Global Grooves — In Stock — CDs  

A contemporary set, but one that's unlike any other recent Brazilian recording we can think of – given the very unique vibe that Mauricio Maestro is going for! You might know Mauricio from his mid 70s work with Joyce on Visions Of Dawn – and although this set is a recent recording, it... read more

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The last album ever issued by the enigmatic studio collective Mandigo – a batch of British musicians, but recording here in the best Afro Rock mode of the 70s sound library scene! As with some of the best British projects of this nature, there's a lot of different elements at play in the mix... read more

Brilliant modern jazz from German trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff – recording here in 1964, but sounding years ahead of his time, with an amazing a blend of jazz and Asian styles! The album's one of Mangelsdorff's best ever – a set of rhythmic tunes that seem clearly informed by the... read more

A sweet mix of Spanish and Cuban styles – as Pedrito Martinez takes on some older flamenco tunes, but in ways that have a really old school Havana sort of sound! Pedrito's vocals are served up with plenty of soul – and backed with tight guitar from Nino Josele, whose dexterity on the... read more

Sweet South African soul from Hugh Masekela – a set that shows that Hugh's greatness certainly hasn't dimmed with time! There's a warm, captivating sound to the record that draws us in right away – a maturity to Masekela's approach – a depth that not only stretches back to his... read more

A compelling combination of Brazilian forro and jazz, with a touch of American roots thrown in for good measure – all served up in a style that's pretty darn unique! Bold accordion lines are at the lead on most numbers – much more Brazilian than any sort of US or European use of the... read more

One of the hippest albums ever cut by Letta Mbulu – a perfect mix of her Soweto roots and the funky styles of her adopted California home! The album's the only one that Mbulu ever recorded for Fantasy Records – and the style brings together those great sing-song vocal modes perfected... read more

Funky sitar work – but recorded in pre-revolution Iran – a really amazing blends of scenes and sounds from the legendary Abbas Mehrpouya! Abbas' music has hardly been heard outside of his own nation – especially given the cultural crackdown of the past 30 years – and this... read more

Weird and wild sounds from contemporary Bogota – music that's got a very old school quality at its core, yet which also mixes in plenty of experimentation with the rhythms! Think of this as an old Colombian record with analogue electronics and sound samples – or some other-worldly... read more

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This is definitely not your father's calypso – no living room limbo or Harry Belafonte cliches – and instead, a smoking batch of Caribbean grooves from The Mighty Sparrow! Sparrow was very much on the edge of the best styles in the 60s and early 70s – and although his basic... read more

Music from Mozambique by two acts – Mil Quinhento 1500 & Conjunto Popombo De Nampula and Conjunto Nimala De Lalauah.... read more

Turkish folk meets fuzzier rock – in a unique cross-crossing of styles that comes off beautifully! From the cover and the start of the record, you might think it's just a bunch of traditional numbers – but as the set moves on, things get a bit weirder – and some unexpected... read more

The second album from Mombasa – and possibly even better than the first! The group have really come into their own by the time of this date – mixing together jazz and African roots with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of – quite unique in its approach to rhythms,... read more

Seminal Afro Funk from Monomono – a killer combo from singer/percussionist Joni Haastrup, with a groove that's right up there with the best acts on the Lagos scene of the 70s! There's a nice degree of warmth in the music – thanks to some complicated guitar and basslines, which don't... read more

Massive music from Monomono – and a set of Afro Funk put together with a wonderful criss-crossing of sounds! The style here isn't just the familiar grooves you might expect – and instead, there's almost a post-colonial vibe going on – an ear towards London, and another towards... read more

One of the most compelling albums we've heard from Luaka Bop in awhile – a set of tracks that draws from Sierra Leone roots and 70s African psych – all recorded with an intensity and urgency that really drives the album along, right from the get-go! Rhythms are fast, but never out of... read more

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A landmark of 70s Afro-styled jazz – and the first album by this famous underground collective! Oneness of Juju were a Washington DC-based group that grew out of the ashes of the Juju avant jazz ensemble – formed in the culturally rich African-American community of DC in the 70s, with... read more

