01 Grupo Fantasma...Naci de La--Rumba y Guaguanco (from Sonidos Gold, AireSol)
This has all the killer elements, cuatro, rumba, dub, Larry Harlow on electric piano...a prime example of the Rumba Psicodelica concept.
02 Banda los Hijos de La Niña Luz...Dejala Corre (from 45, Soundway)
A hard-charging cumbia from Colombia with some absolutely gorgeous horns.
03 Batata y su Rumba Palenquera...Ataole (from Radio Bakongo, World Network)
Heavy afro vibes from Cartagena, Colombia and the late Batata.
04 Cedric "Im" Brooks & the Light of Saba...Sabasi (from Light of Saba, Honest Jon's)
Jamaican reedsman goes Afrobeat vibe here. One of my favorites from the Rasta-land.
05 Sofrito Specials...Music is the Word (from 12", Sofrito)
06 Bronx River Parkway...Deixa Pra La (from 45, Latin Express/Truth & Soul)
07 Ray & His Court...De Eso Nada Monada (from Ray & His Court, Sound Triangle)
Miami/Cuban group from the 70s, recorded latin and funk.
08 Harvey Averne...Cucuraca Macara (from Barrio Band, Heavy Duty)
Nice heavy ringing vibrophone.
09 Mark Dimond & Angel Canales...Brujeria (from Brujeria, Vaya/Fania reissue)
Buy it here.
10 "Chocolate"...Mi Guajira-Inspiracion (from Bien Sabroso, Mericana)
11 Ray Santiago...Alma Africana (from Lluvia con Salsa, El Abuelo)
This is a stunning album from 1988, a time when salsa albums just didn't sound this good. I had already been a fan of Ray's music but I had no idea of the existence of this album until I stumbled upon it in NY one day. And he looks like a spitting image of my dad in 1988! I also highly recommend Sr Santiago's two beautiful recent CDs, Afrocuba a la NYC and Latin Up!.
12 Mehr Pooya...Soul Raga (from Soul Raga, Iran)
I like this because it's got an Afrobeat flavor with sitar and it's from Iran. It sounds great! You can hear this song and other Iranian funk jams at Egon's NPR column here.
13 Flash & the Dynamics...Electric Latin Soul (from The New York Sound, Tico)
A groovy garage jammer that has gotten many a spin at our nights.
14 the Ghetto Brothers...Ghetto Brothers Power (from Power/Fuerza, Salsa International reissue)
Since reissued by Truth & Soul, this was a musical wing of a Puerto Rican gang. Definately sounds of its time, but that time sounds better than most music being issued now, in my opinion.
15 King Tubby & Soul Syndicate...Great Stone (from Freedom Sounds in Dub, Blood & Fire)
This is just a FEROCIOUS dub of a tune sung by Prince Alla. This will shake the ground beneath your foot, a seriously monster dub by the master of remixers, King Tubby. The Blood & Fire label is much missed on the roots reissues front.
16 Bill Laswell's Imaginary Cuba...Habana Transmission 2#/Cuban Evolution (from Imaginary Cuba, Wicklow)
What a haunting and gorgeously modern take on the Cuban Rumba this is. The prolific Bill Laswell's dubby weight on some of his work is mighty fine here. I've heard some discussion about the cover, with some commenting on the "suspicious" look of the young woman. Too many times people try to politicize things when it comes to Cuba. Personally, I don't see the perceived suspicion with her, but I do see a capturing by the photographer of a political image in the room with these poeple. I also see a lovely apartment.
17 La Sonora Casino...Astronauts a Mercurio (from Obsession, Bully Records compilation)
Here you have it folks...a descarga that includes acid rock guitar!
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01 Mike Rosario...Canta a Chango-DJ Duste remix (from Que Viva la Salsa Dura!, Hard Salsa)
Thanks to Andrés Padua at Hard Salsa for hipping me to the amazing edits and remixes of Australia's DJ Duste.
02 Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada...La Reja (from The Alchemist Manifesto, ESL)
A deeply groovy bassline by Adrian leads us into this lovely chant/poem by Martín.
03 Henri Guédon...Negro Lucumí (from Early Recordings, Comet anthology)
The late Henri Guédon was an amazing percussionist/bandleader/composer from Guadelupe. Since I first heard the man's music when I picked up a comp on this same Comet label (out of France) that featured a tune by Henri. Since then I've picked up a few of his records and the man is diverse: I heard jazz, guaguanco, afrobeat, bugalú, avant-garde music, you name it, he plays it.
04 Melcochita y Karamanduka...Cuereando (fr Acabo con Lima Huyo Pa NY, Sonoramico/MAG)
Peruvian jam session. I picked an instrumental cut that I very much feel, although there is no denying the crazy vocals on the album. Reps from the MAG All Stars are the musicians.
05 the Mighty Sparrow...Calypso Boogaloo (fr Volume Two, Ice Records)
A very fun and swinging buagalú from Trinidad's great star of calypso, the Mighty Sparrow. World cultural ambassador, the much respected Eddy Grant's Ice Records has done a great job of keeping the classic calypsos available in the minds of the younger generations. And thanks much for sending it along to us!
06 Piper Pimienta...Pensamiento (fr La Fuente, Discolor)
This is a crazy funk track from Colombia that was laid on me courtesy of DJ Bongohead and Will Quantic. The whole LP is good and there are a couple of funky numbers, this one being the BOMB! Where's the reissue?
07 Jorge Graf...Dis-ka-Ndome (fr 12", Soundway)
While this may sound like Brazilian jazz, it is in fact a jazzy candombe from Uruguay, with a band led by percussionist Jorge Graf. Soudway pressed up a limited 12" for it's first release since the 1980 original.
08 Honny & the Bees Band...Psychedelic Woman (Bonobo remix)
Thanks to funky Phil for this nice remix of a favorite cut from the Ghana Soundz albums.
09 Gal Costa...Tuareg (fr Gal (1969), Phillips)
A Jorge Ben composition but I haven't ever heard a version done by him. That's okay though, because this is an exciting psych number with North African tinge.
10 Smash!!...Ni Recuerdo, Ni Olvido (fr Vanguardia y Pureza del Flamenco, ChapaDiscos)
Heavy flamenco-psych! Props to Bongohead for turning me on to this.
11 Fruko y sus Tesos...La Fruta Bomba (fr A La Memoria del Muerto, Discos Fuentes)
This is the album with Fruko shooting up on the cover.
12 Bio Ritmo...Bionic Boogaloo (fr Biónico, Locutor)
Check out this Richmond, VA salsa band at the Iron Horse 1/21. Cool cover art by the band's vocalist Rei.
13 Guito y su Conjunto...El Rumbon (12" version) (fr Salsa Dura! compilation, Latin Soul)
Below is a pic of the original LP. Absolutely slamming on this mysterious 12" version.
14 Godwin Omobuwa...Oriri Jerode (fr Vampisoul Goes to Africa compilation, Vampisoul)
15 Les Kings...Oriza (fr Tumbélé compilation, Soundway)
(Below is the first Rumba Psicodelica! flyer. Thanks to the Rendezvous for allowing us the opportunity.)
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