical trip to the infamous American city bathing into flashing lights and vivid colors, we're invited to an excursion in Disco, Boogie and Jazz-Funk territories. Finally reissued, fully remastered, Vegas will be available as Gatefold Tip-On Vinyl LP. With great care and attention to details, Esperanto managed to create a very convincing sequel to their JazzFunk debuts. Vegas keeps indeed a perfect balance between various influences. Through energic disco beats with intense funky solos, catchy AOR-influenced songs, where Jorge delivers convincing vocal performance, or sunny jazz-funk slow jams, the album still reveals something quite authentic. And this feeling echoes surely the one that could have been felt by Jorge Aguilar while discovering USA on a trip - where it all started for the music he loves. Like sometimes a foreigner's enriching view on some local specialty, he surely brought with the band all his authenticity and young but vibrant experience while convincing at the same time major labels for distribution. With certain notoriety coming with the release of their first album, Jorge Aguilar and his drummer Pablo Matarazzo planned to go to Los Angeles for a few gigs. But once there, they realized their contact had to leave for Tina Turner's tour in Europe. Before that, he invited them to come along to Las Vegas and eventually meet musicians there. Luckily, the plan worked perfectly: Jorge came back to Los Angeles with a lot of contacts then moved to Boston and NYC before finally coming back to Caracas. He told: "I was so impressed with this trip that I told myself that one day I would return to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The first tracks I did them in Los Angeles with Kenny More, James Gadson and other session musicians from that city. Later, I took the tracks to Caracas where the musicians of the band recorded overdubs. After that, I returned to Los Angeles to master with Bernie Grundman who was still working in his small studio at A & M records studios in Hollywood. As can be seen in the title of some of the songs like "Hollywood", "Vegas", "Kenny's Place", were only the translation of my experiences at the time."

Favorite Recordings proudly presents a reissue of the first and eponymous LP by Esperanto, a Venezuelan JazzFusion masterpiece originally released in 1980. This rare and sought-after album recorded in Caracas by talented musicians could be likened to the best of the South American scene with strong Funk & Latin influences. Following the recent reissue of Sacbé, this one is a little wonder and a must-have for anyone interested in Latin Jazz-Funk & Fusion. Fully remastered and available as Gatefold Tip-On Vinyl LP and CD. Like most bands, the story first started as a series of jam sessions. Multi-instrumentist Jorge Aguilar and his drummer Pablo Matarazzo were playing in a band, covering a various number of Latin genres from Merengue to Salsa and playing at parties, even though they were mostly influenced by Jazz or Funk, but also British Rock or Brazilian music. Still, they were dreaming about a real band. Thus, while some of their friends were on vacations in Venezuela during their studies at Music school in Boston and New York, they immediately organized jam sessions. First impros luickly became songs and Pablo and Jorge were finally joined by Roldan Peña, Gustavo Arranguren, Ezequiel Serrano, Marcus Vinicius and Nenè Quintero. With the help of a friend, they recorded songs and brought those tracks to radio stations. Without realizing it, the group gained a certain notoriety in Caracas and began to give shows that became quite famous. Sometimes, they had to play two times in the same night with people still waiting outside! With the money earned, they kept recording their songs but now in a quite better studio. The album was taking its final shape, with an exciting blend of Funk, Fusion and Jazz-Rock elements, all mixed with Latin music influences. With an extensive use of synthesizers, the tracks sounded like a fresh wind blowing over the city of Caracas. After bringing a few friends to record their parts, the album was then offered to CBS for distribution – some of their executives had just become fans after experiencing one of their amazing gigs! But in exchange, they also had to record two more commercial songs, a cover of "Ticket To Ride" by The Beatles, and “Vereda Tropical", a classic in the Latin market. Jorge reminds: "The rest of the songs were compositions by myself and by other members of the band. The album was recorded in its entirety almost live, that is, all of us playing together and without many overdubs because we did not have many tracks nor money to pay studio time. Certainly, we were one of the bands that started the Fusion jazz movement in Venezuela and the most recognized because we managed to be played a lot on the radios and we filled the largest number of concerts as well as obtained the largest number of sales". The band kept recording other albums, notably with Warner Bros after the label was again really impressed by their opening show for Peter Frampton Comes Alive Tour one night in Caracas. Jorge adds: "Today if you ask people around 60 years old in Venezuela about a Fusion group, they will tell you that Esperanto is the band they remember! I think the most significant thing about the Esperanto band is that it was quite naïve since we were all in our early 20s and we did everything just for the pleasure of playing without thinking about the conomic aspects of the industry".

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

One of the funkiest albums ever from Gilberto Gil – a set that beautifully mixes rootsy elements with tighter funk arrangements, in a style that's not unlike some of the 70s samba soul experiments from Jorge Ben.

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".

For a very long time, we have been trying to re-issue this record; a true and complete album masterpiece in every sense of the word, considered by many people to be one of the greatest ever made, regardless of genre. Recorded at Studio Somil, Rio De Janeiro in 1972, the album was produced, arranged, directed by the self-taught, Arthur Verocai. Previously he had worked on many records in various capacities, with artists including Jorge Ben, Ivan Lins and Celia, but this album gave him the chance to do his thing in it’s most pure form. The 29 minute masterpiece, perfect in it’s arrangement and fusion of sonics, epitomises the sound of Brazil at the time; strings, guitars, pianos, break beats, bass lines, synthesizers, vocals from the wonderful Célia, Carlos Dafe and Oberdan (Banda Black Rio), plus percussion from Pedro Santos and Paulo Moura on sax. Bossa nova, samba, jazz, MPB, psychedelics and funk sit side by side effortlessly. The album transcends the genre of Brazilian music, and infact all genres. Highlighted in part by the number of artists that have sampled from it; MF Doom, Ludacris & Common, Little Brother, Jneiro Jarel aka Dr Who Dat?, Dibiase and Action Bronson amongst others. The original Continental version of the album now fetch around $2000. Our definitive re-issue is an exact replica of the gatefold original LP and the source master is taken from the Continental tapes, re-mastered in 2012 under Arthur’s supervision.