Review: Originally pressed (on a limited run) in 2013, LA Latin funk troupe Boogaloo Assassins have reissued these two spellbinding cover versions again due to public demand. Still on a highly limited run, both cuts need to be in your collection: Dawn Penn's "No No No" gets a strict samba switch with lavish percussion and consistent vocal harmonies throughout while Sonny Henry's "Evil Ways" (best known from its Santana cover) gets the dreamy instrumental treatment where the horns and glocks do the narrating over a tight bed of wood blocks, shakers and liquid Rhodes. Killer stuff and Juno is one of the few stores outside of USA which is carrying the 45. Don't Sleep !
Steve Monite - "Only You" (Frankie Francis Disco Jam edit) (7:55)
Tabu Ley Rochereau - "Hafi Deo" (Nick The Record & Dan Tyler re-edit dub) (10:15)
Review: Edits in the hole! Two Afrofunk gems enjoy floor-primed refocuses: Steve Monite's Doing It In Lagos-featured "Only You" gets a little juice from Sofrito's Frankie Francis who really brings the bass out in proceedings. Meanwhile on the B Nick The Record and Idjut Boy Dan Tyler tweak the energy and sheen of Tabu Ley Rochereau's "Hafi Disco" as the drums are given a little more momentum and the chorus and horns are really brought to the centre of the action. Stunning.
Review: For a brief period between 1968 and 1975, Peruvian band Black Sugar recorded some seriously heavy fusions of soul, rock and jazz. It's because of this that both of their self-titled albums now exchange hands for eye-watering sums online, as does their 1971 debut single "Viajecito". Helpfully, Matasuna Records has done a deal to reissue the latter. The track itself remains a rare treat; a gloriously sunny, horn-heavy fusion of Latin jazz rhythms, spacey sounds, jaunty group vocals and twinkling pianos. B-side "Too Late", a sumptuous, boogaloo-sounding soul number in which the group sings in English over a Blackbyrds-esque backing track, is similarly impressive.
Review: Eight years on from its previous reissue (that time courtesy of Analog Africa's "Limited Dance Edition" series), Mr Bongo is offering up a fresh, licensed re-press of Rob's eponymous 1977 Afro-funk masterpiece. If you missed out in 2011, the set is definitely worth picking up because it's rock solid heat from start to finish. Check, for example, the heavily percussive Afro-beat/Afro-funk fusion of "Funky Rob Way", the flanged funk guitars and heavy brass action of "Boogie On", the jazz guitars and loved-up vocals of "Your Kiss Stole Me Away" and the William Onyeabor-does-James-Brown heaviness of closing cut "More".
Review: Dynamite Cuts lives up to its name with this limited 7" from acclaimed Brazilian jazz singer Tania Maria. Two driving and dancey tracks pressed nice and loud for the first time on 45, "Fio Maravilha" is a busy arrangement made up of wild piano, big raw drums and Maria's impassioned, lung-emptying singing that whizzes along at pace. "Bedeu" has a little more Latin flavour, bossa nova swagger and space in the mix for the soul to shine through. Drop either one and take shelter, cause both of these cuts are bombs.
Os Quentes De Terra Alta - "Praia Do Algodoal" (3:21)
Pinduca - "Pai Xango" (3:36)
Janjao - "Meu Barquinho" (3:13)
Messias Holanda - "O Galo Canta, O Macaco Assovia" (3:33)
Vieira E Seu Conjunto - "Lambada Da Baleia" (2:55)
Verequete E O Conjunto Uirapuru - "Mambo Assanhado" (3:25)
O Conjunto De Orlando Pereira - "Carimbo Para Yemanja" (2:19)
Pinduca - "Coco Da Bahia" (3:06)
Messias Holanda - "Carimbo Da Pimienta" (2:29)
Verequete E O Conjunto Uirapuru - "Da Garrafa Uma Pinga" (3:11)
O Conjunto De Orlando Pereira - "Maruda" (2:00)
Magalhaes E Sua Guitarra - "Xango" (3:20)
Vieira E Seu Conjunto - "Melo Do Bode" (3:45)
Grupo Da Pesada - "Voa Andorinha" (2:43)
Grupo Da Pesada - "Lundun Da Yaya" (3:15)
Mestre Cupijo E Seu Ritmo - "Despedida" (4:09)
Review: Analog Africa's latest must-have release focuses on the little-known musical culture of the Para state on Northern Brazil, and specifically the port city of Belem. Since the 1960s the city's musicians have been serving up unique and exciting new styles that draw as much on West African, Cuban and Caribbean music as they do the rhythms and instrumentation of the Amazonian tribes based nearby. It's these kinds of unique and exuberant fusions - think heavy bass, bouncy ska-style rhythms, punchy Afro-Cuban horns, densely layered drums, celebratory vocals and tropical guitars - that make "Jambu E Os Miticos Sons Da Amazonia" such an essential listen. Context is provided via the included 24-page booklet, whose extensive liner notes track the development of Para's unique musical culture.
