Global Grooves — In Stock — CDs  

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

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

A decade's worth of magic from the mighty Hugh Masekela – a sweet little set that brings together some of his most groovy tracks of the late 60s and early 70s – in a collection that's overflowing with goodness! Hugh's got a style here that's unlike anyone else – an approach that's... 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 nicely-done overview of the best work of South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela – featuring tracks from his groundbreaking years at the Chisa, Uni, and Blue Thumb labels! The tracks bring together South African rhythms with a buoyant, celebratory approach to soul jazz – cut by... 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

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

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60s jazz meets Japanese bamboo flute – all in a session with a great mix of groovy and exotic touches! The record's a unique meeting of jazz and folkloric elements – done in a style that's a bit like some of the late 60s sessions of this nature on MPS, but a fair bit groovier overall... 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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Colombian music, both classic and contemporary – as a group of older all-star players comes into contact with Will "Quantic" Holland! The set's easily one of the most smoking Latin-styled projects we've heard from Quantic so far – recorded in Colombia with work from Fruko,... read more

Colombian music, both classic and contemporary – as a group of older all-star players comes into contact with Will "Quantic" Holland! The set's easily one of the most smoking Latin-styled projects we've heard from Quantic so far – recorded in Colombia with work from Fruko,... read more

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

A fantastic record from one of the greatest underground jazz groups of the 70s! Oneness of Juju are perhaps best known for the heavy funk of their first album, African Rhythms – but we're actually partial to this second album – a warmly spiritual batch of soul jazz tracks, and a set... read more

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

A cool collection of singles from this Kenyan group of the 70s – one that focuses on the group's long singles of the time – and features tracks that not only never appeared on full length albums, but which also haven't ever been reissued on CD! Most numbers are well past the five... 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

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

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

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

A lost chapter from the late 60s/early 70s Ghana scene – a great mix of African rhythms & melodies with the raw grit of garage rock, the heavy groove of funk and soul, the swirling and fuzzed out guitars and organ of psychedelia – the Psycho African Beat of The Psychedelic Aliens! ... 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

One of the recent comeback albums cut by Ranglin – the famous Jamaican guitarist who worked heavily early reggae sides, on Monty Alexander's 70s releases for MPS, and who's been getting quite a bit of well deserved recognition these days. The album's got a number of different grooves –... 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

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

A dreamlike flow of elemental sounds and masterful mood from Adam Rudolph & Ralph James – conceived and performed as a dialogue between multi-instrumentalists Adam Rudolph and Ralph Jones on a date at Michigan's Delta College Theatre in 2009! Rudolph works with African percussion and... read more

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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

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Ragas and disco – an amazing little combination, with results that are greater than the sum of its parts! This album's hardly the cheesy affair you might expect – and instead of just adding a few typical Indian flourishes to disco music, Charanjit Singh comes up with a unique new... read more

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

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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

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

Proof that Afro Funk never dies – as long as you know where to look! This set by Ebo Taylor is a contemporary recording, but it's got a damn sharp groove – and hits as hard as any dusty old gem you might find from the 70s – with just the right production to make all the core... read more

A brilliant new album from legendary Ghanaian performer Ebo Taylor – recorded in Berlin and backed by members of Poets Of Rhythm and others from that city's loose collective of international players dubbed the Afrobeat Academy – and the set itself is a great mix of classic Ghana grooves... 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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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

A tropical combo, but one with a definite Haitian bent – from the French-language lyrics, right down to the warm rhythms at the core! The album's got a really great blend of trumpet, guitar, and accordion – the last of which is used more like an organ, in ways that are slow-paced,... 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

Not jazz in any American sense of the music – but some wonderful Tanzanian grooves from the late 70s, often inflected with some really freewheeling work on guitar! The music here is heavy on percussion at the bottom, but has a really sprightly feel overall – perfect for the dancefloor,... read more

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Titles include "Bakwetu", "Mukaji Wanyi", "Esclave", "Bokulaka", and "M Fono Yami".... read more

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

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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

Really wonderful stuff – a collection of totally unique grooves that won't cross over with any of your other African funk compilations! The focus here is on jazz, not funk or soul – and the set features a wealth of great tracks pulled from obscure South African records of the late 70s... read more

Includes tracks by Hugh Masekela, Oliver Mtukudzi, Louis Mhlanga, the Society Vibes, Pahul Hanmer, Lakim, Ernie Smith, Zim Ngqawana, and more.... 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

A far reaching triple platter of Afro Colombian grooves from the late 60s & 70s – propulsive percussion, bursts of brass, hot and heavy Afro Latin funk & soul, with some surprisingly heady and otherworldly sounds permeating some of material – all culled from the vaults of... 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

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