V/A Gozalo: Bugalu Tropical Volume 2 (Vampisoul) lp 29.00
Somehow we missed out on the first volume of Peruvian stompers offered up by the always trustworthy Vampisoul label, but we're more then happy to just dive right in with volume two in their series collecting great Bugalu sounds out of Peru from the late '60s. Such a ripe moment in time for the sound of Bugalu to explode in South America and these 28 tracks offer a nonstop foot stomping snapshot of this golden-era of Bugalu fun. Nice vintage packaging with informative liner notes in both English and Spanish makes this a must have for anyone wanting to learn more about the late '60s music scene in Peru. So fun and colorful!
MPEG Stream: LA SONORA DE LUCHO MACEDO CON LINA PANCHANO "Humo"
MPEG Stream: CARLOS MU–OZ Y SU ORQUESTA "El Conductor"
MPEG Stream: ENRIQUE DELGADO Y LOS DESTELLOS "Boogaloo Del Perro"

V/A Latin Jazz (Smithsonian Folkways) cd 16.98

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: Mexican Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music ) lp 16.98
Any disc that opens with Los Dug Dug's doing their super catchy and fuzzed-out "Lost In My World" is all right by us! The rest of the cd is pretty great too. This new installment in the always-cool Love, Peace & Poetry series of comps -- which bring us an international array of wonderous '60s and '70s psych songs you might never otherwise encounter -- proves that things were shaking south of the border way back when, in the realm of rock n' roll. The strength of the Mexican psych rock scene was hinted at by an earlier volume in this series, Latin American Psychedelic Music, which is where we found out about Dug Dug's in the first place.
While the USA had Woodstock (and Altamont), Mexico had 1971's Avandaro Music Festival, and several of the bands featured here performed at that event -- and were then banned from playing regular clubs because of government repression. Bummed out by politics and driven undergound, these bands let loose with tons of fuzz (and some melody). These 17 tracks mostly date from about 1970-72, with a few late '60s entries. You'll experience punky garage numbers, some hippy blues workouts, lots of acid rock dementia, and even some lighter, folk-rock efforts -- all sorts of psychedelic era indulgence indeed. The bands: Dug Dug's, The Kaleidoscope, El Tarro De Mostaza, La Vida, The Flying Karpets, The Spiders, Tocho Pilatos, Three Souls In My Mind, Grupo Ciruela, Los Ovnis, The Survival, Nahuatl, La Fachada De Piedra, La Libre Expreession, Ernan Roch, Renaissnace, and La Revolution De Emiliano Zapata. As with the rest of this series, unrelated-to-the-music beach bunny cover photos by Bunny Yeager, informative-about-the-music liner notes by Stan Denski.
MPEG Stream: DUG DUG'S "Lost In My World"
MPEG Stream: EL TARRO DE MOSTAZA "El Ruido Del Silencio "

V/A More Favela Booty Beats (Essay Recordings) 12" 9.98

V/A Music! The Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv 1900-2000 (Wergo) 4cd 96.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Founded in 1900 by Carl Stumpf, The Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv is a repository devoted to archiving the musics of the world before their eventual destruction by encroaching modernization brought about by global capitalism. Case in point is presented on page two of the accompanying booklet: "'Within the foreseeable future there will no longer be any day-long journeys by rowing boat, where twenty men in a canoe stand one behind the other and sing, because otherwise they would not be able to keep in time with the rhythm of the rowing..." (Albert Schweitzer, 1914) "...Because the songs of the members of the boat's crew who tow the boats along the Yangtse will have become silent forever, before these faint magical lines have worn away on the wax cylinder. Only the shrill whistle of the steamboat will be heard, and black smoke will lick away at the gruesome cliffs." So wrote Hedwig Weiss, wife of Friedrich Weiss who worked as a translator in the Sichuan province of China at the beginning of the 20th century. The two of them together took to recording the rowing song of boat crews working on the Yangtse river to preserve their songs. This is just one of the stories on this incredibly impressive four disc collection celebrating the 100th year anniversary of the Archive -- which now has a collection of over 150,000 recordings. Fans of the "Secret Museum" series should take heed, this is the shit! Some of the best recordings by pioneering ethnomusicologists are included here along with very detailed information not only about the music they recorded -- along with transcriptions in many cases -- but the stories behind the people who took to the field to make these recordings. The 100 tracks on this set are divided into four sections: disc one covers the wax cylinder recordings (1893 - 1954), disc two covers monophonic tape recordings (1951 - 1974), disc three covers stereophonic recordings (1967 - 2000) and disc four covers stereophonic, concert -- ie: not field -- recordings (1973 - 1999) and each disc is sequenced in sections by region: Asia, Oceania, Africa, The Americas and Europe. A hefty price tage yes, but well worth it.
RealAudio clip: (ANONYMOUS) NEW GUINEA 1912 "Interlocking Flutes"
RealAudio clip: (ANONYMOUS) CAIRO, EGYPT 1955 "Nubian Song"
RealAudio clip: JEGOG JAYUS "Jayan Tangis"
RealAudio clip: HAI, TRAN QUANG "Flowing Water, Equal Bars, Golden Chains"