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A reissue of their 1982 release Agwaya, plus bonus tracks.... read more

The first record in years from these Afro Funk giants – but don't hold it against them, as the whole thing's pretty darn wonderful! There's a rich, vibrant sound here that really lives up to the group's legacy from years back – and production is right on the money to keep things right... read more

The title gets it perfectly right on this sweet little set – as the grooves are raw and stripped down – often just to the core elements of Afro Funk! The music may be the most hard-hitting we've ever heard from this legendary combo – and it's served up beautifully in this well-sel... read more

One of the most incredible African collections we've ever heard – almost more amazing than the African Scream Contest set from the same label! The package focuses on work by Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou – a group who really live up to their name, by bringing in a host of... read more

A really wonderful third album from Osibisa – and a record that really crystallizes the group's sound into a trademark blend of African roots and more progressive-styled jamming! There's a mode here that's perfect for the cross-cultural London of the post-colonial 70s – a style that... read more

An album that definitely packs a powerful punch – thanks to a compelling blend of sounds from both London and Kenya, brought together in a whole new formation of African groove! The album's a wicked reworking of an older aesthetic – in a spirit that's similar to the really inventive... read more

A motherlode of music from the legendary Tunji Oyelana – a key figure in Nigerian music from the late 60s onward – with an influence that's almost as important as Fela's! Tunji's style is pretty darn funky, but different too – almost a pan-African sort of range that encompasses... read more

A groovy little set – one that mixes up Afro Funk influences with bits of Italian sound library grooving – but all with a contemporary twist that's mighty nice! Guglielmo Pagnozzi handles alto sax, farfisa, and even some percussion – and his horn really dominates the sound on... read more

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A weird little record from the Nigerian scene of the 70s – much more laidback than you might expect, and a set with a definite Jamaican influence too! At times, some of these tracks are almost more reggae than Afro Funk – although at other points, there's definitely the fierce energy... read more

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A Spanish group, but one with a sound that's heavy on Afro Funk – served up here in a culturally criss-crossing way that really lives up to the enigmatic title! There's some exotic moments that definitely echo the ancient strains you'd hear in Ethiopian and Egyptian funk – mixed with... read more

Dramatic funk from 70s Iran – some really compelling grooves, set to rich vocals by the lovely Ramesh! The approach here definitely borrows bits from Western culture – some rhythms and elements that echo American mainstream soul and funk of the time, with moogy touches too – but... read more

A mix of jazzy modes and rootsy percussion – put together on the Paris scene of the 90s, at a time when genres were really getting a lot of chance to cross over in styles! Some tunes are more electric than others, but the instrumentation changes throughout – and makes for a nice set of... read more

Raw percussion, brass and party-ready global grooves from Brooklyn combo Red Baraat! Eclecticism is a big part of the picture here – with diverse strains of styles from around the world – with a bit of an emphasis on Eastern percussive funk, thanks to the dhol drum being such a key... read more

Kind of an amazing collaboration – a core group that features Tony Allen, Damon Albarn, and Flea – with guest appearances by Erykah Badu, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Fatoumata Diawara, M.anifest, Cheick Tidiane Seck, and Thundercat! The sound of the set is surprisingly wonderful –... read more

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Insanely fantastic! Ananda Shankar was one of the hippest sitar players of the 60s – an artist who was not only steeped in the strongest traditions of Indian music heard in other more mainstream players, but one who also had a keen ear for modder and funkier grooves of the time! This rare... read more

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Not the whole life of Ravi Shankar in music – and instead, a really cool concentration of work from one of his greatest periods ever – that magical late 50s/early 60s moment when he was completely transforming the sound of Indian music, and beginning to have an influence on the wider... read more

A unique set by the great Ravi Shankar – one of his trippiest albums ever, and originally recorded as a soundtrack for the film Viola! There's plenty of elements that resonate with some of Shankar's other studio work of the 60s – but there's also a much darker feel overall –... read more

Two rare Argentine albums from Vera Sienra – back to back on a single CD, with great notes too! Nuestra Soledad is a tremendous debut, and unlike anything that we can easily put into words – fado in style, but carried off in a way that's more bossa nova overall – yet done with a... read more

