Latin | Brazil 364 Items

Henri Guédon is an artistic legend from Martinique. Musician, painter, sculptor and one of the main architects of modern Caribbean/Antilles music. Taking the music to truly new and progressive territory from the late 1960’s onward. Karma, his 2nd album is one of the holy grails of the Caribbean cosmic Latin/Jazz scene, near impossible to find in this day and age. Released in 1975 on a small Parisian label, La Voix Du Globe, a label releasing Algerian, Moroccan and Egyptian records, the album was an anomalous release in their catalog. Karma was a convincing and unswerving statement following his stunning landmark debut LP (Cosmozouk Percussion). Incorporating African, Latin and West Indies styles (Gwoka, Mazouk, Biguine, Bel-Air, Bomba...) with cosmic synths swirling all over intense roots percussion. The songs are propelled with a spiritual Jazz vibe mixing with deep ethno-folk music from Martinique and Guadeloupe. The LP belongs to the same vein as as Marius Cultier, Louis Xavier or William Onyeabor for its totally original take on a hybrid music.

Global pointing Brazilian jazz trio will release a new album Agôra, that sparkles with electric funk and Herbie-esque eclecticism. It features a myriad of guest vocalists and musicians including Brazilians Xênia França and Zé Leônidas, Jembaa Groove's Ghanaian singer Eric Owusu and South African artists Bongani Givethanks & Mpho Nkuzo Re-wiring the concept of 'fusion' for 2023, Agôra is Brazilian trio Caixa Cubo’s resurgent new record with the title referring to 'now', based upon the intuitive and fluid nature of the trio’s method, and this inspired recording. With shoots to black music culture, from Brazil to Brooklyn, Ghana and South Africa, Agôra is the group’s ninth album yet is their first where they’ve invited guests, mainly singers, onto each track and follows their last, Angela from 2020, released on Heavenly Records, which won a BBC 6 Music Album of the Year (Huey Morgan’s selection) granting them much deserved international recognition.

The core musical elements of Caixa Cubo are Henrique Gomide (keys), João Fideles (drums) and Noa Stroeter (bass), all from São Paulo, Brazil and where they met as teenagers and would continue their friendship and musical bond at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Netherlands. Now all in their mid thirties, João and Noa live back in the city where it all started but Henrique has settled in Cologne, Germany where the recording of Agôra took place, over the course of 3 days, at the home cum studio of Chris ‘Dusty’ Doepke, their friend and owner of the label they signed to, Jazz & Milk.

In line with all their creations where flow and energy provide the magic, allowing what the moment provides, the album shines not only for its virtuosity but for its minimalism, the depth of space, and for the first time, the ability to figure in and outside of the jazz fold, as the trio decided, for the first time, to bring in singers and add a new aesthetic to their sound.

“Agôra is a wake-up call to reality, a reminder that the infinite possibilities of technological progress should not disconnect us from the earth, from eye-to-eye relationships, and from moments lived in person” the band are keen to point out. “And that we must not be consumed by greed, for all we truly possess.... is the NOW.”

Turning hope and metaphor into music, the debut single Sábado, an electrified future- jazz-fizz reflects perfectly the spontaneity that permeated the entire recording of the album. “When we got to the studio, we had no idea what we were going to record. We started playing a groove, kind of inspired by Gilberto Gil's 80s albums, and our drummer João started singing this funny song 'Sábado Barrigudão' (Big Belly Saturday) alongside the bass groove and that was that”. Inspired by their city of birth, São Paulo, it features long time collaborator and vocalist Zé Leônidas, with cuicas, tamborim, agogo and shakers providing the most obvious Brazilian affect from the album.

The third installment of our "Instrumental Gems" compilations is finally out, focused on discovering treasures of instrumental music recorded in Spain during the 60s and 70s. Those were years when a significant number of orchestras and dance ensembles proliferated in Spain, most of which barely managed to press their songs on vinyl, but if we look deeper into the catalog of small labels of the time or self-released singles, we find pieces of undoubted quality. Many did not have a commercial course since the orchestras used them basically on a promotional level to get concerts or generate copyright, and it is for this reason that they are so hard to find for collectors of the genre. Most authors opted for pasodoble, swing, groove and Spanish soul, being bossa nova a genre less used in their compositions. The purpose of this compilation is to highlight a hidden treasure among those wonderful EPs, instrumental jewels that drink from the simplicity of bossa, to flirt with hotter rhythms close to Latin jazz, an explosive mix hidden in the 14 cuts of the LP.

