Latin | Brazil 217 Items

Here at Mr Bongo we have been inundated with people asking us to reissue this release. Ana Frango Elétrico's petit cult classic masterpiece 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' from 2019, which was only ever released on vinyl and CD in Brazil and Japan, has fast become a collector's item.

Well received by fans, DJs, and reviewers on release, The Needle Drop expressed "Ana Frango Elétrico's authentically vintage fusion of chamber pop, rock, samba and jazz is a real blast!" listing it as one of its Top 50 Albums of 2019. The album's reputation has been slowly building ever since, gaining a Latin Grammy nomination in 2020, and now solidly cementing itself as a gem of contemporary Brazilian music.

Across the albums nine tracks, Ana blends elements and influences from MPB, Tropicália, indie rock, punk and pop, forging them together with a sumptuous dose of her signature style. The finesse of 'Saudade' kicks off the LP, one of Ana's most known tracks to a non-Brazilian audience. A sublime opener, beginning with a spellbinding piano solo before transcending into a beautiful dream-laden slice of warmth, complete with luscious jazzy horns and deft vocal delivery. ‘Promessa e previsões’ follows, the only track on the album not to be written by Ana, instead being penned by Chico França. It’s a swelling and sweeping twilight groover, building and breaking across absorbing peaks.

Other highlights on the album include the anthemic 'Chocolate', which was a firm favourite with a packed sing-along crowd when we heard Ana perform it live. Elsewhere, 'Se No Cinema' hits with its quirky allure, charm and catchy melodies before transforming into a carnival spirit.

Tapping into the richness of Brazil’s new wave of musical energy, the album also includes a heavyweight lineup of collaborations with artists such as Dora Morelenbaum (Bala Desejo), Tim Bernardes, Antonio Neves and Guilherme Lirio to name but a few.

A short, sweet and refreshing record, that leaves nothing to waste, marrying playful ideas with poignant themes. 'Little Electric Chicken Heart' is a future classic and will beguile fans of ‘70s Brazilian recordings, Gal Costa, Mac DeMarco, Stereolab, Superorganism, Caetano Veloso and more.

Get ready to sail into the vibrant rhythms of Romperayo with their new single, "La canoa del soldado," now available on Little Beat More!. Romperayo brings a fresh take on Colombian tropical music by blending traditional coastal sounds with essential electronic elements and mixing nostalgic tropical vibes with modern beats. The single also features a remix by Captain Planet with his fusion of global roots music adding a unique danceable twist to the original track. Let’s paddle on Romperayo’s eclectic sounds and get your hands on the limited 7-inch vinyl that will carry you through sun-drenched landscapes and the bursting stream of millennial water flows.

Get ready to sail into the vibrant rhythms of Romperayo with their new single, "La canoa del soldado," now available on Little Beat More!. Romperayo brings a fresh take on Colombian tropical music by blending traditional coastal sounds with essential electronic elements and mixing nostalgic tropical vibes with modern beats. The single also features a remix by Captain Planet with his fusion of global roots music adding a unique danceable twist to the original track. Let’s paddle on Romperayo’s eclectic sounds and get your hands on the limited 7-inch vinyl that will carry you through sun-drenched landscapes and the bursting stream of millennial water flows.

Catchy melodies and tropical rhythms. CaSSETTE Con-los, the best calypso/Latin band in Japan, is releasing a 7-inch ahead of their long-awaited full-length album, their first in 13 years! CaSSETTE Con-los, which boasts deep-rooted popularity among various fans for its genre-less and borderless musicality and euphoric live shows, has completed its long-awaited full-length album, their first in about 13 years. This album is a precursor single that serves as a greeting to the fans. The release includes two songs, "Eiga Demo Miyou" (Let's watch a movie), a Japanese calypso with a catchy melody and superb vocals, and "4 Mills Brothers," a serious and mellow song that will not be included on the album, but is familiar to the live audience and is a perfect greeting.