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Unusual stuff – a spoken word document on Haitian culture, presented entirely in French! Maurice Sixtoo has a pretty compelling speaking style – and the album features one long recitation, which takes up both sides of the record!... read more

The collected mid 70s psych/prog/funk rock of Benny Soebardja – a beacon from the Indonesian scene and for underground rock the world over – with nearly all of the material from his 3 great albums with his Lizard group! The Lizard Years is made up of tracks from the albums Lizard, Gut... read more

We've always loved these guys – but they really blow us away with this smoking album – a set that has them funkier than ever, yet also reaching out to embrace some great new styles too! The Afro Funk of their core is still firmly in place – yet there's also wider echoes of global... read more

The cover may look a bit goofy, but the music is completely sublime – strong tenor sax lines from Momo Wandel Soumah, mixed with light instrumentation that includes balafon, kora, djembe, and guitar! Soumah doesn't exactly play jazz, but he does have an inventive, personal touch on the... read more

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Astralasia Swordfish mix, Phil Kirby Radio, Guy Called Gerald Carnatic mix, Guy Called Gerald Kirk's Garage mix, Graham Massey 808 mix, Guy Called Gerald Jailbit... read more

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Funky and trippy at the same time – a wonderful batch of grooves from Super Borgou De Parakou – an overlooked group from Benin with a very unique sound! The rhythms are tight, and production often has these crispy little edges that make for some nice touches of fuzz where you might not... read more

Ten years in for the Tabou Combo – and the group's sounding funkier than ever! The album's got a groove that's even tighter than some of their earliest records – and there's a definite funky feel to the music at times – not just Haitian styles, but a nice US influence too –... read more

An even fuller sound than before from Taraf De Haidouks – as their string-heavy approach is mixed with lots of bold horns from the Kocani Orkestar! The two great Balkan bands merge together here – working together in an extended set that somehow takes all their best elements to create... read more

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Afro-psychedelia from Chrissy Zebby Tembo – a set recorded in the Zambian scene of the early 70s, and served up in a blend of fuzzy guitar, funky drums, and some really unusual vocals! At times, Chrissy's voice almost sounds like it's being processed – filtered down nicely amidst the... read more

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Trippy rock from the three Hurel brothers of Turkey – a fuzzed-up, freaked-out trio that comes off with some great psychedelic touches! The sound here is a great blending of modes – similar to some of the other Turkish rock from the time that merged electric guitar with folkloric... read more

The first album by trippy Turkish trio 3 Hur El – a great blend of Eastern sounds and western styles – all coming together with a slightly progressive feel! The instrumentation often includes some heavy basslines underneath lighter lines on acoustic strings – a blend of folksy... read more

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Beautiful sounds from Makan Badje Tounkara – a Malian griot who works here on a small-stringed lute with a really evocative style! The recording is contemporary, but the core instrument has a really ancient feel – not surprising, given that its origins go back to ancient Egypt –... read more

A contemporary record, but one with a wonderfully ancient sound – unique interplay between Greek instrumentation and acoustic bass – used in ways that make the record feel like some lost bit of Balkan genius from years back! The trio features guitar, upright bass, and tzouras –... read more

A pretty cool little group from Cyprus – one who work here in a hypnotically stripped-down sound! The trio claim their style as "Greek blues" – but the overall sound is much more exotic – and the only bluesy element may well be in the way the music is recorded –... read more

One of the greatest steel band records ever – and a hip hop sample classic from way back! Sure, there were other hip steel bands back in the 70s – but nobody else ever got as far as 20th Century – ending up on a major label, cutting some key funky covers, and crossing over with... read more

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Amazing music from the legendary Barney Wilen – previously unreleased African recordings, done around the same time as his classic Moshi album! Although Wilen was best known as a hardbop giant in both his later and early years, the late 60s also marked a period of really rich experimentation... read more

A landmark record – and most likely the best of the late 60s Jazz Meets The World series on MPS! The album features a unique ensemble comprised of a few core parts – The Indian Trio of Dewan Mothihar on sitar and vocal, Keshave Sathe on tabla, and Kusum Thakur on tambura; the Irene... read more