El Salvador, the last frontier... the psychedelic revolution also reached this small country from Central America in the 60s, resulting in the formation of many teen garage bands. Until now, little was known about this amazing local music scene that took place in the late 60s and early 70s... a true musical revolution. Due to the lack of resources, musicians often had to build their own fuzz and effects pedals and in studio recordings, primitive tape experimentation and echo were often used... the result was a very unique sound, 100% raw & wild. Hear tremendous fuzzed-out covers of Doors, Blue Cheer, Country Joe & The Fish or Alan Bown along with cool self-penned songs. All tracks taken from very hard to find 45s, most of them unknown outside of El Salvador until now. Feat: Kiriaps, Los Saltos, San Miguel, Los Vikings, Los Rebeldes, Los Junior’s, Los Intocables… Includes color insert with detailed liner notes in English/Spanish and cool photos.

Nairobi, Kenya, 1978. In the Phonogram Ltd. music studio, the popular Congolese Rumba band Les Mangelepa is finishing a session. Things are going well: they have recorded all the music they planned and still have an hour to kill before giving back the studio keys. How about improvising one last song on the spot?
And this is how “Nyako Konya” was born. An incredible 9 minutes hypnotic jam, that’ll eventually become one of their biggest tunes, earning them a Gold record and international acclaim throughout Africa.
Meticulously restored and remastered by French engineer Nicolas Thelliez, the original version is featured here together with remixes by three talented producers: French House/Disco producer extraordinaire Yuksek and his wall of sound skills, Netherlands’ Afro lovers and world famous studio maverick Umoja delivering a space dub Lee Scratch Perry style, and last but not least, the trademarked syncopated stabs from Brooklyn’s Uproot Andy.

Copy close to NM

The joyful and melancholy songs of the soul that have been sung on Tumaco, a small island in the Pacific Gulf of Colombia that has been exposed to violence, abandoned, and isolated, are now echoing across the world's dance floors. The world's first recording of Alba Maria Valencia and her group Cantoras DE Yerbabuena, the bearers of a little-known local tradition, who were born and raised on the small island of Tumaco, also known as "the pearl of the Pacific," and have been singing the songs they learned from their parents for over 65 years! The artwork for the sleeve is by Yukie Monnai. The semicircular arch in the background, which was a symbol of Tumaco, collapsed earlier this year and is no longer there. Alba Maria Valencia and the members of Cantoras de Yerba Buena are very happy to have this arch painted on the sleeve.

Another door opens to new possibilities for Cumbia! From the cyberspace connecting the Bay Area, London, Monterrey, and Tokyo comes Lovers Cumbia, a mellow, sweet, and heartbreaking music. The latest release from Grupo Jejeje, the unique cyber-cumbia sonidera project of Turbo Sonidero, a Chicano born in San Jose, California, and Arrabalero, a Persian immigrant living in London, is a lovers' cumbia featuring the sweet and sensual voice of Simone Michelle, a singer who is gaining attention in the Bay Area! The cover is a reversible sleeve by the genius Ryohei Kazumi of Entertainment. When placed side by side with Grupo Jejeje's previous work, "Kumbia De La Rober / Quetzalli" (okra310), a single composition appears. Two postcards with portraits and lyrics by Simone Michelle are enclosed.

Exotica, ye-yé cumbia, guaracha infused twist, rock'n roll mambo, Spanish rumba, boogaloo beat, tropical garage and other unexpected bastard genres are featured in this festive compilation of bizarre hits taken from the glorious catalog of records released during the 60s and 70s on the Peruvian label Discos MAG. Some clearly unite genres, others are projects with creative names, but all are bold musical initiatives that got and will always get people onto the dance floor. "Sabroso Go Go" brings together fourteen musical mixes created in the recording studios of Manuel Antonio Guerrero (MAG), in which music directors combine rhythm with alchemy in a quest to find the philosopher's stone of the dance. Exotica, ye-yé cumbia, guaracha infused twist, rock'n roll mambo, Spanish rumba, boogaloo beat, tropical garage and other unexpected bastard genres are featured in this festive compilation. Although this compilation begins in 1957, experiments like this (some more memorable than others) were not new in Peru. The songs on this album were however much more successful hybrids. Some clearly unite genres, others are projects with creative names, but all are bold musical initiatives that got and will always get people onto the dance.

