DL+Booklet Less than a hundred miles inland from the capital city of Lima lies the great Peruvian jungle, an untamed land of impenetrable forests and endless winding rivers. In its isolated cities, cut off from the fashions of the capital, a unique style of music began to develop, inspired equally by the sounds of the surrounding forests, the roll of the mighty Amazon and Ucayali Rivers, and the rhythms of cumbia picked up from distant stations on transistor radios. With the arrival of electricity, a new generation of young musicians started plugging in their guitars and trading in their accordions for synthesizers: Amazonian cumbia was born.Powered by fast-paced timbale rhythms, driven by spidery, treble-damaged guitar lines, and drenched in bright splashes of organ, Amazonian cumbia was like a hyperactive distant cousin of surf music crossed with an all-night dance party in the heart of the forest. While many of the genre’s greatest tracks were instrumental, and others were simple celebrations of life in the jungle, the goal of every song was to keep the party going.Radio stations in Lima remained unaware of the new electric sounds emanating from the jungle, but a handful of pioneeringrecord producers ventured over the mountain passes to the cities of Tarapoto, Moyobamba, Pucallpa – even Iquitos, a cityreachable only by boat or plane – and lured dozens of bands to the recording studios of the capital to lay down their besttracks. Although many became local hits, few were ever heard outside the Amazonian region … until now.With eighteen tracks from some of the greatest names in Amazonian cumbia, Perú Selvatico is both the improbable soundtrackto a beach party on a banks of the Amazon and a psychedelic safari into the sylvan mysteries of the Peruvian jungle.

'Kel Tinariwen' ist eine aufschlussreiche Entdeckung aus den Tinariwen-Archiven, eine MC mit frühen Aufnahmen der legendären Tuareq-Band, die 1992 nur innerhalb ihrer Sahara-Stammesgebiete erschien und jetzt erstmals die offizielle Veröffentlichung erlebt. 'Kel Tinariwen' hat noch nicht den vollen Bandsound entwickelt, mit dem sich Tinariwen international etablierten, und erweitert die reiche Geschichte der Band um eine weitere Epoche. Ihr Markenzeichen sind die hypnotischen Gitarrenlinien und der Call-and-Response-Gesang, die sich zwischen rauen Drum-Machine-Rhythmen und Keyboard-Melodien verweben und fast an eine arabische Version von 80er Synth-Pop erinnern. Es gibt deutliche Parallelen zwischen den Klängen auf diesem Band und der Arbeit, die in den letzten Jahren von Cratedigger-Labels wie Awesome Tapes From Africa, Sahel Sounds und Sublime Frequencies entdeckt wurde.

"The first edition of the vinyl is limited to 550 copies and comes in a wild mix of colors and with an inlay with pictures and lyrics."

In 1972, the country of Rhodesia – as Zimbabwe was then known – was in the middle of a long-simmering struggle for independence from British colonial rule. In the hotels and nightclubs of the capital, bands could make a living playing a mix of Afro-Rock, Cha-Cha-Cha and Congolese Rumba. But as the desire for independence grew stronger, a number of Zimbabwean musicians began to look to their own culture for inspiration. They began to emulate the staccato sound and looping melodies of the mbira (thumb piano) on their electric guitars, and to replicate the insistent shaker rhythms on the hi-hat; they also started to sing in the Shona language and to add overtly political messages to their lyrics (safe in the knowledge that the predominantly white minority government wouldn’t understand them). From this collision of electric instruments and indigenous traditions, a new style of Zimbabwean popular music – later known as Chimurenga, from the Shona word for ‘struggle’ – was born. And there were few bands more essential to the development of this music than the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band.