Review: The first volume of Outro Tempo was a standout release in Music From Memory's immaculate catalogue when it landed in 2017. Dealing in intriguing folds of Brazilian electronic music, this second installment serves up yet another feast of lesser known talents spanning swooning synth pop and ethereal ambience and plenty more in between. Take an exotic thrill ride through the dense thickets of Low Key Hackers or bliss out to the meandering jazz funk experimentation of Jorge Degas and Marcelo Salazar - wherever you turn the breadth and quality of the sounds on offer are nothing short of mind-blowing. At 20 tracks deep, it's also astounding value for money.
Ze Spirits Band - "Tucheza" (Esa extended mix) (5:00)
Nonku Phiri - "Sifo" (feat Dion Monti) (4:27)
Os Panteras - "Melo Do Anjo" (Outra edit) (4:54)
Pascal Latour - "Lague Yo" (Boulo edit) (5:58)
Masalo - "Yera" (feat Doussou Koulibaly) (6:24)
Esa - "Pantsula Traxx" (4:38)
Narchbeats - "Cheeks" (3:41)
DJ Spoko - "#Justsnares" (4:02)
Review: Inspired by his own experiences growing up in apartheid-era South Africa and his travels through music, Esa Williams has put together a compilation of contemporary electronic music from around the world. "Amandla: Music To The People" is well worth your attention and contains some genuine gems. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the percussive, chant-along sweatiness of Penny Penny's "Shilungu" and the loved-up, pitched-down dreaminess of Alaska's "Accuse (Instrumental)", to the sweet, life-affirming cheeriness of Os Panteras' "Melo Do Anjo (Outro Edit)" and the thrusting, Italo-disco style dancefloor masculinity of Masalo's "Yera". Esa's own late '80s style pitched-down South African house jam "Pantsula Traxx" is also superb.
Review: Ever since he first made an impact earlier in the decade, Bosq has proved adept at joining the dots between contemporary club culture and the heady heaviness of vintage African and South American dancefloor styles. He's also rather good at crafting authentic Latin dancefloor workouts, too, as this tidy seven-inch single proves. Check first "Rumbero", featuring the confident vocals of Nidia Gongora, a horn-happy affair that effortlessly joins the dots between rhumba, cumbia and psychedelic punk. His electronic influences come to the fore on flipside "Corazon (Camilo Tumbao)", a contemporary take on the Cumbia sound rich in fuzzy analogue bass, jaunty organs, dub-wise noises and Colombian style male vocals.
Review: Mr Bongo's Brazil 45s series rarely misses a beat, with each successive seven-inch showcasing two more hard-to-find treats from the dim and distant past. The latest instalment opens with "Vou Morar No Teu Sorriso", a sought-after cut from Trio Tenura's eponymous 1971 MPB/soul fusion album. It's a genuinely summery treat, with ear-catching, reverb-heavy vocals and rising horn lines rising above a life-affirming backing track. On the flip you'll find "Quem Vai Querer", the title track from a superb 1977 album by Eliana Pittman. A breezy chunk of sizzling samba-soul, the cut features an impeccable lead vocal from Pittman and some sing-along group chorus vocals
Review: Labels Hot Mule and Secousse have teamed up to deliver something special: a killer EP of "lost gems from the golden era of Zouk and Gwo-Ka" in Guadeloupe (that's 1985 to '92, fact fans). The four tracks showcased here were performed and produced by an artist whose fame in Guadeloupe sadly never spread any further, Max Rambhojan. The A-side boasts two versions of the rather brilliant and suitably cheery "Tou't Jou Pa Min'm": the jaunty, sun-kissed, whistle-sporting 1986 original mix, and Rambhojan's heavily electronic, synthesizer-heavy, calypso-tinged 1992 re-make of his biggest local hit. Over on side B you'll find the bubby dub bass, sparse synths and flute solos of the decidedly tropical "Cecilia" and a suitably breezy, sunset-ready gem entitled "On Jou Matin".
Review: A brief glance at a high-profile second-hand vinyl website confirms that original copies of Henry Wenceslas Thenard's obscure 1985 zouk cut "Ne Dis Pas Cela" (or, as we say in English, "Don't Say That") are not only incredibly hard to come by, but also change hands for extortionate amounts. This reissue, then, is rather handy for those without super-sized record-buying budgets. Thenard's jaunty, horn-heavy and sun-kissed original version resides on the A-side, with Mr Bird providing fresh reworks on the flip. On his "Rework", the French scene veteran gives the cut a disco-zouk feel, placing choice elements of Thenard's original mix (mainly the horns and vocals) above a chunky new beat. That beat naturally comes to the fore on his admirably percussive DJ Tool.
