Tropical Discotheque: Debut Compilation From The Sofrito Collective featuring Topical Dancefloor Sounds From Africa, The Carribean & South America CD

The lovingly curated Sofrito parties, hosted by DJs Hugo Mendez and Frankie Francis alongside The Mighty Crime Minister, have grown beyond their roots in the, erm, tropical climes of East London to beach parties in Greece, shady Brooklyn bars and festivals ala WOMAD and the Big Chill. Showcasing the finest in Afro, Caribbean and Latin grooves, here we see the Sofrito collective's first compilation, and what better label to hook up with than the kings of all things funky and boutique, Strut? The selection on offer here certainly opened our ears to some dynamite tropical jams, which touch on everything from cumbia to Congolese jams, native Ghanaian funk, salsa and calypso. Basically, if it's exotic and you can dance to it, it's in here. The wonderfully distinctive artwork of Sofrito designer/illustrator Lewis Heriz adorns the packaging, with insightful notes accompanying each selection, highlighting how much time, effort and care has gone into selecting each and every track. It's early days yet, but we'll be surprised if we see another compilation that grabs our attention as much as this in 2011.

Pete Isaac (Jelly Jazz), Koichi Sakai, AfroBase (Radio Chart), Tropical Fever, Tropical Treats Sessions, Robert Luis (Tru Thoughts), * Record Breakin' Music *, Jazzee Loudness, Hugo Mendez (Sofrito), UrbanWorld, Agogo Records, Afro Beat Foundation, Captain Planet (Bastard Jazz), BLUNDETTO