V/A Musique du dNordeste vol. 2: 1928-1946 (Buda Musique) cd 16.98
Lovely music from Northeast Brazil in the 1930s and '40s. Slightly familiar, slightly 'exotic' at the same time. Played on guitar, viola, accoridan, triangle, and zabumba (a Brazilian drum) with a charming 'old-timey' sound. From the label that brought us the "Ethiopiques" series! We also have vol. 1, but you should start with #2 first.

V/A Panama! (Soundway) cd 16.98
No, this is not a Van Halen tribute record, this is actually a great collection of the rhythms & sounds coming out of Panama from 1965-75. Upbeat jams that take on calypso, funk and jazz. This is the good raw stuff before things like "latin-jazz" got in the hands of cheesy producers and got watered down and coffee-houseified. We love the funk flavored tracks on here as they manage to perfectly merge the influence of US soul & funk with a calypso undertone that makes for such a tasty treat. For those of you who have been won over by some of Senor Coconut's tip of the hat to the sounds of South American charisma and flare, this is the real deal. One of those comps that you put on from start to finish and anyone in your company will be shaking their bodies and bouncing their heads. Comes with really thoughtful and insightful packaging, great photos and liner notes about the music scene in Panama.
MPEG Stream: LOS DINAMICOS EXCITERS "Let Me Do My Thing"
MPEG Stream: BUSH Y SUS MAGNIFICOS "Nana Nina"
MPEG Stream: BOLITA Y SU TENTACION "Descarga Tentacion"

V/A Panama! (Soundway) 2lp 21.00
No, this is not a Van Halen tribute record, this is actually a great collection of the rhythms & sounds coming out of Panama from 1965-75. Upbeat jams that take on calypso, funk and jazz. This is the good raw stuff before things like "latin-jazz" got in the hands of cheesy producers and got watered down and coffee-houseified. We love the funk flavored tracks on here as they manage to perfectly merge the influence of US soul & funk with a calypso undertone that makes for such a tasty treat. For those of you who have been won over by some of Senor Coconut's tip of the hat to the sounds of South American charisma and flare, this is the real deal. One of those comps that you put on from start to finish and anyone in your company will be shaking their bodies and bouncing their heads. Comes with really thoughtful and insightful packaging, great photos and liner notes about the music scene in Panama.
MPEG Stream: LOS DINAMICOS EXCITERS "Let Me Do My Thing"
MPEG Stream: BUSH Y SUS MAGNIFICOS "Nana Nina"
MPEG Stream: BOLITA Y SU TENTACION "Descarga Tentacion"

V/A Panama! 2 : Latin Sounds, Cumbia Tropical, & Calypso Funk On The Isthmus 1967-77 (Soundway) cd 16.98
All June long we've been having a "graycation" here in foggy San Francisco, but yesterday the clouds lifted and it finally feels like summer!! Just in time for weekend barbecues comes this sizzling hottie of a compilation of Cumbia, Salsa and Calypso Funk from the Southern most country of North America, Panama! This is the second volume of sixties and seventies jams from this tiny nation that sees plenty of cross-pollination from many musical forms to the North, South and East. Northern Soul and Salsa influences, Afro-Caribbean calypso, Cubano percussion, Columbian Cumbia and Panama's own Musica Tipica, a black and mestizo rural country form notable for its wide array of rustic percussion as well as its use of multiple violins and accordian-led arrangements. The beauty of these compilations is their flow; traditonal cumbia is followed by sweaty salsa into Latin funk and back like it was tailor made for dance party listening. There's some amazing psychedelic soul funk numbers in here too from The Duncan Brother's "Dreams", The Soul Fantastic's awesome version of Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine", and Lord Cobra's "Love Letters". Summer starts right here!!!
MPEG Stream: PAPI BRANDAO Y SUS EJECUTIVOS "Decidete Mi Amor"
MPEG Stream: THE DUNCAN BROTHERS "Dreams"
MPEG Stream: THE SOUL FANTASTICS "Ain't No Sunshine"
MPEG Stream: ALFREDO Y SU SALSA MONTANERA "La Escoba"