Review: To stay in tune with the heatwave France just went through, Guts brings you two remixes from Poirier + Voilaaa and two unreleased tracks in the Afro-tropical train of it's 'Philantropiques' album. Best served under a scortching sun, to live the full musical experience.
Pat Thomas - "Enye Woa" (LeonxLeon Keyed Up mix) (7:20)
Ebo Taylor - "Atwer Abroba" (8:14)
Ebo Taylor - "Atwer Abroba" (Leo Nanjo remix) (5:03)
Review: Comet's "Disco Highlife" re-edit series continues with an EP that draws together original tracks and reworks from two of the Highlife scene's biggest stars: Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas. The latter can be found on side A, with the tipsy, synth-driven highlife-boogie fusion of "Enye Woa". This is in turn re-edited by LeonxLeon, who has not only extended the original track but also added some superb new spacey synth solos. Turn to the flip for Ebo Taylor's richly percussive, Hammond-laden disco-highlife bubbler "Atwer Abroba" and Leo Nanjo's brilliant remix, which re-imagines the track as a rubbery chunk of Highlife-house drenched in dub delays.
Groove Ma Poule (feat Djeuhdjoah & Lieutenant Nicholson) (3:54)
Daddy Sweet (feat Pat Kalla) (6:18)
Li Dous Konsa (5:59)
Kenk Corner (3:50)
Sa Ce Kado (6:25)
Shake It & Rise Up (4:05)
Nosso Carimbo E Do Mundo (feat Pinduca & Nazar Peirera) (3:53)
Matadou (3:36)
Se Nou Menm (4:06)
Boug Bagay La (4:23)
Penda (feat Emma Lamadji & Kandy Guira) (3:48)
Review: Under the Guts guise, instrumental hip-hop beat-maker turned tropical soul enthusiast Fabrice Franck Henri has become one of Heavenly Sweetness' most reliable artists. "Philantropiques" is Henri's first album for three years and could well be his most expansive and adventurous to date. The set's 14 tracks are as colourful and musically rich as you'd expect, with the storied producer and a range of vocal collaborators conjuring up tracks that draw influence from a myriad of Central American, Caribbean, South American and African styles. The results are uniformly excellent, with highlights including the tropical shuffle of "Mucagiami (feat Vum Vum)", the sun-kissed French Caribbean funk of "Daddy Sweet (feat Pat Kalla)", the Afro-Tropical rush of "Kenk Corner" and the synth-powered brilliance of "Shake It & Rise Up".
Review: For the latest release on his much-check Afrosynth label, DJ Okapi has once again turned his attention to the early days of South African Kwaito music. "I Wanda Why?" contains a quartet of cuts plucked from the 1994 album of the same name by Sea Bee, a vocalist who pretty much disappeared without a trace afterwards (this is in sharp contrast to producer Spokes H, who continued to be a key part of the Kwaito scene until his death in 2013). There's much to enjoy throughout, from the bouncy piano riffs, squeezable synth-bass and dreamy chords of "Home Boy", to the glassy-eyed female backing vocals, mid-tempo pump and shimmering, rush-inducing vibes of "Thiba". Closer "Stoppa", a more downtempo and atmospheric Kwaito excursion, is also superb.
Evasion 85 - "Van La Ka Vante" (Omar Mendez TD Fix) (3:55)
Bessoso - "Para Decir Que Te Quiero" (4:45)
Goma-Laca - "Do Pila" (feat Karina Buhr) (4:38)
Equipe Radio Cidade - "Bon Tempos" (2:34)
Voilaaa - "Spies Are Watching Me" (4:56)
Blyk Tchutchi Loy Dtchutchi - "Mandamento De Deus" (3:43)
Gordon Henderson - "The Highest Bidder" (3:21)
Simon Jurad - "Macadam" (3:35)
Mubashira Mataali Group - "Emaali Ya Bamulekwa Orphans Property" (2:42)
Eko Roosevelt Louis - "Tondoho Mba" (4:41)
Slim Young - "Otan Hunu" (4:48)
Jacinta Sanches & Pedro Ramos - "Vizinha Ka Bale" (3:13)
Andre Marceline - "Candencedisco" (4:17)
Misumami First Touch - "Prove Your Love" (4:01)
Alma Luma - "Princesa Isabel" (3:36)
Review: While he's been offering up some sizzling solo albums of late, French DJ/producer GUTS is still arguably better known as the seasoned selector behind the excellent "Beach Diggin'" compilations. Here he offers up another compilation, this time showcasing tried-and-tested tracks that have been rocking his DJ sets for the last few years. Mostly focused around club-friendly global sounds past and present, the 17-track selection is full of little known killers, overlooked dancefloor workouts and forgotten gems. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the horn-sporting boogie-zouk bounce of Evasion 85's "Van La Ka Vante" and the cheeky "Rappers Delight" re-write "Bon Tempos" by Equipe Radio Cidade, to the sparkling Afro-disco heat of Eko Roosevelt Louis' "Tondoho Mba" and the righteous Afro-Brazilian drum workout that is Alma Luma's "Princesa Isabel".