Afro-cuban : that term which set the world on fire, from rumba to boléro, mambo to cha-cha-cha, before salsa, that 70's spicy sauce, took over from the others. But to speak truely, since the mists of times (of slavery), both Africa and Cuba aim to vamp that umbilical cord. The most recent example, CubAfrica, a record born from the reunion of a master from Africa and this very living institution from Cuba, during a show around Albi (in the south of France) where they were both headlining in spring 1996. Manu Dibango's sax melted perfectly with the rural music of Eliadès Ochoa and his Cuarteto Patria, here's the beginning of an idea. Talking about latino music, Manu Dibango has an history with it. First, during the early 60's, from Douala to Abidjan and Paris, he was surrounded by as much cuban tempos as afro, and a lot of descarga, this typical afro-cuban jam sessions with a spicy jazzy touch, which were back in the circumstances back in the days. Later on, in the 70’s, invited in Puerto Rico by the Fania All Stars, this dreamy salsa big band at its highest, Manu dressed his anthemic hit "Soul Makossa", for a show (and then a record) of anthology. There was nothing more natural for him than diving again in the cuban bath. This time, he crossed the sound barrier with this Cuarteto Patria, a standard combo in the cuban music, founded 60 years ago and handled by Eliadès Ochoa, this master of très the ancestral cuban guitar, in 1978. He just achieved another magic meeting, the one of Buena Vista Social Club' record, next to Compay Segundo, Ruben Gonzalez and Ry Cooder. In Paris, back from Albi, an idea started to tickle Manu, Eliadès and... Gilbert Castro, boss of Celluloïd-Mélodie. They high fived each other, been agree on the repertoire and then get to Davout studio the day after. They tweak the arrangements right at the studio with the help of Ernesto "Tito" Puentes and Hughes de Courson, Lambarena' producer. In two days, everything's almost ready. Jerry Malekani, Manu's guitar player will add a few things on it. CubAfrica is a seductive guided tour around the garden of latinos' classics, with that Creole' smell. Latinos but not only cuban, this record is a walk toward mexican Cielito lindo or Cerezo Rosa, this french sweet made by André Claveau and spiced by Perez Prado. A repertoire that even newcommers are able to hum, due to such a patrimonial status, spread by Cubans and their African partner in crime, round-shaping sounds for a spontaneous result: the black continent and the Caribbean island aren't on the edge of losing the bond between them.   Manu Dibango (born 1933) is a saxophonist, vibraphonist and pianist from Cameroon. He developed his own musical style by combining jazz with traditional Cameroonian music and the popular Cameroonian dance music Makossa.He was born in Douala. Like his father, he belongs to the Yabassi ethnic group, while his mother was a Duala. As a student, he discovered jazz for himself in Chartres during the 1950s and learned to play the piano. In Reims, where he was preparing for his baccalauréat, he took up the saxophone and began performing in nightclubs, to the great chagrin of his father, who subsequently cut off his alimony in 1956.Various contracts took him to Brussels, where he met Coco, his wife, to Antwerp and Charleroi. During this time, his jazz style became "Africanized" through contact with the Congolese milieu that emerged in Belgium as a result of immigration from Zaire before and after its independence in 1960. Joseph Kabasélé hired him for his orchestra Le Grand Kallé et l'African Jazz and recorded numerous records with him, which had great success in Africa and took them to Léopoldville, where Manu popularized the twist in 1962. Returning to Cameroon, on the other hand, proved difficult and Manu Dibango went to France again.He had engagements with Dick Rivers and Nino Ferrer, big names of the time, but it was only after 1969 that he was able to continue his African successes with recordings of his own compositions.In 1972 he conquered the charts in the United States with Soul Makossa (actually the B-side of the single Mouvement Ewondo). It was the first number-one hit by an African musician in the U.S., prompting Dibango to embark on his first tour, where he made numerous contacts with black musicians in the country. Inspired by African tribal music and contrasted with European church sounds, animated by jazz and soul from America, he succeeded with the album in the opinion of the London magazine City Limits in creating "smooth, impactful dance club music with catchy saxophone dressing." He fused traditional Cameroonian rhythms, Nigerian highlife pop, Congolese folk, Latin American cha-cha-cha and funk, reggae, hip-hop and bebop jazz sounds.Soul Makossa also brought the Makossa style of music to prominence outside of Cameroon. The song is also considered by some to have paved the way for the emergence of disco music. The refrain, "mama-se, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa," was used by Michael Jackson in his 1982 song Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', and in 2006 in Rihanna's equally hugely successful song Don't Stop the Music; Manu Dibango has filed copyright lawsuits against both singers. The song was also sampled on Wyclef Jean's 1997 album The Carnival.This launched a career that made him famous worldwide. In particular, the boom of world music in the 1990s boosted his popularity and took him on numerous tours.Manu Dibango has worked with numerous musicians throughout his career, including Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Youssou N'Dour and reggae musicians Sly & Robbi   Cuarteto Patría is one of the leading musical groups in Santiago de Cuba. It was founded in 1939 by Francisco Cobas la O (Pancho Cobas), director, with Emilia Gracia, Rigoberto Hechaverría (Maduro) and Rey Caney (Reinaldo Hierrezuelo la O). The original style was traditional trova, with boleros and some música campesina (countryside music). In due course, the members and the music changed. By far the greatest change was the arrival of Eliades Ochoa, who has proved to be an inspired choice.Ochoa was invited by Cobas to become leader in 1978, and, before accepting, he got agreement to introduce new musical works into the repertoire. At that time Cobas continued with the group, and Hilario Cuadras and Amado Machado joined. Ochoa introduced the son as the staple diet of the group, and beefed up the percussion to balance the guajiro content with an African element. Even more important was his personal qualities. He is a truly outstanding acoustic guitarist, with a warm singing style. For all that, it took a long time for music lovers outside Cuba to hear about the group. In the series of albums Ochoa played an increasingly prominent part, and this was reflected in increased sales for the Cuarteto Patría albums, and in many foreign tours for the man and his group.