Proudly presenting, ‘Калі ты запытаеш (If You Ask)’, a brand new, blissed-out pop production with a ‘70s AOR touch, by the ever-on-point Soyuz (союз). Coming at a period between albums, the single features guest appearances from the sensational musicians, Biel Basile (O Terno, Sessa) and Anthony Ferraro (Toro Y Moi, Astronauts, Etc.). Friends of the band, they add their signature touch on the drums and synth respectively. To complete the package, Soyuz back the title track with a short but sweet, Wurlitzer-laden, MPB-tinged number, ‘Tenório’.

‘Калі ты запытаеш (If You Ask)’ tells the story of lost dreams. A track that can be interpreted either as a bittersweet longing for childhood times, or for a native place you can’t return to. For the writer Alex Chumak he suggests, "In my case, as in the case of many Belarusians, it’s both".

For this song, Alex chose to sing in his native Belarusian tongue. As he explains this language "to me feels underrepresented in pop music, also it’s a beautiful legacy and sonority that I wanted to share with the listeners of our project around the world". One of the key inspirations was a Belarusian band “Песняры” (“Pesniary”), who produced a host of great progressive folk, jazz fusion and AOR, from the ‘70s to the ‘90s, predominantly sung in Belarusian.

Another key influence was the music coming out of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais in the ‘70s, drawing inspiration from the sentimental and harmonious music of Beto Guedes, Lô Borges, Fernando Oly and Wagner Tiso.

Having parted ways with their drummer Anton, Soyuz needed to find a new way to produce songs. The answer was to go remotely. Alex contacted the brilliant Biel Basile, who had recorded Sessa's contemporary classic ‘Estrela Acesa’, in which Alex also participated. Utilising Biel and Sessa’s newly built studio in São Paulo, Soyuz had Biel record the drums directly to tape to get the rich sound they were after. Adding the final magic into the mix, California’s Anthony Ferraro provided a beautiful Solina String Ensemble synth arrangement, with drummer/recording engineer Albert Karch expertly assisting with the production.

To capture the essence of the single visually, Alex and the Brazilian one-man-industry visual artist Gabriel Rolim, spent a blazing sunny May day in Berlin shooting film and stills – one of which became the perfect cover image. We hope you enjoy this little nugget of Soyuz mastery, a sweet taster to savour while the new album is recorded.

Brian Jackson dives into the world of Alfonso Lovo

Legendary musician Brian Jackson, known for his pioneering work in neo-soul and modern hip hop, has lent his extraordinary talents to retouch two tracks from Alfonso Lovo's remarkable album "Terremoto Richter 6:25 Managua.”

As one-half of the influential duo Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, Brian began his career at an early age, having recorded nine albums by his 27th birthday. He is widely celebrated as a musical innovator, with New Yorker Magazine recently hailing him as “a musical pioneer” in a 2022 article.

Alfonso Noel Lovo, moved by the devastating earthquake that struck Managua on December 23, 1972, recorded his first album in New Orleans the following year. "Terremoto Richter 6:25 Managua" stands as a testament to resilience and artistic fusion, featuring a stunning blend of psychedelic rock, mazurka, jazz, Louisiana blues, and African folk.

Discodelic presents his new sub label EL Eclypse focus in undocumented obscure Mexican groups. On this first two 45, we presents: Los Eliceos with Los Sabios and Grupo Caverna with Vivi Hernandez y su Conjunto. Four Obscure monster Latin Funk Psych tracks recorded in Mexico in the mid 70s. All four tracks reissued for the first time and quality mastered by Michael Graves @osirisstudio This is serious rare killer Funky Latino power with psychedelic Fuzz! If you are a DJ looking for Funky breaks you Need this! Limited edition!

Discodelic presents his new sub label EL Eclypse focus in undocumented obscure Mexican groups. On this first two 45, we presents: Los Eliceos with Los Sabios and Grupo Caverna with Vivi Hernandez y su Conjunto. Four Obscure monster Latin Funk Psych tracks recorded in Mexico in the mid 70s. All four tracks reissued for the first time and quality mastered by Michael Graves @osirisstudio This is serious rare killer Funky Latino power with psychedelic Fuzz! If you are a DJ looking for Funky breaks you Need this! Limited edition!

