Two early calypso albums on Capitol Records – both pretty unique! First up are some of the first-ever recordings by Harry Belafonte – material recorded in 1949, with Pete Rugolo backings that are really amazing – as jazzy and modern as anything Rugolo did for other singers of the ... (Vocalists, Global Grooves)read moreCD
13 songs from Busi Mhlongo, Mzwakhe Mbuli, Soshanguve Black Tycoons, Condry Ziqubu, Mfiliseni Magubane, Tsepo Tshola, Malopoets, and Omthenjwa. CD
(Out of print.)
Tinariwen —
Emmaar ... CD Anti, 2014. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Maybe the greatest record so far from Tinariwen – and a set that definitely has them really honing their amazing guitar-based skills, yet all without sounding commercial or crossover at all! The album's got a fullness that we've never heard before from the group – kind of a righteous ... read moreCD
A really great compilation put out by the folks at Red Hot – an organization dedicated to "Fighting Aids Through Popular Culture". Previous sets by the group have focussed on jazz, bossa, and other music – and this time around, the focus is Africa, currently suffering from a ... read moreCD
One of the most compelling Bill Laswell productions of the 90s – partly because the work of Maleem Mahmoud Ghania is so great – and also because tenor genius Pharoah Sanders turns in some great work on the set! The core sound comes from Ghania's roots in gnawa – vocals and ... read moreCD
We really loved the first volume in this series, and this second entry maybe goes even deeper into the unique territory of the collection – a genre that's maybe all its own, with a really cool blend of older tracks and contemporary numbers, all served up with a laidback sort of vibe! There's ... (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves)read moreCD
John Berberian & The Middle Eastern Ensemble —
Middle Eastern Rock ... CD Verve/Modern Harmonic, 1969. New Copy ...
Just Sold Out!
Don't think "rock", think "groove" – because oud player John Berberian takes his instrument into some very groovy territory here – mixing its Mid-East roots with a sweet array of modal rhythms and psychedelic elements – all of which make for an album that's ... read moreCD
Music from Dengue Fever, Les Boukakes, Tinariwen, Ba Cissoko, Hip Hop Hoodios, Balkan Beat Box, Albert Kuvezin & Yat-Kha, Alms For Shanti, Yela, Donna Maria, and more. CD
A classic session of pounding percussion – quite possibly the most successful entry into this earthy genre that hit the recording scene at the end of the 50s! Babatunde Olatunji is joined here by a great assemblage of players – including Montego Joe and Baba Hawthorne Bey on percussion ... read moreCD
Various —
Rai Rebels ... CD Earthworks/Virgin (UK), 1988. Used ...
$4.99
With selections by Chaba Fadela, Cheb Sahraoui, Cheb Hamid, Chaba Zahouania, Cheb Khaled, and Houari Benchenet. CD
Seun Anikulapo Kuti returns with another strorming set of neo classic Afro Funk in the great tradition of his father – once again fronting the incredible Egypt 80 group! It's remarkable stuff that finds Seun – the youngest son of Fela – standing up as a visionary talent. He's ... read moreCD
Art Ensemble Of Soweto (Art Ensemble Of Chicago) —
America – South Africa ... CD AECO/DIW, 1989/1990. Used ...
$16.99
A second pairing of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and the Amabutho Male Chorus – one that's indicated not just in the title of the record, but in a changing of the group's name! The sound here is even more Afro-styled than the previous effort – coming across right from the start with a ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
(Out of print 1991 Japanese pressing, includes obi.)
Orchestra Baobab —
Bamba ... CD Sterns (UK), 1980/1981. Used ...
$9.99
More killer work from Senegal's legendary Orchestra Baobab! This CD collects music from two of the band's best late-period albums, Mouhamadou Bamba (1980) and Sibou Odia (1981), both cut prior to the band's celebrated Pirate's Choice sessions. All of the group's trademarks are present – the ... read moreCD
The mighty Mulatu Astatke has given us lots of amazing music over the years – key records both home in Ethiopia and here in the US – yet this performance may well be one of his most special, as it unites the legendary musician with a host of giants from the American scene – all in ... read moreCD
(Out of print. Individual performances from the Timeless box set – featuring the performance on CD and DVD! DVD is NTSC coded, Region 0.)
A magnificent set from the Chicago Afrobeat Project – the kind of group that makes us plenty proud we live in the Windy City! The record's got a quality that's a bit more ambitious than you might guess – a complicated style that's still plenty grooving, but which really features some ... read moreCD
A great lost album from the end of the Black Ark era! Originally recorded for Island records in the late 70s, this set has Scratch teaming up with a pair of Congolese musicians for an amazing fusion of his spacey reggae vision with their Zairian roots in Zouk music. Includes "African ... (Reggae, Global Grooves)read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Faada Freddy —
Golden Cages ... CD Universal (France), 2024. New Copy ...
$12.9916.99
Faada Freddy already has a very striking style – a blend of gospel and soul with some elements of his Senegalese roots – yet here, he pushes the boundaries even more by just working with voice and human percussion elements, but in a mode that makes for a mighty full groove! Freddy's ... (Neo Soul, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Birigwa —
Birigwa ... CD Seeds/Porter, 1972. Used ...