V/A Proibidao C.V.: Forbidden Gang Funk from Rio de Janeiro (Sublime Frequencies) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The second of two new releases in Sublime Frequencies' ever expanding catalogue of 'world music'. The first, reviewed elsewhere on this list, is the wild Latin American psych rock vinyl sampler Latinamericarpet, one of the weirdest and wildest in the series so far. But this one is pretty weird and wild as well, but in a completely different way, though it's also Latin American.
Remember those Rio Baile Funk comps we reviewed a while back, killer mashups of Miami Bass, new wave, techno, top 40, all wrapped up into super dense and wild sexy dancefloor freakouts? Well this is similar in that this too is the music of the favelas, and features some of the same elements, but unlike the jubilant party vibe of the Rio Baile Funk stuff, this is much more stripped down, much more intense, and aggressive, and is closely linked to criminals, drugs, gangs, murder and mayhem.
Proibidao is the name given to an electronic funk which grew in popularity alongside the blossoming drug gangs in the nineties. The music is basically a stripped down Miami bass style rhythm, mesmerizing and tribal, there are not really any parts, just the drums looped over and over, while MC's and vocalists improvise over the top, toasting, howling, crooning, shouting, singing. Gang leaders set up big parties, hire DJ's and MC's do their thing, the tracks are often recorded and distributed as cd-r's or MP3's...
On first listen, we actually weren't all that into this, it just sounds like super simple stripped down electronic music with way too intense vocals over the top, but the closer you listen, the more you can hear traditional Brazilian musics incorporated into the jams, the sound becomes more and more musical, more powerful, on some tracks you can hear massive crowds responding with call and response vocals, there are lots of sirens, machine gun sounds, the rhythms are WAY down in the mix, offering up the simplest of frameworks for the sweatsoaked distorted vocals. And it IS all about the vocals, strident and urgent, intense and passionate, so much so that a lot of the time it ends up sounding almost like a Rio Baile Funk Fugazi!
Repetitive, hypnotic, stripped down and funky, but at the same time, dark and dangerous, mysterious and really intense and aggressive. Not necessarily recommended for your next dance party (unless there's something we don't know about your dance parties), but recommended nonetheless.
MPEG Stream: "Untitled Proibidao CV# 02"
MPEG Stream: "Untitled Proibidao CV# 03"
MPEG Stream: "Untitled Proibidao CV# 04"

V/A Puerto Rico In Polynesia (Original Music) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Since the beginning of the Century, there has been a growing community of Puerto Ricans in Hawaii. These recordings made in 1990, reflect their unique niche. At times, the music is archaic in comparison to mainland Puerto Rican music, yet is spiced with influences from both Hawaiian and Japanese neighbors.

V/A Red Hot and Rio 2 (Red Hot Organization / eOne) 2cd 17.98

V/A Rio Baile Funk 2: More Favela Booty Beats (Essay) 12" 9.98

V/A Rio Baile Funk: Favela Booty Beats (Essay) 12" 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ok, how does this sound: Dirty, DIRTY! sex rhyme booty beat music from Brazil. Sounds interesting, mmmmno? I think it might be called a couple of other names, bt this comp's titled Rio Baile Funk: Favela Booty Beats. The sound is a rudimentary hodgepodge of beats/breaks/melodies appropriated from all sortsa other music: Os Mutantes, Def Leppard - or is that Ace Frehley?, an assortment of late 80s/early 90s Hip Hop, and 90s New Wave/Top 40 all mixed into an incessant percussion, over which a (for the most part) singular (and sometimes a child's) voice yells totally explicit sex rhymes! Now, I don't know Portugese, but it doesn't take rocket science to imagine what they're yellin about here. First of all, what comes to mind with the term dirty sex ryhmes? Hmm, ok. If you haven't gotten the hint yet, imagine where it comes from: the ghettos of Rio and its millions of homeless children ruling the city with violence day and night. In a place like this, nothing but this type of music would be appropriate. Regardless, the beats are amazing, the lyricism (well, yelling) is hilarious but fierce, and the overall sound is fresh, inspiring and ridiculously fun. Crazy recommended!
MPEG Stream: RICARDO E ESQUISITO "Muhler Coca Cola"
MPEG Stream: BONDE DO TIAGRO "O Baile Todo"

