Golden Boys - "Segura Na Cintura Dela (O Gaviao)" (2:38)
Silvio Cesar - "Beco Sem Saida" (2:21)
Review: Mr Bongo's essential Brazil 45s series notches up release number 89 via a blast of heavy dancefloor pressure that touches on both Brazilian funk and samba-rock. On the A-side you'll find Golden Boys' 1975 gem 'Segura Na Cintura Dela (O Gaviao)', an irresistible slab of full-throttle, orchestra-sporting, Hammond-heavy samba-funk marked out by strong group vocals and some superb musical arrangements. Over on the flip you'll find another classic from the same producer (Milton Miranda), Silvio Cesar's 1971 carnival masterpiece 'Beco Sem Saida' - an infectious excursion that found fame in the 2000s when Drumagick sampled it on 'Sambarock'.
Review: Mr Bongo's crucial Brazil series hits a 94th volume here with vocal and instrumental group Os Carbonos from Sao Paulo. The band had a long and fruitful career that started in the 60s and ran on into the 80s. This offering is a tune from later on in their time and it is a prime slice of Brazilian boogie with funk drums, vamping chords and hip swinging claps all designed to bring the good ties and the sunny vibes. The bass-driven a-side is the one, but the flip from Sandra Sa is a special kind of sentimental soul sound.
Review: Mr Bongo's Brazil45 series continues apace with this 95th entry, which carries two separate sides to keep any Latin-minded DJ very happy indeed. 'Mar Afunda' is a dancefloor delight from Os Novos Crioulos which originally came out on the group's self-titled album on Pirata in 1976. It's shuffling and sublime, sure to get a plethora of ID requests and shimmying moves from the people with their ears tuned in. On the flip we get Supersom TA's 'Brasileira Roxa', a sunny slice of samba fun which originally came out in 1972 and features more cuica flexing than you could ever dream of.
Review: Most experts agree that Archie Shepp's 1972 album "Attica Blues" is one of the finest soul-jazz LPs ever made - a politically-charged affair that just gets better with every listen. This tidy seven-inch single from Mr Bongo offers up two of the album's standout moments. On the A-side you'll find the title track, a swirling, down-low mixture of belted-out female chorus vocals, surging orchestration, Blaxploitation style bottom end and an impassioned lead vocal from Henry Hull. Flipside cut "Quiet Dawn" sees Waheeda Massey take lead vocals over a more obviously jazz-centric backing track rich in wild sax solos from the effervescent Shepp. Like the A-side, it's simply essential.
Review: Briefly active in the late 1970s, Solat was a Dutch funk group made up of musicians from Surinam and the Dutch Antilles. They're undoubtedly best remembered by collectors for their 1977 single "Change The World", original copies of which regularly change hands for hundreds of pounds online. Here it gets the reissue treatment courtesy of Mr Bongo. Rich in crunchy Clavinets, tropical guitars, bold group vocals and a touch of steamy disco flavour, "Change The World" is a genuinely life-affirming affair. "Try, Try" meanwhile is an altogether more bass-heavy affair - a Blaxploitation-era slab of disco-funk reminiscent of Mass Production at their most righteous.
Review: All time hip-hop classic alert! This is an evergreen gem from the US crew that is an evergreen favourite with hip-hop lovers of all ages. Released in 1993 on an album of the same name, it's a standout example of the lyrical dexterity of A-Plus, Opio, Phesto and Tajai. Its mellow, soulful production complements the effortlessly smooth flows which are packed with sophisticated wordplay and inventive beats that set it apart from usual West Coast gangsta rap by offering a fresh, alternative sound. Decades later, '93 'Til Infinity' remains a defining piece of hip-hop history. .
Review: Beastie Boy Mike D Edit has decided to rework Malian artists Idrissa Soumaoro and L'Eclipse De L'I.J.A. and their track 'Nissodia' - from the 1978 album Le Tioko-Tioko - for this new one on Brighton label Mr Bongo, the second time it has landed on the label, having previously been on The Original Sound Of Mali in 2017 Both tunes are pumping, full flavour Afro jams with screeching melodies and big, jangling, angular guitars all powered by funky beats. Each one is guaranteed to light up any cultured dancefloor.