$4.99
A strangely beautiful set of African-tinged folksy soul – with a sound that's pretty darn tough to describe! Birigwa plays guitar and sings – and he's got a breezy style that sounds a bit like Letta Mbulu on some tracks – but a bit more folksy on others, given the largely ... read moreCD
An incredible leap forward for Antibalas – a record filled with bolder sounds and deeper grooves than ever before – and one that even tops the already-great sound of their previous albums! The mix of modes here is really amazing – some of the group's familiar Afro-Funk at the ... read moreCD
Art Ensemble Of Soweto (Art Ensemble Of Chicago) —
America – South Africa ... CD DIW/Columbia, 1989/1990. Used ...
$8.99
A second pairing of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and the Amabutho Male Chorus – one that's indicated not just in the title of the record, but in a changing of the group's name! The sound here is even more Afro-styled than the previous effort – coming across right from the start with a ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Eleven covers from Mark Cass, Kawika Lum Ho, Mark Cass with Uketopia, Herb Ohta Jr, Keoki Kahumoku, Rick Cunha, Sean Na'auao, Luisa Finau, Michael Piranha,and Andy Sexton. (Now Sound, Global Grooves)CD
Music from Compagnie Jellouli & Gdih, Malouma, Tinariwen, Hasna El Becharia, Chet Fewet, Aziza Brahim, Nayim Alal, Mariem Hassan, Tartit Ensemble, Seckou Maiga, Groupe Oyiwane, Kel Tin Lokiene, and Sahraoui Bachir. CD
Guitars from the desert by Tinariwen – a group with Malian roots, and a sound that's all their own – certainly one of the most distinct approaches in the global music scene of the early 21st Century! The album's got production that's tighter than some of their previous efforts, but a ... read moreCD
A damn soulful album from Ghanaian percussionist Rim Kwaku Obeng – recorded in LA at the end of the 70s, with loads of sweet clubby touches in the mix! Rim gets in plenty of tight percussion – lots of which showcases his rim-heavy approach to the drums – and also plays keyboards ... read moreCD
Fantastic sounds for fans of funk and rock alike – music from the freaky, fuzzy 70s scene in Zambia – a place where styles effortlessly criss-crossed to really produce something new and unique! The work here is often heavy on fuzz guitars, but also has some wickedly soulful basslines ... read moreCD
It's easy to wake up with grooves this great – a searing back of 70s Afro Rock gems that are also surprisingly funky, too! The tunes here do a wonderful job of mixing psych currents and headier rhythms – a great blend of the burning Afro Funk trends that were happening in Nigeria at ... read moreCD
Some of the heaviest work to come from the African scene of the 70s – the initial offering of the Ngozi Family – a group who clearly take strong inspiration from the Cream years of the UK scene, but who also come across with a grittier, punkier vibe overall – thanks to lean, ... read moreCD
The "nuggets" in the title is very well placed here – as all the cuts here have every bit as much freak and fuzz as the American garage and pre-punk work chronicled famously on the lengendary Nuggets series! Yet these tracks are all even more obscure, and all come from African ... read moreCD
A funky psychedelic kaliedoscope of grooves from India – killer numbers from the 70s and into the early 80s – Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga, from the folks who put together the equally heavy Psych-Funk 101 and Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas compilations! Most of cuts here have a raw, fuzzed out ... (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A full plate of funky freakout grooves from the Turkish scene – compiled one and all from 7-inch records made from the end of the 60s to the dawn of the 80s! It's a mix of psych folk, funk, more traditional buzzing strings and hypnotic melodies – pretty wonderful all the way! Turkey's ... (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Idrissa Soumaoro —
Ampsa ... CD Mr Bongo (UK), 1978. New Copy ...
$11.9913.98
A beautiful album from Idrissa Soumaoro and L'Eclipse – one recorded during a time of great political unrest in Mali, and a set that was never commercially issued – but just originally given away by the Malian Association for the Blind! The album's got all the power of earlier albums ... read moreCD
A killer contemporary set from Gyedu Blay Ambolley – one of the Afro Funk heroes of the 70s, still sounding fantastic after all these years! The album was all recorded at Ambolley's Simigiwa Studios in Ghana – and arrangements, instrumentation, and production are all in a very classic ... read moreCD
Recorded By Colin Turnbull and Francis S Chapman. CD
(Large cutout notch through barcode.)
Francisco Mora Catlett —
Mora/Mora 2 ... CD AACE/Far Out (UK), Late 80s. New Copy ...
$9.9916.99
A pair of great albums back to back – both rare albums from a percussionist who worked with Sun Ra! First up is Mora volume 1 – a legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Nomade Orchestra —
EntreMundos ... CD Far Out (Brazil), 2017. New Copy ...