V/A Roots Of Chicha 2: Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru (Barbes) cd 15.98
We know we aren't the only ones crazy for the sounds of Chicha, at least judging by the number of copies we sold of the first Roots Of volume, not to mention the amazing collection of songs by Juaneco Y Su Combo. It's pretty much impossible to be into a wide range of music and not be floored by the rad sounds of Chicha. Fuzzy and psychedelic, washed out and surfy, all wrapped in the sounds of cumbia, carimbo and Peruvian traditional music. Barbes is doing such a great job with this series helping expose the truly amazing music coming from this scene in Peru from 1968-1981. It not only has such a cool sound that tons of bands today wish they could recreate, but the songs also have such a sense of soul that makes this one of those records that gets everyone in the store shaking gently back and forth and tapping their toes and we have lost count with how many times we get asked what is playing when this is on as its a record that appeals to such a wide range of tastes.
It shows how rich this scene was that Juaneco Y Su Columbo aren't even on this volume, yet all the other bands included we would kill to hear more from. We know if this was on Sublime Frequencies we would sell even more of these, so c'mon if you love amazing sounds from different parts of the globe you've got to get on the Chicha train!
MPEG Stream: LOS DESTELLOS "Constelacion"
MPEG Stream: MANZANITA Y SU CONJUNTO "Paga la Cuenta Sinverguenza"
MPEG Stream: LOS WALKERS "Siboney"

V/A Sensacional Soul: 37 Groovy Spanish Soul & Funk Stompers 1966/1976 (Vampisoul) 2cd 27.00
While labels like the Numero Group and Soul Jazz have been doing a great job of digging up amazing old soul sounds from the past, this collection of soul and funk from Spain from 1966-1976 popped up out of nowhere and has ended up being maybe one of the best soul collections we've ever heard! It's everything you want soul and funk from that era to be. It's infectious, playful, gritty, groovy and totally addictive. While none of us had too much experience with the soul scene in Spain, this comp proves that it was pretty damn healthy and vibrant. These songs are damn near impossible not to be swept away by. Even Andee who is maybe the least funk-obsessed AQ-er was caught totally digging on these sounds. And then for those of you who are already attracted to great funk sounds of the era, this is like hitting the funkrock jackpot! After getting this the first day it arrived at AQ, I (Irwin) managed to play cuts from it during no less than three different DJ sets in the next 48 hours. And every single time I played a song from it I was immediately met with someone running to the DJ booth (and the phone lighting up when it was during my radio show) with the same excited question...What the heck is this and where can I buy one!!?? What makes this collection so outstanding are the strange splashes of eccentric spirit that keep it from sounding too same-y and keep the disc from ever losing steam, like lots of soul collections tend to do. This is one of those amazing records you can't help but fall in love with! If you have a pulse or a heartbeat or are at all alive, you won't be able to resist!
MPEG Stream: SHELLY Y LA NUEVA GENERACION "Vestido Azul"
MPEG Stream: LOS IMPALA "Todo Gira"
MPEG Stream: MANUEL GAS "I'm A Man"

V/A Sensacional Soul: 37 Groovy Spanish Soul & Funk Stompers 1966/1976 (Vampisoul) 2lp 29.00
Now on vinyl!!
While labels like the Numero Group and Soul Jazz have been doing a great job of digging up amazing old soul sounds from the past, this collection of soul and funk from Spain from 1966-1976 popped up out of nowhere and has ended up being maybe one of the best soul collections we've ever heard! It's everything you want soul and funk from that era to be. It's infectious, playful, gritty, groovy and totally addictive. While none of us had too much experience with the soul scene in Spain, this comp proves that it was pretty damn healthy and vibrant. These songs are damn near impossible not to be swept away by. Even Andee who is maybe the least funk-obsessed AQ-er was caught totally digging on these sounds. And then for those of you who are already attracted to great funk sounds of the era, this is like hitting the funkrock jackpot! After getting this the first day it arrived at AQ, I (Irwin) managed to play cuts from it during no less than three different DJ sets in the next 48 hours. And every single time I played a song from it I was immediately met with someone running to the DJ booth (and the phone lighting up when it was during my radio show) with the same excited question...What the heck is this and where can I buy one!!?? What makes this collection so outstanding are the strange splashes of eccentric spirit that keep it from sounding too same-y and keep the disc from ever losing steam, like lots of soul collections tend to do. This is one of those amazing records you can't help but fall in love with! If you have a pulse or a heartbeat or are at all alive, you won't be able to resist!
MPEG Stream: SHELLY Y LA NUEVA GENERACION "Vestido Azul"
MPEG Stream: LOS IMPALA "Todo Gira"
MPEG Stream: MANUEL GAS "I'm A Man"

V/A South America: Black Music In Praise of Oxala and Other Gods (Nonesuch) cd 12.98

V/A Street Music Of Panama (Original Music) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Truely unique recordings of Cumbias, Tamboritos, anad Mejoranas. Starts off reasonably enough, but just as you relax, you're treated with a 'grito': what seems like a version of kecak performed by imitating dogs barking. And later, a group of drummers are accompanied by several choruses of women singing call and response from what sounds like opposite ends of town.