From samba & bossa nova through to baile funk, with carioca expressions of jazz, rock & hip hop in between, the sound of Rio de Janeiro, while continually evolving, has always held an unnameable quality which reflects the magic & mystique of the cityitself. Multi-instrumentalist & arranger Antonio Neves is the city’s newest trailblazer: the enfant-terrible of Rio’s music scene, leading a vital and diverse constellation of both emerging and well-known artists advancing the city’s musical legacy.

Recorded in Brazil after spending the late 70s in the US, Marcos Valle brought together his innate talent and diverse influences on this irresistible record bursting with groove. Among a selection of top musicians, the line-up features Lincoln Olivetti & Robson Jorge and Leon Ware. Includes the Brazilian boogie anthem ›Estrelar‹, Marcos Valle's biggest hit from the 80s and one of the most celebrated songs in his entire career.

The album is full of soaring disco tracks, killer vocal boogie numbers and blissing instrumentals over a well-balanced tracklist that satisfies both the listening pleasure and the dancefloor needs. Essential! Presented in facsimile artwork.

Brazilian music at it's finest! 2x7" set with four beautiful songs from Piry Reis. Disc one is a reissue of his 1975 "Heroi Moderno" and includes the sought after 7inch version of "Cisplatina". The second holds the rare cuts "Reza Brava" & "Céu De Manágua". The project came together with the blessing of Piry Reis himself and is released on the sub-label of Rush Hour recordings, New Dawn - set up for less electronic but equally adventurous releases by artists we love. Artwork by Amsterdam's Sekan with a touch by Megin Hayden.

The time has come again: Another edition of the much-loved and highly praised by critics from all around the globe compilation «Paz E Futebol» will be released on Sonar Kollektiv. After 2006 and 2016 this is already the third sequel of this terrific series of light-footed Brazilian gems and other rarities transporting the Brazilian feel for the ball musically.

Two times Jazzanova took care of the collection, now Junior Santos is responsible for digging up the tunes. The Brazilian drummer and producer is a true expert when it comes to Brazilian music. He already caught the attention of Jazzanova’s Jürgen von Knoblauch with the 2014 released compilation «Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds (1978-1982)» on Favorite Recordings. Together the two diggers selected eight songs that fit simply perfectly. Due to licensing reasons, the digital compilation features 2 additional songs. Chico de Abreu and an unreleased track by Beto Luiz called "Uma Canção Que Fale” chosen by Juergen von Knoblauch.. Although the contributions originate from three different decades (1979 - 1992) they all have the discoid and boogiesque vibe in common mainly to come alive in productions from Maranhão, Rio and Bahia.

The release is accompanied by extensive liner notes by Junior Santos (in Portuguese and English). Just now in the colder and greyer season this compilation is great fun and radiates so much joy like only Brazilian music can.

Finally, and thanks to the hard work of the fine folks at Inamu (Instituto Nacional de la Música de Argentina) and the amazing selection job of Nekro (Fun People & Boom Boom Kid), we're proud to present "The Crazy World of Music Hall vol 3", the third of a 3 volume set of mind blowing lp's compiling the finest of the 60's and 70's cuts output from the legendary Argentinian label Music Hall. This final volume presents tracks from both decades with a great selection of hot sounds ranging from pure unaltered wild Rock'n[Roll to Psychedelia, Latin sounds, visceral Hard Rock, Soul or Funk. Can't miss this final installment, the cherry on top of an amazing set!