The compilation edition recovers the memory of a very important moment for Venezuelan pop music. The appearance of Pp's (the acronym for Pedro Pérez Show, an original name that highlighted the leadership of the creator of an unexpected new wave scene in Venezuela) produced an explosion whose echo later resonated with the birth of a handful of bands that also renewed the country's musical panorama, in tune with what sounded strong in the Anglo market in those effervescent 80s (punk, post-punk, ska, even the funk that had expanded in the previous decade): Sentimiento Muerto, La Seguridad Nacional, Desorden Público, Caramelos de Cianuro, Los Amigos Invisibles (who recorded a cover of “Yo soy Así”, a Pp's song, on their cover album Super Pop Venezuela from 2005). Pp's recorded three albums in the 80s: Pp's (1981), En el aire (1982) and Tercera Guerra Mundial (1984), all with a clear pattern: putting the body in motion. It is music connected to its time that invites you to dance and listen to today, it builds a bridge to the past while opening a path to the future because Pp's is still in action. This compilation contains six songs from the first album, two from the second and three from the third, is an exclusive edition of El Palmas Music. It reaffirms the vocation of Maurice Aymard's label to preserve the heritage of Venezuelan popular culture and at the same time captures all the facets of a musical project that is a stainless symbol of the country's new wave, but also exceeds that label with music in which Flows of progressive, space rock and acid jazz filtered through. A colorful, diverse new wave, far from any type of corset. At just over 20 years old, Pedro Pérez lived in a city with a powerful cultural imprint like San Francisco. In the air was the fresh, uplifting sound of bands like Talking Heads, Devo and The B-52's. Also reggae and dancehall from a large group of Jamaican artists. Pérez also shared a date with Black Uhuru and with Ub40, a British reflection (white and more pop) of Rastafarian music. “I am like this / And what does it matter to you?”, the line that is repeated insistently in “Yo Soy Así”, one of the most emblematic songs of all that Pérez wrote, is a provocation and a declaration of principles. The new always wants to destroy the old, change the channel, change the station, head towards an alternative road.

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.

Following on from last years's "Mondo Organico" compilation, the latest Invisible Inc compilation EP "Mondo Ritmo" sets its sights firmly on rhythm and percussion. Featuring a global array of artists hailing from Argentina to Senegal and everywhere in between, the influences and styles featured include latin, afro, dub, dancehall, experimental, acid and more. Proven and tested dancefloor bombs are Mytron & Balam's opening track "Cabasa Loca" which label boss GK Machine has been spinning at his Wrong Party nights and elsewhere for the last 6 months or so...and the house/dancehall hybrid floor filler "Wicked Can't Run" by LA producer Tom Chasteen (Exist Dance/Dub Club) featuring legendary Jamaican DJ and toaster U Brown, and mixed by equally legendary producer/keyboardist David Harrow who first came to our attention through his regular keyboard contributions to all things On-U Sound related in the 1980s.

The rest of the tracks may not be peak time bangers but they are sure to please the more esoteric and adventurous dancefloors out there...it's an honour to have on board Calypso Records head honcho Thomass Jackson, Thomash (Voodoohop) and Gats (Suçuarana / Curuba) who together as Changa Boys bring in Senegalese drummer Ndiaxo dal Jaam, and last but not least a certain Machine with assistance on percussion from the mysterious Congo Caveman.

Dionisio Ramon Emilio Valdés Amaro, better known as Bebo Valdés, was born in Cuba in 1918. He is considered one of the pivotal figures in Cuban music. Trained as a pianist, he also became a master arranged and conductor and worked with figures like Olga Guillot, Celia Cruz or Elena Burke. A trip to Haiti in the 1940s arised his interest in African rooted music, and on his return in La Havana, performing at the legendary Tropicana cabaret under the direction of Armando Romeu, he started including these rhythms in his sound becoming a prominent figure in Afro-Cuban jazz. He worked with big names like Joséphine Baker and Nat King Cole. He had been playing for ten years at the Tropicana when a bomb exploded very near his piano in the middle of his performance, he nearly died. He quit the Tropicana and benefited of the rising of television broadcast in the 1950s, getting even more fame in several Cuban TV shows until 1958, when he emigrated to Mexico first to finally set in Sweden, were he has Paramount in establishing a world taste for Afro-Cuban jazz. His career saw a big rebirth when in 1994 he teamed with saxophonist Paquito d’Rivera and, in a more mainstream way, with Fernando Trueba’s Calle 54 movie. He had kept busy since then until his passing in 2013. he is acknowledged as one of the originators of Latin Jazz and Afro-Cuban music.