V/A The Original Sound Of Cumbia: The History of Colombian Cumbia & Porro As Told By The Phonograph 1948-79 (Soundway) 2cd 25.00
It's tempting with records like this to just paraphrase the extensive liner notes, which in this case go into crazy details about, as the title suggests, the history of cumbia, and how that history has played out via the advent of the commercial phonograph, not to mention the introduction of new instruments, new genres, and the spread of the sound from its birthplace on the Caribbean coast to more central cities. Which would make sense, cuz to be honest, we knew very little about cumbia, at least in terms of its history and development, but at the same time, a quick Google search, and you'll have a wealth of different sources to learn more about cumbia and its history, and as interesting as that is (and it is, VERY), it's really for us all about the music, and the music here, two and a half hours of it, is so fantastic, and the idea that while sure, folks into Latin music and who already dig cumbia, will of course love this, it's the sort of comp that's perfect to expose this music to a whole new audience, one that might not have any experience with stuff like this at all, and who like us, might just be totally blown away by these sounds, energetic and passionate, melodic and moody, rhythmic and celebratory, the bands so tight, the musicians incredible, the songs very propulsive and percussion driven, the older tracks all about the accordion (more on that in the liner notes), with amazingly funky and soulful horn sections, melding cumbia to a fuller big band jazz sound, the songs groove and shimmy, pound and swing, the vocals too, so dramatic and emotional, all combined to create an incredible and expansive collection of music, which while at one time was a music mostly for the lower classes, eventually became a music for all the peoples of Columbia, and a point of great pride.
This collection was curated by Will Holland, who you may know as Quantic, whose awesome Addis To Axum: Music, Words & Arrangements Of Ethiopia record we reviewed way back in 2010, and who spent years in Columbia, learning the accordion, starting a band, and setting up a record studio, immersing himself in the culture to dig up the recorded history of Columbia and cumbia, via a treasure trove of rare 78's and 45's. We've been listening to this like crazy, and have found ourselves going a little cumbia crazy. Beautifully packaged, includes a massive 40 page booklet with tons of liner notes, and lots of amazing photos and images of old record sleeves.
MPEG Stream: GASTON (EL ISLENO) CON EL CONJUNTO DE JAIME SIMANCA "La Cumbia Esta Llamando"
MPEG Stream: CONJUNTO LOS RUMBEROS "Cumbia Del Puerto"
MPEG Stream: LUCHO PEREZ "Judith"
MPEG Stream: ALBERTO PACHECO Y SU CONJUNTO "Sembrando Cafe"
MPEG Stream: RAFAEL YEPES CRESPO CON SUS NEGROS DE LA REGION "Nubia En La Playa"
MPEG Stream: BALDOMERO URIELES CON EFRIAN BURGOS Y SU CONJUNTO "Amor Del Magdalena"

V/A The Original Sound Of Cumbia: The History of Colombian Cumbia & Porro As Told By The Phonograph 1948-79: Original 45s And LP Cuts (part 2) (Soundway) 3lp 34.00
We already listed the double cd, here's the deluxe vinyl version, in two triple-lp volumes!
It's tempting with records like this to just paraphrase the extensive liner notes, which in this case go into crazy details about, as the title suggests, the history of cumbia, and how that history has played out via the advent of the commercial phonograph, not to mention the introduction of new instruments, new genres, and the spread of the sound from its birthplace on the Caribbean coast to more central cities. Which would make sense, cuz to be honest, we knew very little about cumbia, at least in terms of its history and development, but at the same time, a quick Google search, and you'll have a wealth of different sources to learn more about cumbia and its history, and as interesting as that is (and it is, VERY), it's really for us all about the music, and the music here, two and a half hours of it, is so fantastic, and the idea that while sure, folks into Latin music and who already dig cumbia, will of course love this, it's the sort of comp that's perfect to expose this music to a whole new audience, one that might not have any experience with stuff like this at all, and who like us, might just be totally blown away by these sounds, energetic and passionate, melodic and moody, rhythmic and celebratory, the bands so tight, the musicians incredible, the songs very propulsive and percussion driven, the older tracks all about the accordion (more on that in the liner notes), with amazingly funky and soulful horn sections, melding cumbia to a fuller big band jazz sound, the songs groove and shimmy, pound and swing, the vocals too, so dramatic and emotional, all combined to create an incredible and expansive collection of music, which while at one time was a music mostly for the lower classes, eventually became a music for all the peoples of Columbia, and a point of great pride.
This collection was curated by Will Holland, who you may know as Quantic, whose awesome Addis To Axum: Music, Words & Arrangements Of Ethiopia record we reviewed way back in 2010, and who spent years in Columbia, learning the accordion, starting a band, and setting up a record studio, immersing himself in the culture to dig up the recorded history of Columbia and cumbia, via a treasure trove of rare 78's and 45's. We've been listening to this like crazy, and have found ourselves going a little cumbia crazy.
MPEG Stream: GASTON (EL ISLENO) CON EL CONJUNTO DE JAIME SIMANCA "La Cumbia Esta Llamando"
MPEG Stream: CONJUNTO LOS RUMBEROS "Cumbia Del Puerto"
MPEG Stream: LUCHO PEREZ "Judith"
MPEG Stream: ALBERTO PACHECO Y SU CONJUNTO "Sembrando Cafe"
MPEG Stream: RAFAEL YEPES CRESPO CON SUS NEGROS DE LA REGION "Nubia En La Playa"
MPEG Stream: BALDOMERO URIELES CON EFRIAN BURGOS Y SU CONJUNTO "Amor Del Magdalena"