Review: If you can't make it to the Kazakh steppe to watch the launch of the actual Soyuz spacecraft, the next best thing is to immerse yourself in this spacey, dreamy, blissed out psychedelic instrumental music with a 70s AOR touch and send your imagination on a voyage. Minsk collective Soyuz have some seriously strong musical chops and subsequently can bring in guest appearances from the sensational Biel Basile of the rising Brazilian group Sessa and Anthony Ferraro (Toro Y Moi, Astronauts, Etc.). They fit into the mixes beautifully, sounding like they've been part of the group their whole lives. It's a real gem of a release and a likely future collectible 7" from the Brighton-based independent label Mr Bongo.
Review: South African funk outfit Stimela, named after the Zulu word for locomotive, formed out of the ashes of bandleader Ray Phri's previous band, The Cannibals, and soon became an institution in their homeland. Five albums deep in 1986, they also released the astounding Rewind EP, which now gets faithfully reissued by Mr Bongo for a fresh audience. Every track on here is a winner, from the epic, proggy groove of 'I Love You' to the low slung, synth-rich funky angles of 'Shaka Doo Ba'. You won't regret copping this slab of wax, trust us.
Review: A-grade diggers, label, shop and reissuers Mr Bongo are back with another of their essential offerings, this time in the form of a 7" taken from Swedish artist Sven Wunder's debut album Do?u cicekleri on new label Piano Piano. The resulting record is a seamless fusion of bright colours and bleeding pigments, real instruments and synthetic sound that is as worldly as they come. "Magnolia" here is the intoxicating a-side with its freewheeling drums and big lead lines, while "Lotus" takes us into a more oriental sound, with gypsy funk and dark-soul stylings making it delightfully hard to pin down.
Lovely Day (Studio Rio instrumental version) (3:59)
Review: The bossa nova remake of Bill Withers' classic 'Lovely Day' by Studio Rio is a masterful mood lifter. Reissued by Mr Bongo, this track was a game-changer at the Shapes festival, transforming a snowy Alpine setting into a feel-good dancefloor. Originating from Studio Rio's 2014 release The Brazil Connection, the Grammy-winning Berman Brothers collaborated with Brazilian legends like Marcos Valle and Roberto Menescal. They used original multitracks to seamlessly blend Withers' soulful vocals with bossa nova rhythms. Joyful horns, a bouncing double bass, and Pretinho da Serrinha's cavaquinho playing create an end-of-night anthem that radiates warmth and positivity.
Review: Considered one of the essential Brazilian funk records of an era, Sandra Sa's Vale Tudo receives a much deserved reissue here on Mr. Bongo. Originally released in 1983, it was produced by Lincoln Olivetti alongside a who's who of musicians that were central figures on the scene at the time. From the disco boogie of 'Trem Da Central' featuring one amazing brass section, the heartfelt and romantic ballad 'Onda Negra' and the late night boogie-down vibe of 'Guarde Minha Voz' - they are the perfect backdrop for Sa's unique voice which really shines throughout. Although most prolific in the early '80s, Sa continues to work in the music industry to this day.
Review: Brighton based record label, publishers, cinematographers and legendary former London record store Mr Bongo reissue the legendary 1968 album by Pedro dos Santos, entitled Krishnada. Born in Rio de Janiero in 1919, Santos was (according to the label) "a percussionist virtuoso, composer and inventor of instruments.. such as the 'Tamba' (electrified bamboo drum) and the mouth berimbau whistle." He was a very spiritual person apparently and regarded by some as a philosopher of sorts. The album was produced by himself at CBS studios with arrangements by Joppa Lins. It features poetic lyrics in a unique linguistic structure, as well as various percussive instruments and horn arrangements with samba rhythms from Latin styles. Despite the originality of his percussive sound and the influence it has had on musicians, it had little impact at the time. The album had a cult revival in the noughties and began circulating the internet in MP3 format, finally giving recognition to this unusual spiritual Bossanova masterpiece.