Ein Meisterwerk. Unter der musikalischen Leitung des Saxophonisten Issa Cissoko, dessen dezente, jazzige Bläserarrangements sich durch das gesamte Album ziehen, und des Gitarristen Barthélemy Attisso, dessen hypnotische, virtuose Soli hervorstechen, wurde das Album im "Golden Baobab"-Studio in Dakar aufgenommen und dort von dem jungen Ibrahima Sylla produziert. Die Verwendung des Affenbrotbaums, sowohl im Namen als auch in der Symbolik, unterstreicht das Bewusstsein der Gruppe für die traditionellen senegalesischen Werte, wenn sie mit denen von außen kombiniert werden, in diesem Fall mit der afro-kubanischen Musik, die in den 1960er Jahren so populär war. Issa Cissoko: band leader and tenor saxophoneBarthélemy Attisso: lead guitarCharles Ndiaye: bass guitarPape Bâ: guitarPeter Udo: clarinetMontaga Koite: percussionThione Seck: vocalsMedoune Diallo: vocalsNdiouga Dieng: vocals and maracasBalla Sidibe: vocals and timbalesRudy Gomis: vocals

Mokomizik Records presents the first-ever reissue of this ultra-rare Latin-Jazz masterpiece. The Fantastic Variety in the Music of Panama - The Winsor Style and Calypso Impressions was privately released in the early 1960s by Panamanian pianist and songwriter Alonso Wilson De Briano. Alonso described Panama as a country "with a foot in each side", referring to its unique geography that connects North and South America. The blending of Latin and English-speaking cultures had a big influence on Alonso, whose work draws on elements from West-Indian, Afro-Cuban and Panamanian folk musical styles. From the upbeat mambo rhythms of "Amigo" to the unusual combination of Calypso and Tamborera styles used in "My Brother, Too," Alonso weaves a rich musical tapestry into his arrangements. Back in 50s Panama, Alonso enjoyed relative success, with the likes of Orquesta Armando Boza and Tito Contreras performing his songs. So distinctive were his compositions that people had started referring to them by their own style - El stylito Winsor (the Winsor style), a reference to a club that Alonso performed at. Throughout his music career, Alonso worked with a number of renowned musicians, several of whom appear on the record, including Cuban-Jazz pioneer Arsenio Rodríguez's main bassist, Alfonso Joseph; and saxophonist and flutist Gene Jefferson to name a few. Sadly, not many copies remain of Alonso's music today and the few that have surfaced over the years have naturally demanded high asking prices. This limited reissue aims to shed new light on Alonso's work and make it available for a new generation of listeners to enjoy. Great care has been taken to restore this record, using quality mastering to ensure maximum listening pleasure and retaining the original artwork with lyrics and the song descriptions written at the time. Each record comes with an insert containing restored photos and detailed biography, which features quotes from a rare interview with Alonso from the 1980s along with information gathered from his family and Alfonso Joseph, the only musician we could reach who plays on the record.