V/A The Original Sound Of Cumbia: The History of Colombian Cumbia & Porro As Told By The Phonograph 1948-79: Original Columbia 78s (part 1) (Soundway) 3lp 34.00
We already listed the double cd, here's the deluxe vinyl version, in two triple-lp volumes!
It's tempting with records like this to just paraphrase the extensive liner notes, which in this case go into crazy details about, as the title suggests, the history of cumbia, and how that history has played out via the advent of the commercial phonograph, not to mention the introduction of new instruments, new genres, and the spread of the sound from its birthplace on the Caribbean coast to more central cities. Which would make sense, cuz to be honest, we knew very little about cumbia, at least in terms of its history and development, but at the same time, a quick Google search, and you'll have a wealth of different sources to learn more about cumbia and its history, and as interesting as that is (and it is, VERY), it's really for us all about the music, and the music here, two and a half hours of it, is so fantastic, and the idea that while sure, folks into Latin music and who already dig cumbia, will of course love this, it's the sort of comp that's perfect to expose this music to a whole new audience, one that might not have any experience with stuff like this at all, and who like us, might just be totally blown away by these sounds, energetic and passionate, melodic and moody, rhythmic and celebratory, the bands so tight, the musicians incredible, the songs very propulsive and percussion driven, the older tracks all about the accordion (more on that in the liner notes), with amazingly funky and soulful horn sections, melding cumbia to a fuller big band jazz sound, the songs groove and shimmy, pound and swing, the vocals too, so dramatic and emotional, all combined to create an incredible and expansive collection of music, which while at one time was a music mostly for the lower classes, eventually became a music for all the peoples of Columbia, and a point of great pride.
This collection was curated by Will Holland, who you may know as Quantic, whose awesome Addis To Axum: Music, Words & Arrangements Of Ethiopia record we reviewed way back in 2010, and who spent years in Columbia, learning the accordion, starting a band, and setting up a record studio, immersing himself in the culture to dig up the recorded history of Columbia and cumbia, via a treasure trove of rare 78's and 45's. We've been listening to this like crazy, and have found ourselves going a little cumbia crazy.
MPEG Stream: GASTON (EL ISLENO) CON EL CONJUNTO DE JAIME SIMANCA "La Cumbia Esta Llamando"
MPEG Stream: CONJUNTO LOS RUMBEROS "Cumbia Del Puerto"
MPEG Stream: LUCHO PEREZ "Judith"
MPEG Stream: ALBERTO PACHECO Y SU CONJUNTO "Sembrando Cafe"
MPEG Stream: RAFAEL YEPES CRESPO CON SUS NEGROS DE LA REGION "Nubia En La Playa"
MPEG Stream: BALDOMERO URIELES CON EFRIAN BURGOS Y SU CONJUNTO "Amor Del Magdalena"