Ipek Yolu is the Turkish name for the Silk Road which connected the East and the West. This band does not deal in silk but they connect flavors, smells and sounds from different corners of the globe, connecting the world.
The band merges bass-heavy electro-tinged cumbia grooves, saz riffs and surf guitar into a multicultural melting pot of South American rhythms, Anatolian folk music and 60s psychedelic rock. A unique universe of sound that bridges the tropical jungles and the dusty deserts in a kaleidoscopic blend of music. Ipek Yolu has used 2020 to write their debut album Tropical Anatolia and are ready to hit the venues and festivals.
The members of Ipek Yolu first got together for an improvised jam session during the Aarhus Roots & Hybrid Festival in 2018. The show was set up as a special one-time-only show merging members from the bands Hudna & Junglelyd. The show ended up lasting for almost three hours. It didn’t take them long to discover they were onto something special. If you know any of these bands mentioned you know you’re in for a body-shaking party, characterised by musical curiosity and improvisation.
The three members of Ipek Yolu have all been part of the Danish music scene for several years. The band leader, Orhan Özgür Turan, is a well-known and respected saz player all over Denmark, and has made a name for himself through his efforts in the Anatolian Folk band Hudna. In 2018 he won an award as Global Roots Artist of the year at The Danish World Music Awards. Olaf Brinch and Lasse Aagaard have worked together for many years making high energy cumbia with their band Junglelyd and Afrobeat with their band African Connection. Olaf is also an integral part of the Danish band AddisAbabaBand. In addition, Olaf and Lasse have toured and recorded with great musicians such as CC Yoyo, former drummer of Fela Kuti, in both Ghana and Denmark. All of the past experiences collided to create Ipek Yolu.

Outro Tempo II: Electronic and Contemporary Music from Brazil, 1984-1996 is the second installment of Music From Memory’s Brazilian series. This volume picks up where the first Outro Tempo left off, shedding light on a new wave of experimentalism that emerged in Brazil in the late 1980s and 1990s. The twenty tracks collected uncover another area of Brazilian music that looked to the future for inspiration. This time it drifts beyond the rainforest and into the pulsating heart of Brazil’s great cities, where it meets a generation of young artists eager to radically change the face of contemporary Brazilian music. In Outro Tempo II the avant garde and pop worlds meld in a haze of percussion and electronics. It presents another uncompromising and magnetic reinterpretation of the limits of Brazilian music. Outro Tempo II is compiled again by John Gómez and features original artwork by Alice Quaresma. The CD version also includes the 2 tracks 'Bruhahá' & 'Eyes' which were released as a separate single on vinyl and were not included in the 2xLP version.

Sealed copy!

The record was produced by the twenty years old Alex Tony Okoroji at the legendary ARC Studios in Lagos, a facility set-up by Ginger Baker. This is the third production for the Alex Tony Okoroji’s fledgling independent label Love Records, the previous record was the pioneering release by Udu - Sound of the People (Love Records, Nigeria 1976) also reissued by Dig This Way in 2020. Musically these two records are poles apart but similar in as much as both the band and producer present a personal musical vision that sounds nothing like their piers’ at the time… The Springs Band formed in Ibadan (Oyo State) which is roughly 130km northeast of Lagos. The seven members met while training to be Reverend Fathers for the Catholic Church and come from both Nigeria and Sierra Leone… in retrospect as unlikely as this sounds (particularly when you hear the record) the band were the Seminaries event house band at the time… Musically, the record consists of five prime time dancefloor gems with two very subtle afterhours numbers to close - not a bad track on here - which at times in itself is unique for records from the region in the late 70s. The first five tracks are complex hypnotic afro funk with an almost mesmerizing organ groove, that is deep and raw at the same time which well represent the time, the place and the people involved in the recording... As odd as it may sound the spiritually of the bands chosen profession is reflected in the fluid deep funk of the groove ... not being there we can only guess how the live performances of this "band in full flight" must have been ... as luck would have it the recording captures all of those elements and that’s what the end result sounds like near unbeatable! Judge for yourself via this enlightening release!!! Reading the original hand written press release for the record it would be fair to say, at the time, the members of the band were potentially not entirely focused on their chosen vocation and, reading between the lines, were mildly concerned what their educators might think… years later it’s pleasing to discover that all of the survivors became as good as it gets in their original career choice… better still… for the Afro-Centric music collector… the very same set of individuals (in their wilder days) recorded one of the most forward thinking and dance floor friendly records of the period… little known until now… “This is our dream world cristalised in vibes. In a world of uniform hate where people experience death in a trance , it is through love's cry that we see through the eyes of wisdom that he needs somebody. Music is the message transmitted in this super disko funk for funky people, to tell the brandifield dad the truth or ask a music-minded-lass, introduce me to your loving. So, if you have anything to say, why not join us and say it...after all it's a happy world... We have a right to the good things of life.”