An ear-opening collection of work from the Peruvian scene of the late 60s – kind of a secret hotbed of Latin grooves, at least to our American ears – and one that was overflowing with some of the best elements of the small combo scene at the time! These guys clearly take a lot of inspiration from the groundbreaking material of the Joe Cuba Sextet, but they also move the music in lots of other directions too – sometimes with a bit of cumbia in the rhythms, other times more of a descarga mode, and almost always with a lot of jazz instrumentation over the top. There's plenty of the soulful elements you'd expect from the boogaloo reference in the title, but there's also lots more too – served up in a set of 28 gems from the Mag label, with titles that include "Kintos Instrumental" by Los Kintos, "Saludo Maracaibo" by Pedro Miguel Y Sus Maracaibos, "Cumbayea" by Mario Allison Y Su Combo, "La Guarachera" by Nico Estrada Y Su Sonora, "Malambo" by Los Diablos Rojos, "La Charanga Del Espacio" by Carlos Pickling Y Orquesta, and "Busco Una Chiquita" by Coco Lagos Y Sus Orates. (Latin, Funky Compilations) CD

A stunning tribute to the music of Jorge Ben – a host of classic covers from the 60s and 70s, all of which share Jorge's love for an upbeat, soulful groove! The set's exploding with life and energy – that new sort of groove that Ben first unleashed on Brazilian music in the 60s, which was quickly taken up by most of his contemporaries – as you'll hear on the wonderful tunes in this set! There's a ridiculous amount of music on the collection – over two dozen tunes, a number of which we'd never heard before – and although Jorge doesn't sing on any of them, the vocalists are all clearly inspired by his sense of warmth and soul. Every cut's a groover – and titles include "Quem Mandou" by Osmar Milito, "Zazueira" by Wilson Simonal, "Pulo Pulo" by Elza Soares, "Se Voce Quiser Mas Sem Bronquear" by Doris Monteiro, "Tenha Fe Pois Amanha Um Lindo Dia Vai Nascer" and "La Vem Salgueiro" by Os Originais Do Samba, "Carolina Carol Bela" by Os Brazoes, "Speed" by Sonia Santos, "Rei Do Maracatu" by Cyro Aguiar, "Cosa Nostra" by Os Mutreteiros Grilados, "Fio Maravilha" by Marijo, "Pais Tropical" by Wilson Simonal, and "Mas Que Nada" by Elza Soares. (Brazil, Funky Compilations) CD

A stunning array of rare sounds from Togo – a tiny West African nation, but home to a real hotbed of grooves in the 70s and 80s! As with the first volume, the music here is a real revelation – sounds very different than those in nearby Nigeria, often with a slight tropical vibe in the rhythms – almost if there were Caribbean currents flowing east to infect the scene Lome with a very unique sound! Guitars are often right down in the rhythms, but in ways that are different than highlife – funkier, with almost a James Brown influence – but one that's been very changed up in the process! Some of the 80s cuts bring in a bit more beats, basslines, and keyboards – but still in really unique ways – and titles include "Misiqui" by Roger Damawuzan, "Agaza Gbona" by Agboti, "Yansama" by Ali Bawa, "Fati Waka" by Mamo Lagbema, "Kissakpiou" by Napo De Mi Amor, "The End Of All" by Deg Dos, "Habie" by Gregoire Lawani, and "Assini" by Palete Wawa. (Global Grooves, Funky Compilations) CD

The hippest installment so far in the Brazilika series – a mad mix of musical styles from Finders Keepers mainman Andy Votel – all in a freaky, funky, fuzzy blend of sounds! The tracks here are much grittier than the work we're used to hearing from the Far Out label – as Votel's dug through the 60s and 70s vaults of RGE/Som Livre Records to come up with rare Brazilian rock, funk, and other heavy styles from back in the day! As with Votel's reissues on Finders Keepers, there's a sound here that's informed by beathead record collecting – a love of older grooves directed by current musical developments – all with a definite ear for the wilder side of the sound spectrum. Most tracks have a pretty heavy groove – and the styles run from psychedelic rock through Tropicalia-inspired tunes, to post-bossa, Bahian sounds, and more. Titles include "Funga Funga" by Trio Soneca, "Careta" by Betinho, "Modulo Lunar" by Os Brazoes, "Terra Livre" by Abilio Manoel, "Os Bichos" by Trio Soneca, "De Vera" by Novos Baianos, "Ciladas" by Pery Ribeiro, "Se Voce Pensa" by Moraes Moreira, "Flores Belas" by Tim Maia, "1974" by Gerson Conrad & Zeze Motta, "Gamboa" by Brazilian Octopus, "Deixe Entrar Um Pouco D'Agua No Quintal" by Os Mutantes, "Periscopio" by Azimuth, and "Gotham City" by Os Brazoes. (Brazil, Funky Compilations) CD

A fuzzed out treasure trove of rare Brazilian psychedelia – wild stuff that's in many ways akin to the freewheeling sounds of the Tropicalia movement, but not necessarily taking on the cultural and political weight of that movement – and more about the boundless spirit of psychedelia and funk rock around the globe! The sounds are buzzing and indeed fuzzy throughout, ranging from raw and ramshackle guitar jams to more organ and drum driven funky, and it's really incredible stuff all around. We've been purveyors of hard to find Brazilian music for many many years, and this set – compiled by Joel Stones who also provides the richly detailed – brings to light some numbers we've never heard! 16 tracks in all: "Tema De Banana", "Era Uma Nota De" Loyce E Os Gnomes, "I Wanna Be Your Man" by Youngsters, "Ourico" by Serguei, "Lindo Sonho Delirante" by Fabio, "Cinturao De Fog" by Marisa Rossi, 'Som Imaginario De Jimmi Hendrix" by The Pops, "The Lantern" by Mac Rybell and more. CD version comes with a thick booklet of notes, in both English and Portuguese, and it's an enhanced CD – with the short documentary What Are Fuzz Bananas?. CD