V/A The Roots Of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru (Barbes) cd 16.98
Last year we freaked out about an awesome reissue of Chicha jams by the legendary Peruvian group Juaneco Y Su Combo. So we were beyond thrilled to discover this collection featuring the best of the sounds of Chicha that came bursting out of Peru from the late '60s to the late '70s. Juaneco Y Su Combo are featured here of course, with a few tracks from that disc we love, but what's amazing is that lots of the other groups are just as good, if not even better, and that's saying a whole lot!
It's such an irresistible sound, infused with elements of Andean melodies, Cuban gujiras and plenty of surfy and psychedelic rock tinges. The songs here are filled with so much mood and spirit and will definitely appeal to such a wide range of music lovers, from those who dig weird and wonderful world music a la Sublime Frequencies, to those who dig the more classic psych pop sounds of the Nuggets compilations. These are songs that sizzle and crackle with so much flavor. We could also see rare groove folks getting super excited about some of these sounds and we wouldn't be surprised if samples of them made their way onto some Madlib record in the future.
This actually came out -before- that great Juaneco Su Combo disc so if you loved that one, you gotta make sure to grab this one too, so you can get turned on to other Chicha greats like Los Mirlos, Las Hijos Del Sol, and Los Destellos (who do a Beethoven track in amazing chicha fashion!).
It's always so awesome to blast this in the store, everyone starts tapping their feet and all frowns turn upside down as it's pretty near impossible to be dour or stoic while these songs are playing, and radiating so much colorful fun. So damn good!
MPEG Stream: LOS MIRLOS "Sonido Amazonico"
MPEG Stream: JUANECO Y SU COMBO "Vacilando con Ayahuesca"
MPEG Stream: LAS HIJAS DEL SOL "Linda Mu–equita"

V/A The Sexual Life Of The Savages (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is the second Brazilian post-punk compilation we've gotten in the last couple of weeks. The first one that arrived was the electrifying Nao Wave - 1982-1988 released by Man Recordings. This one's from those fine folks at Soul Jazz who've built a solid reputation for releasing music of many sorts (reggae, funk, soul, and post-punk) from many distant locales -- all with one particular thing in common, an addictive, propulsive groove. They've certainly tapped into a wild geyser with this release, although it's not quite as out-there and off-the-hook as the tough-act-to-follow Nao Wave. Most of the eighteen songs are much more typical of the angular sounds you'd imagine when you think of British post-punk (Wire, Gang Of Four, etc). Some artists from Nao Wave reappear here, they are Akira S Et As Garotas Que Erraram, Chance, As Mercenarios, and Fellini, but fortunately only two song are redundant ("Sobre As Pernas" and "Samba De Morro" by the first two artists respectively).
MPEG Stream: MUZAK "Ilha Urbana"
MPEG Stream: CABINE C "Tao Perto"

V/A The Sexual Life Of The Savages: Underground Post-Punk From Sao Paulo, Brasil (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
This is the second Brazilian post-punk compilation we've gotten in the last couple of weeks. The first one that arrived was the electrifying Nao Wave - 1982-1988 released by Man Recordings. This one's from those fine folks at Soul Jazz who've built a solid reputation for releasing music of many sorts (reggae, funk, soul, and post-punk) from many distant locales -- all with one particular thing in common, an addictive, propulsive groove. They've certainly tapped into a wild geyser with this release, although it's not quite as out-there and off-the-hook as the tough-act-to-follow Nao Wave. Most of the eighteen songs are much more typical of the angular sounds you'd imagine when you think of British post-punk (Wire, Gang Of Four, etc). Some artists from Nao Wave reappear here, they are Akira S Et As Garotas Que Erraram, Chance, As Mercenarios, and Fellini, but fortunately only two song are redundant ("Sobre As Pernas" and "Samba De Morro" by the first two artists respectively).
MPEG Stream: MUZAK "Ilha Urbana"
MPEG Stream: CABINE C "Tao Perto"

V/A Tumbele! Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds From The French Caribbean, 1963-74 (Soundway) cd 16.98

V/A Tumbele! Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds From The French Caribbean, 1963-74 (Soundway) 2lp 23.00

V/A Voodoo Drums (Universal Sound /Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Drums, all drums. Recorded in Haiti and featuring the drummers from the Societe Absolument Guinin playing the complex rhythms of Haitian Voodoo. Pretty impressive stuff, along with the tricky polyrhythms employed in the pieces, you can hear little bass lines and melodies fleshed out. The one bone I would pick with the album is that the tracks are a little short, 2 or 3 minutes a piece, where it seems as though they would be better served being let to go 5 or even 10 times longer. Your head begins to swell from the rhythms and just before it pops, the piece fades out. I want my head to pop damnit!
RealAudio clip: "Yanvalou"
RealAudio clip: "Petro"

V/A Voodoo Drums (Universal Sound /Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Drums, all drums. Recorded in Haiti and featuring the drummers from the Societe Absolument Guinin playing the complex rhythms of Haitian Voodoo. Pretty impressive stuff, along with the tricky polyrhythms employed in the pieces, you can hear little bass lines and melodies fleshed out. The one bone I would pick with the album is that the tracks are a little short, 2 or 3 minutes a piece, where it seems as though they would be better served being let to go 5 or even 10 times longer. Your head begins to swell from the rhythms and just before it pops, the piece fades out. I want my head to pop damnit!

