Analog Africa, one of my favorite reissue labels, is going well above its mission of reissuing African treasures and is now delving deep into the music mines of South America – in this case, Ecuador. Polibio Mayorga was a hit-writing machine during the early days of Ecuadorian rock, but he Continue Reading
Cumbia
Fusión / Carlos Franzetti – Dedos
This is a ripping split of proto-Acid Jazz! The first band, Fusión, was a jazz fusion band out of Chile, while Carlos Franzetti gained some fame in Argentina. Both funk out the song Dedos wonderfully.
Moncho y Su Banda – Que Bellas Son
El Palmas Records presents a charming band out of Venezuela called Moncho y su Banda, led by Ramón Urbina, who combine salsa, cumbia and chucuchu into a joyous, smoldering disc of fine latin jazz.
Mita y su Monte Adentro – Arecibo
Legends in Peru, the band Mita y su Adentro were led by Oswaldo “Mita” Delgado, also had a prestigious reputation in the Latin American music world, as he would be invited to perform in the bands of Célia Cruz and Joe Cuba. Sadly, he never recorded another album after this Continue Reading
Lucho Bermudez y su Orquesta – The Coastal Invasion
The ever-stunning Radio Martiko out of Belgium release an amazing collection of cumbia from Colombia’s greatest export, Lucho Bermudez. From the label’s Bandcamp release site: Bermudez was a key figure who modernised the tropical music of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. At the beginning of the 20th century, this music was largely Continue Reading
Air Volta – Volta Jazz
The 1200 Line is an expert reissue label bringing some amazing African music to the masses with meticulously recreated cover art and remastering. This release is from Upper Volta, and it features cumbia rhythms, rhumba, Cuban son and yé-yé blended into a joyful mix. From the Bandcamp site: From the Continue Reading
Orchestre Massako – Orchestre Massako (Limited Dance Edition)
I think this may be the first Gabonese album I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. Orchestre Massako are a band who mixes Afro-Funk with cumbia beats, blending the best of Africa and Latin America together in a joyous mix.
Various Artists – Color De Tropico Vol 2 Compiled by El Drágon Criollo & El Palmas
Spanish imprint El Palmas Music has released this compilation of music from Venezuela that covers reggae, salsa, soul, cumbia and joropo music. There are two tracks available to listen to until the release date of May 14, 2021, but judging by these, this compilation will be pretty damn good. From Continue Reading