Trinkais about the strength of the encounter that music provides between Dandara Modesto, Brazilian singer and songwriter, João Pires, Portuguese composer and guitarist and Juninho Ibituruna, Brazilian percussionist. Sewing of Atlantic music, they build a path between Bahia, Portugal and Minas Gerais. Each arranged in one place echoing the connection through the music that unites them in complementarity: João's melodies and guitar with Dandara's voice and interpretive power and the pulse rhythm ancestor of Juninho.

For number 84 in the Brazil 45 Series, we headed to the North of Brazil with these dancefloor monsters by Magalhães and Os Panteras. 'Xangô' by Magalhães is taken from his 'E Sua Guitarra' album, from 1986, and originally released on Gravasom Records. A stunning, driving Lambada track with haunting vocals and a compelling gusto energy. It has been gaining popularity over recent years with DJs and is a sure-fire, get-out-of-jail dancefloor saver. On the flip, we find another biggy from Os Panteras, 'Lambada Pauleira’. Also released on Gravasom Records, but a year later in 1987. It is best known for Joutro Mundo's fine re-edit of the track, but here we have it in its original form and with all its quirky brilliance. It is easy to see why, over the years, it has been a staple of some of Brazil's finest DJs’ sets, such as Augusto Olivani (aka Trepanado). We are super happy to once again present these two red-hot tracks back-to-back.

For number 93 in the Brazil45 series, we presented two favourites from the Harmony Cats. A female vocal quintet (who later became a trio) from São Paulo. They formed in 1976 and were most prolific in the disco period.

'Harmony Cats' Theme' from 1976 is probably the group’s best-known track outside of Brazil. Owing a lot to Rhythm Heritage's version of 'Barretta's Theme (Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow)’ its wonderfully spacey breakbeat and percussive production with lush, floaty vocals makes it a real crossover classic record.

'Seja Como Nos (De Pe No Chao)' is instantly recognisable. Tucked away on the B-side of their 1979 single 'Tem Dinheiro Nisso' on Young Records, it is a beast of a cover version of The Jacksons' classic ' Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)'. Nothing subtle or sophisticated here. Just a song of pure disco joy, enhanced with awesome Brazilian production and the Cats' trademark vocal arrangements. A get-of-jail-free card for any DJ that finds themselves stuck with an empty dancefloor, but also one that will put smiles on the faces of the more discerning leftfield club crowds.

For number 83 in the Brazil 45 series, we pulled out a real treat. It features two tracks from Roberto De Melo Santos. Born in 1949 in Recife (Brazil), and despite a small discography, he is considered among the true icons of Brazilian soul music under his artist alias, Di Melo.

His self-titled debut album from 1975 has long been collectible for its irresistible Brazilian-funk sound, pleasing the Brazilian, B-Boy breaks, funk collectors, and sample hunters alike. With original copies for the album now fetching crazy sums, we felt these tracks needed another moment in the sun for all to enjoy.

For this release we selected two of our favourite cuts from this cult album, ‘Kilariô' and ‘Pernalonga'. Coincidentally these two gems were released on Odeon Records in 1975 as a rare promo campacto (a Brazilian 7", which plays at 33rpm). 'Kilariô' is a pure Brazilian-soul classic. All the right elements gel together, whilst Di Melo works his relaxed vocal magic over the top. ‘Pernalonga', with its catchy guitar and horns intro, loose break-beat drum, has the feel-good factor which some may recognize as one of the samples behind N.A.S.A featuring David Byrne, & Chali 2na's 'The People Tree' from 2009.

Di Melo is still recording to this day, releasing an album with Cotonete on Favorite Recordings in 2019 - a true don.

You know it's going to be a heavy record when DJ / collector Mr Thing asks you to keep a look out for a copy on your next digging trip to Brazil. Add on top of that, being sampled by Madlib on the track 'Curls’ on his Madvillain album!