V/A West Indies Funk (Music For Pleasure / Trans Air) lp 21.00

VELASQUEZ, ANIBAL Y SU CONJUNTO Mambo Loco (Analog Africa) cd 19.98

VELASQUEZ, ANIBAL Y SU CONJUNTO Mambo Loco (Analog Africa) lp 21.00

VELOSO, CAETANO Araca Azul (Lilith) cd 21.00
This is certainly an unexpected surprise! Caetano Veloso's misunderstood experimental outing from 1972 (the same year he returned to Brazil following a three year exile in London, and recorded the mostly English album, Transa) prompted massive refund requests from his diehard fanbase when it was released, but has remarkably withstood the test of time. Saying that he wanted to record an album without thinking, Araca Azul is marked by exuberance as well as a kinetic sense of urgency. Wordless vocals, concrete sound effects, strange serpentine song forms that appear and dissipate, bits of orchestra, and percussive passages followed by psych-tinged rockers and sublime ballads. It's all over the map but always exciting and interesting. It may not be the best album to start with for those new to Veloso's discography, but it's becoming one of our favorites. We think perhaps Devendra Banhart listened to this a lot while recording his latest record. So Awesome!!
MPEG Stream: "Gilberto Misterioso"
MPEG Stream: "De Cara / Eu Quero Essa Mulher"
MPEG Stream: "Sugar Cane Fields Forever"

VELOSO, CAETANO Cinema Transcendental (Philips / Polygram) cd 16.98

VELOSO, CAETANO Zii E Zie (Nonesuch) cd 17.98
There is John Coltrane's saxophone playing, Miles Davis on the trumpet, Jimi Hendrix on the guitar, Harry Partch's instrumental inventions, Erik Satie's piano compositions, all people who were undoubtedly masters of their craft, and right next to all those geniuses is the voice and songwriting of Caetano Veloso!
Now entering his sixth decade of releasing records and sounding as relevant and remarkable as ever. So crazy to think what a journey through life and music this man has had, being one of the forefathers of the Tropicalia movement in Brazil in the '60s, and then having to flee to London in exile for his heroic and uncompromising political resistance, all the while still finding a way to create such beautiful and meaningful music. We can't really think of anyone else who has made awesome records in every decade from the '60s to the present. Think of his musical peers still around from that era, when's the last time an entire album of new material from folks like Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Donovan or Van Dyke Parks actually blew you away? On the other hand Caetano continues to make music that is as challenging and creative as it is seductive and enchanting. His last album, 2006's Ce was one of the most charged, rocking and colorful records released that year. With Zii E Zie some of that same upbeat and rocking feel is still present, but there is also a lot of the more classic, sensual and hypnotizing side to Veloso's music making, as well of course as that voice, a croon that could melt even the most frozen of hearts.
Some of us had the chance to see him live just a week ago, and on the Ce tour, and they were two of the most sincere, engaging and electric shows we've seen in so long. Just goes to prove that you can age with grace and remain as brilliant and crucial as you were as a teenager, as long as you never lose touch with the spirit that has moved you, ever since the beginning. Thank the stars for souls like Caetano Veloso. He's made another wonderful album and continues to prove that he's an international treasure, using music in every possible way for all the right reasons. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Perdeu"
MPEG Stream: "Base De Guantanamo"
MPEG Stream: "Por Quem?"
MPEG Stream: "A Cor Amarela"

VELOSO, MORENO +2 Music Typewriter (Hannibal) cd 16.98
The offspring of Caetano Veloso, Moreno continues in his father's footsteps while perhaps dressed in some more au courant footwear. Beginning with a very straightforward homage a la tropicalismo, Moreno quickly delves into the future accompanied by electronic beats and even mixing up the rhythms a bit with a little hip hop break beat action.
RealAudio clip: "Sertao"
RealAudio clip: "Enquanto Isso"
RealAudio clip: "O Livro & O Beijo"

WARA El Inca (Mandrax) lp 35.00
Now reissued also on vinyl... here's what we said about the cd edition:
Wow! Progressive Rock from Bolivia? Who knew?
Wara's first album from 1972 (the liner notes say they have recorded 16 albums as of 2004, but this is the first we have heard of them) is a strange hybrid of South American psych with classical symphonic elements, Andean native musical structures, soaring harmonies and boogie rhythms.
Incorporating a classical string section with flute and oboe alongside the shredding fuzz guitar, simmering organ and drum breaks, this is unlike any South American psych we've heard in awhile. While Wara is more of a psych band than a prog outfit, they lean towards '70s proto-metal vocal theatrics and Beethoven rather than the Beatles, using long songs with varied passages of loud and soft dynamics. Killer!
MPEG Stream: "Realidad"
MPEG Stream: "Wara"