Quantic presents Flowering Inferno - "Cumbia Sobre El Mar" (feat Nidia Gongora - El Buho remix) (5:11)
Nickodemus, The Spy From Cairo & Gitkin - "Inmortales (Body Move)" (feat Femina - El Buho remix) (5:22)
Review: Following El Buho's "Tributaries" remix album, Wonderwheel offer up this choice 7" featuring two distinct cuts not found on the main record. First up is El Buho's take on grand master Quantic, working with the storied producer's considerable knowledge of Latin music to create a remix of "Cumbia Sobre El Mar" already well loved on globally minded dancefloors. On the flip comes the never before released El Buho version of Nickodemus and Femina's "Inmortales" - a fierce, drum-tastic version to get bodies shaking down.
Review: Last year, heavyweight Ghanaian-German band the Polyversal Souls returned to action with their first new material in three years - a killer Highlife single called "Basa Basa" featuring guest vocalist Lee Dodou. This speedy follow-up boasts a guest vocalist, too: near legendary Ethiopian soul and jazz singer Alemayehu Eshete. He makes his presence felt on "Feqer Feqer New", delivering a hazy and exotic vocal over the band's cheery, '60s style Gamelan backing track. The resultant cut is nothing less than spectacular. Over on side B, the band goes solo on the laidback and breezy "Portrait of Alemayehu (Daytime)", where chiming melodies and punchy horns rise above glistening guitars, rich bass and shuffling drums.
Review: There's a slightly different feel to the latest instalment of the fantastic "Africa Airways" compilation series. While previous instalments have largely focused on heavy Afro-funk and Afro-soul, this fifth edition showcases material recorded during the disco and boogie era (1976-82). The ten included tracks are superb, with highlights including the fuzzy, Clavinet-driven thrills of "Sweet Sidney (Edit)" by Black Bells Group, the heavy grooves and dancing synth lines of Gyedu Blay Ambolley's "Highlife", the spacey Afro-boogie badness of Fotso's "French Girl" and the flash-fried disco-funk celebration that is Jide Obe's spacey, Moog-sporting "Too Young". As the old cliche goes, this is all killer and no filler.
Review: "Dem Say Ah" has long been a banger on dance floors tuned into international sounds. It's the sort of bouncy afrobeat and sax-laced classic that has been fetching huge amounts online. DJs like Gilles Peterson and Nightmare on Wax have been playing it for yonks and now, after many years of it being out of print, it is back courtesy of Push The Fader. The Akoya Re-Rub mix here was mixed by Ben Kane who worked on D'Angelo's Black Messiah, so this sounds beyond good. The 7" version comes from DJ Spinna with extra keys from Ticklah, psyched out bass and extra dub feelings.
Review: Ghanaian disco-funk stalwart Sidiku Buari initially broke through in his native country in 1975. Although it was his eponymous debut album that cemented his star status, it was the single that preceded the set, "Karam Bani", that established his reputation. Here it gets a deserved reissue, complete with original B-side "Ye Koaba". The title track is something of a beast: a driving, funk-fuelled work out rich in jammed-out electric piano lines, sweaty drums and soaring, life-affirming vocals. "Ye Koaba", meanwhile, is a little breezier and jolly in tone, but no less essential.
Review: Charlie Kingue Soppo, known simply as Charly Kingson, is a legend of afro-funk who managed to shake the entire continent up with his infamous 1978 LP, Born In Africa. Often forgotten when conversations turn to Afro-dance, and the likes of Tony Allen or Fela Kuti, he has been an incredible source of inspiration to many musicians exploring the funkier side of jazz-dance, and this album itself goes way beyond any traditional notion of tropical discotheque. In fact, tracks like "Makakane Masu" verge on the soulful and the poppy, while "Born In African" itself is a funky groover for the dancefloor. All in all, this is an album which was dying for a re-release, and now you can enjoy it courtesy of the wonderful Africa Seven outlet. Boom!
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