HQ-2020 release, comes with MP3 download code

Includes code for free MP3 download on a coupon.Limited Edition, Amethyst Color

"Released in 1978, “Soy la ley” by Robert y su Banda is an obscure but sought-after slab of Colombian salsa dura with the special distinction of having the “original” version of Álvaro José “Joe” Arroyo’s monster hit ‘Rebelión’ hidden in plain sight on the second side of the record. The band’s leader, Roberto Antonio Urquijo Fonseca, is still active today and, hailing from Barranquilla, Colombia, is as steeped in the costeño sound of cumbia as he is in salsa. Roberto certainly has a perfect voice for salsa, bringing to mind that of the Boricua super star sonero Héctor Lavoe. In fact, Roberto y su Banda are well remembered by salsa fanatics in Medellín because they were the other act (along with Piper Pimienta and his orchestra) that opened the first Colombian performance of Héctor Lavoe, on the afternoon of July 29, 1978 at the Plaza de Toros La Macarena. Roberto was also one of the vocalists and co-founders (with Hernando Barbosa) of the short-lived La Bandita, where he was known as “Urquijo” and had a big hit with ‘Libre soy’ in 1979. Prior to that, Roberto replaced Juan Piña in Los Hermanos Martelo in 1975 and later joined Grupo Raíces in the 1980s for a couple of albums. He also became a vocalist with Grupo Niche when Alfonso “Moncho” Santana quit, though he left without appearing on any Niche releases. On this album the previously mentioned ‘Rebelión’ of Joe Arroyo kicks off side two but bears the completely different title ‘El Mulato’ and is credited to Adela Martelo de Arroyo, Joe Arroyo’s wife at the time (Arroyo was signed exclusively to Discos Fuentes). The arrangement, by Enrique Aguilar, is also quite different from ‘Rebelión’ with an introduction that sounds inspired by Tite Curet Alonso’s composition ‘Plantación adentro’ (from “Willie Colon Presents Rubén Blades Metiendo Mano!”, 1977) but it contains all the elements of Joe’s later global smash with the exception of being rhythmically more of a cumbia than a salsa. At the time it was not promoted by Zeida as a hit, with only one 45 single being released from the album, featuring two songs by Colombian composers, ‘Hijo de gitana’ (a bouncy cumbia by Juvenal Viloria) and a smoking salsa version of Joaquín Bedoya’s ‘Déjala que se vaya’. Arroyo is said to have presented ‘El mulato’ to Fruko (his bandleader at the time), and it was recorded but was shelved due to a vocal take that Fruko deemed sub-par. When Arroyo left Fruko y sus Tesos and formed his own band, La Verdad, producer Isaac Villanueva looked through the Fuentes archives for material and stumbled on the original Fruko recording. Arroyo decided to re-record the whole song, changing the intro (to avoid any legal issues with Curet Alonso) and the title to clarify the main theme: the injustice of slavery and black resistance to it. And so, with Michi Sarmiento’s brilliant arrangement plus La Verdad’s modern reinterpretation of the nearly decade old tune, ‘Rebelión’ became a mega-hit even in Asia and Africa and Arroyo’s fame shot around the world and made him the international legend he remains to this day, eight years after his untimely demise. Besides the aforementioned ‘El mulato’, the title track ‘Soy la ley’ is a dance floor burner and comes from the pen of Joe Arroyo as well, as does ‘Mi cariño no espera’, which is another cumbia/salsa hybrid. To these ears, one of the voices singing coro (chorus) on the album sounds a lot like Joe Arroyo, who was Roberto’s friend from back in the early 70s when Arroyo sang with Colombia’s La Protesta. Aside from the Arroyo originals, there is the super hot guaguancó ‘Son Candela’ by the venerable Cuban singer/composer Joseíto Fernández, the guajira son ‘En la inmensa soledad’, made famous by Los Compadres, the upbeat sounding lament ‘Preso sin sentencia’, originally by Puerto Rican plenero and percussionist Rafael Ortiz Escuté (aka Joe Pappy), plus an absolutely burning version of Mexican crooner Armando Manzanero’s 1967 hit ‘Aquel señor’. The record is rounded out by the salsa tune ‘Si ella pregunta por mí’, which was covered in 1980 by Orquesta Borinquen."

Limited edition of 1000 copies in exact replica

We're super happy to announce the release by Sharhabil Ahmed, the actual King of Sudanese Jazz (he actually won that title in a competition in the early 1970s). Sonically it sounds very different from what Jazz is understood to sound like outside of Sudan. It’s an incredible unique mix of rock’n’roll, funk, surf, traditional sudanese music and influences from Congolese sounds. Original copies of Sharhabil recordings are often hard to find, so we’re happy they will now be widely available. Sharhabil was born in 1935 and he is the founding father of the Sudanese Jazz scene. His aim was to modernize Sudanese music by bringing it together with western influences and instrumentation like he summarized it himself in a 2004 interview for „Al Ahram Weekly“: “[...]Haqiba music, you know, was traditional vocal music with little accompaniment beyond a tambourine. When our generation came in the 1960s, we came with a new style. It was a time of worldwide revolution in music. In Europe, the rhythms of swing and tango were being replaced by jazz, samba, rock- and-roll. We were influenced by this rejuvenation in Sudan, too. I started out by learning to play the oud and traditional Sudanese music, and got a diploma from the music institute of Khartoum University. But my ambition was to develop something new. For this, the guitar seemed like the best instrument. Western instruments can approximate the scales of Sudanese music very well. After all, a lot of Western music is originally from Africa. I have absorbed different influences, from traditional Sudanese rhythms to calypso and jazz, and I hold them together in my music with no difficulty.” Referring to its sonic apperance, Sudanese Jazz hasn’t too much in common with the western idea of Jazz. Sharhabil’s sound feels more like a unique combination of surf, rock n roll, funk, Congolese music and East African harmonies a.o. So it kind of made sense to me, while visiting him in Sudan, to see the records he kept over the years: 2 of his own and 2 by Mulatu Astatke signed to him, further proving the influence of Ethiopian and other neighboring countries. In fact, Sharhabil was not just one of many Sudanese Jazz artist. He is a king of Jazz, literally, since in he won a competion over other artists for that title.