Amazing sounds from Witch – a Zambian group of the 70s, and easily one of the heaviest things happening in Africa at the time! Witch stands for "we intend to create havoc" – and the group's style here definitely gets that vibe right – serving up a heady brew of fuzzy... read more

Includes the "Mantra","Vipassana", "Loving Kindness", "Karma Yoga", and "Kabbalah" meditations.... read more

Some of the hippest sounds ever recorded on the Afghan scene – and a great reminder that the nation's got some standout music if you know where to look! The package combines the second and third volumes in Pharaway's look at Ahmad Zahir – a charismatic singer who rose to huge fame in... read more

Sublime vocal work from a contemporary Georgian ensemble – but one who work strongly in the best ancient modes of the Eastern world! The group have an amazing polyphonic approach – voices rising and falling, crossing and turning, coming together in a way that's far more than usual... read more

One of the best combinations of African and European modes we've heard in awhile – thanks to some great overall production and execution! Belgian singer Stef Lamil Carlens works here with Burkina Faso musicians Awa Deme and Mamadou Diabate Kibie – in this very cool blend of rootsy,... read more

One of the coolest African collections we've seen in years – a beautiful assortment of untapped grooves from the 70s, put together with a massive booklet that sets a whole new standard in packaging! The grooves here are different from other Afro Funk collections of the time –... read more

One of the best compilations of Afro Funk titles we've ever stocked – one that goes way past the obvious titles and minor hits of the 70s! Ever tune on here is a gem – and the package even includes a few tunes that were either previously unreleased, or which were only ever issued on... read more

One of the best compilations of Afro Funk titles we've ever stocked – one that goes way past the obvious titles and minor hits of the 70s! Every tune on here is a gem – and the package even includes a few tunes that were either previously unreleased, or which were only ever issued on... read more

15 years of music from the Syliphone label – a key factor in the musical shift during Guinea's first few decades of independence – and home to the new "authenticite" policy of merging older roots and modern musical touches! The styles here are a great overview of the best... read more

Raw sound, indeed – and possibly one of the most hard-hitting compilations so far from the Analog Africa label! There's a quality here that's mighty fresh, and which shows us that there's still plenty of African nuggets to find, if you know where to dig! Much of the music has a dark, moody... read more

It's hard to sum up the sound of a continent in such a tiny package – but the 3CD set is surprisingly rich nonetheless, thanks to a very good track selection, and a tight focus on the hippest material available! The collection mixes both older African grooves with current cuts that represent... read more

Way more than just a standard collection of soundtrack work – and instead, a great package that really shows how global styles can circulate even more strongly than usual when added to films! The package features a whopping 3 discs in all, with 38 tracks total – divided up into one CD... read more

One of the wildest, most stylistically panoramic and awe-inspiring Bollywood collections we've ever heard – seriously, leave all expectations you might have about about Indian film music compilations at the door – this Finders Keepers set culled from decades of Bombay horror soundtracks... read more

One of the wildest, most stylistically panoramic and awe-inspiring Bollywood collections we've ever heard – seriously, leave all expectations you might have about about Indian film music compilations at the door – this Finders Keepers set culled from decades of Bombay horror soundtracks... read more

The brilliant follow up to the first Congotronics album – and a set that goes even deeper than the initial groundbreaking work by Konono! This album follows in a very similar spirit to Konono's Congotronics set – and like that one, focuses on musicians with a unique electro/acoustic... read more

Incredible third coast salsa from the late 70s – amazing stuff from the orquestras of Carlos Ruiz and his Ebirac label – made by singers and players in Chicago's Puerto Rican community of the period that stands up just as well today! Chicago salsa, unlike more nationally popular styles... read more

A superior second volume of tropical cumbia from Vampi Soul – and a more expansive set than the first one, too! The vast majority the the great stuff here comes from the psych and immediate post-psych years– and it has the tripped-out sounds to show for it – but those are... read more

A great compilation of modern Dabke – Syrian dance music with heavy rhythms, chant vocals and uber-insistent beats – and progressive takes on the traditional sounds of the region! It's essentially a modernized take on the traditional celebration music of Houran region – with... read more