Taken from Waldir Calmon's 'Waldir Calmon E Seus Multisons' album on Copacabana (1970), from looking at this unassuming record cover featuring a middle-aged man sporting an impressive pair of glasses you wouldn't expect it to become the fabric to one of the songs from the iconic 'Madvillain’ album. But… like many things in life, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. 'Airport Love Theme’, like its name suggests, falls into full-on lounge territory. It is feel-good music made to be the soundtrack for a utopian world that never really was. Yet behind the silky-smooth groove is an addictive earworm waiting to be heard.

'Afro Som' taken from the same album, pushes things in a different direction towards a sound that is more firmly rooted in the Brazilian tradition. This quirky 60's-breakbeat-funk groove is reminiscent of French artist Jean Jacques Perrey's 'E.V.A.', also from 1970, in its melody and backbeat, where the Moog synthesizer of Perrey is replaced with a more orchestrated sound by Calmon. This track is magical, cinematic and breakbeat-laden with a hidden unknown exoticism.

Waldir Calmon had an active career in music working from the '50s right up until his passing in 1982. His career started early, forming his first ensemble at the age of fourteen, originally working in bands in nightclubs and writing jingles. He progressed in the early '50s to a long-running career working in television. In addition to his television work, he had success with his recording vocation, mixing in the same musical circles as greats such as Tom Jobi, João Gilberto and Doris Monteiro.

Rare Afro Latin gem recorded by Argentine actress, dancer and singer Egle Martin. Originally released in 1970 on Music Hall in Argentina, this 7" has become an elusive and sought-after record over the years, at the top of many collectors wants list due to its amazing dance floor energy. First time 7" reissue. Egle Martin enjoyed a long career as a dancer, actress, singer and played an important role in the promotion of Afro roots in Rio de la Plata and in reclaiming Afro-Argentine culture. Her performances were fresh and powerful, showcasing diversity and, later on in her career, her desire to diffuse Afro-Latin American culture. By the time this single was recorded, Egle Martin had already performed in several plays and films; she had already sung with Dizzy Gillespie and the Berlin Symphony Orchestra; she had already released an album with composer and bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla. And she was already beginning to frequent the Casa Suiza, with its gatherings and carnivals in the neighborhoods of San Telmo and San Nicolás in the beautiful Buenos Aires of the 1960s, teeming with happenings and avant-garde galleries. Egle sings in Spanish and her voice dazzles with a very distinctive sound and texture as she performs these rhythms; you can clearly appreciate the freedom and power in her vocals. In 'El Dombe' tenderness permeates the lyrics as she tells the world what this dance and its cadenced rhythm is all about. 'Dombe Bariló' is bolder and more sweeping in scope: the ritual and empowering message is uplifting... Roberto Montiel's arrangements are a prime example of the brilliant fusion of soul, funk and Latin American music, all linked through Afro roots.

"Cocinando" is an epic historical treasure that captures the explosive impact of the tropical music movement on Peruvian culture. It includes salsa, guarachas, rumbas, chichas and boleros, all masterfully performed by MAG's session stars under the direction of Martín López. Originally released in 1971, this Latin music gem comprises many outstanding dance floor tunes like 'El Botecito', 'Pa' Bailar' or 'No Me Dejes'. Get ready to be blown away! In 1969, singer and police lieutenant Pedro Gregorio López started recording a series of instrumental tracks and songs on the MAG record label in Peru, ranging from guaracha to cumbia, all cooked with musical eclecticism and simmered to appeal to a wide audience. Many of these musical ingredients combined on the 1971 album entitled "Cocinando", in reference to the similarities between Peruvian cooking and tropical music. López began his career as a singer and orchestra conductor many years earlier, when he joined the backing singers for Lucho Macedo's Sonora. After completing his police training, he adopted the stage name Martín López, in order to preserve the anonymity his job required. Between 1969 and 1971 Martín López y sus Estrellas recorded all the tracks comprised on this album, including salsa, guarachas, rumbas, chichas and boleros, proving their knowledge and mastery of the tropical music lexicon. It is not surprising since the orchestra was made up of the most talented label's session stars: including the double bassist Joe di Roma, singer Pablo Villanueva "Melcochita", percussionists Ñiko Estrada and Coco Lagos, and trumpeter Tito Chicoma.