Review: The candidly titled Ananda Shankar And His Music hears its first official reissue via Mr Bongo. Released on His Master's Voice in 1976, the album is a sublime collage of sitar-funk, traditional Indian classical music and psychedelic grooves, from the Indian sitarist, composer and musician. Nephew to India's legendary sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, Ananda's musical family and upbringing led to a deep respect and love of the wealth of music that emanated from his birthplace of Almora, North India. However, touring America in his 20s revealed a latent love for psychedelic rock, and this debut LP captures that obsession to a T. The fusion of cyclic, North Indian tala with Americana music is best heard on the likes of 'The Lonely Rider', which envisages the a sonorous Sonoran Desert set against an action-sequenced sitar and guitar strumming. 'Back Home' achieves similar results, with a Western, soul balladic walking bass mixing effortlessly with the sitar's distinctive, tweeting "bendre" - an exotic but compelling combo.
Review: Revered for its infectious grooves and innovative approach, this album embodies the spirit of its era while maintaining a fresh and contemporary appeal. The vinyl reissue of Lonnie Smith's Funk Reaction in 1977 offers a timeless snapshot of jazz-funk, funk, and disco fusion. Lonnie Smith, with his masterful Hammond organ playing and soulful arrangements, leads listeners on a funky journey filled with irresistible rhythms and dynamic melodies. From the infectious title track to the laid-back vibes of For the Love of It, each composition on Funk Reaction showcases Smith's versatility and creativity as a musician. The album's seamless blend of jazz improvisation, funky rhythms, and disco-infused beats creates an irresistible sonic experience that captivates listeners from start to finish. Funk Reaction is a record that every music lover should have in their collection.
Review: Soyuz follows up their 2022 debut Force Of The Wind with a stark but subdued reissue of their second album, Ii, released three years earlier in 2019. The album captures a pivotal evolution in the band's career, the recordings giving a snapshot of what would become their sound on Force Of The Wind, yet with echoes of avant-psychedelic-pop footprints from yester years. Produced at a time when bandleader Alex Chumak had moved from Minsk to Kyiv, torn between the need to try something new and the homesickness it brought about, Ii nicely captures the slow burn of homesickness extended across a long bouts of travel and transience, through stylistic recollections of Mikita Arlou, Ethiopian jazz and Italian library music.
Review: Tireless diggers and world class reissue merchants Mr Bongo have done it again with this one. They discovered The Star Beams when one of their tracks was on a Disco Calypso compilation, then went on a mission to track down the original anymore material from the band, who turned out to be based in South Africa instead of the Carribean. The resulting record is a real gem - disco, funk and jazz all get chewed up and spat out across four fantastically timeless cuts of dance floor dynamite. "Disco Stomp" in particular you might already know as Theo Parrish has been dropping in his sets for time.
Review: Vocally-led by child sensation, Foster Sylvers, The Sylvers family grew into their own throughout the 70s, and 1973's The Sylvers II really instilled their sound as the gold standard fo funk music. We're talking about a family of kids who were all incredible musicians, truly offering the world a heartfelt performance, whichever aesthetic they were going for. Mr Bongo has delivered the goods once again with this reissue, and we are totally stoked about the fact that we are receiving the sort of funk and soul which still has not been experienced by everyone. It is about the mystique, it is about the charm, and it's most certainly high time for some soothing soul direct from the source - oh, and check that bassline on the magnetic "Handle It". Recommended.
Review: In 2002, the Japanese government recognized bamboo flute maestro Hozan Yamamoto as a "living national treasure". It was in honor of his lengthy career in music, and in particular the way he championed a traditional Japanese instrument even when he was turning his hand to Western music. "Beautiful Bamboo Flute", an album first released in 1971 and almost impossible to find since, is a superb example of this. It sees him deliver haunting, emotional and life-affirming solos over funky jazz, big band and fusion backing tracks that tend towards the fresh and funky. It's an unusual blend, but also an invigorating and exciting one.
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