$7.9916.99
A second great set from Nomade Orchestra – a Brazilian group who bring a trans-global approach to jazz-based instrumentation – with a resulting sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of! These guys aren't in the usual Brazilian groove, and they're also not like some of the Afro ... read moreCD
An amazing bit of funk from early 70s Brazil – an ultra-rare album, but one that almost beats some of the bigger Brazilian classics of the time! The recording has a very unusual approach – a non-stop blend of songs on each side – which makes for long, continuous tracks that mix ... (Brazil, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A Brazilian group, but one who play with a wonderfully spiritual sound – with currents of jazz that take us back to the early 70s years of Strata East and Impulse Records, but given perhaps a bit more of a contemporary twist! The large lineup definitely lives up to the orchestra in their ... read moreCD
Atahualpa Yupanqui —
L'Integrale (5CD set) ... CD Le Chant Du Monde (France), Late 1960s/1970s. Used 5 CDs ...
$29.99
Laurent Bardianne & Tigre D'Eau Douce —
Eden Beach Club ... CD Heavenly Sweetness (France), 2024. New Copy ...
$14.99
A jazz record, but one with a vibe that's all its down – and a sound that definitely echoes some of the tropical elements hinted at in the title and on the cover! Laurent Bardainne is a saxophonist who blows with a really rich sound – nicely soulful, and with a raspy, laidback quality ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
KOG —
Zone 6 – Agege ... CD Heavenly Sweetness/Pura Vida (France), 2022. New Copy ...
$14.9919.99
The first-ever solo album from Kweku of Ghana – who you've likely heard as KOG on projects with Nubiyan Twist, Onipa, and others – really sounding great here with a colorful vibe that really fits the image on the cover! The rhythms percolate nicely throughout – lean beats mixed ... read moreCD
The world of Dexter Story just keeps getting bigger and bigger – not just because he's a richly collaborative player, but also because he's got this musical style that really opens up to so many different elements – but without ever sounding like he's trying to crash them together in ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A really mind-bending collection of African grooves – one that digs deep into the West African scene of the early 70s – and comes up with a massive batch of tunes that really opens up our understanding of the music! The sound here isn't just 70s Afro Funk – as the tunes include a ... read moreCD
With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
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 moreCD
A set of merengue tracks, but from a very focused source – as the package features all numbers recorded in the Dominican Republic during the 60s and 70s – often with a groove that sets them apart from the rest! The rhythms here are often blindingly fast – so much so, you might be ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A record that features a slightly expanded concept on the ideas that Astor Piazzolla had unleashed with his Zero Hour album – all those incredible twists and turns he'd been using to transform Argentine modern music – roots in the tango, but expressions that are up there with some of ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Dave Samuels on vibraphone and marimba, Romero Lubambo on guitar, Dario Eskenazi on piano, Ray Vega on trumpet and flugelhorn, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Roberto Quintero on congas and percussion, Dafnis Prieto on drums and timbales, Mark Walker on drums, and Cafe on ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Heavy funk from the Bahamas – a whole bunch of groups that will show you that Nassau had a lot more to offer than The Beginning Of The End! The groove here is totally wonderful – somewhat like American funk of the late 60s and early 70s, but served up with some very unusual rhythmic ... read moreCD
An amazing world of music – rare funk, soul, reggae, and other grooves from Belize – all beautifully compiled in the rich Numero Music style! We're really stunned by the set – as we had no idea at all that Belize had anything going on at this level – and the collection is ... read moreCD
A great collection of non-LP material and other rare gems from one of the key figures in the Turkish psychedelic scene – an amazing artist who managed to take rootsy themes and melodies, and mix them with some really heavy duty guitar – all to create a freaky, fuzzy batch of music that ... (Rock, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Killer work from this funky Finnish combo – a group who celebrate a strong decade in music with this really wonderful set! The Blassics bring in all the right sort of influences from African funk of years back, especially Ethiopian music – and they spin out tracks that are often nice ... (Deep Funk, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Sweet grooves from the Duomo Sounds label – a short-lived Nigerian imprint who cut some mighty funky sounds at the start of the 80s! The title here uses the word "disco", but these cuts have none of the strings and polish of the sounds you'd hear at Studio 54 – as most ... read moreCD
Livy Ekemezie —
Friday Night ... CD Linic Major/Odion Livingstone (UK), Early 80s. New Copy ...
$7.9918.99
A rare boogie set from the Nigerian scene – but one that also has the power to circle the globe with a universal sense of soul – as you might guess by the cosmopolitan look of Livy Ekemezie on the cover! The set's got a very strong tie to the grooves of the New York scene of the time ... read moreCD
The one and only album by Mali's Sidi Yassa De Kayes – a beautiful group who really transcend any easy labels or genre conventions! The style here is almost more personal than some of the other large ensembles in Mali at the time – as the feel is pretty raw and up-close throughout, ... read moreCD
Apples —
Mind Twister ... CD Odion Livingstone (UK), 1978. New Copy ...
$7.9918.99
A legendary group from the 70s Nigerian scene – one who could be as trippy as they were funky – often in ways that had them using studio production to really get some cool effects from their vocals and guitar! There's a spacey edge to most of these tracks – one that comes through ... read moreCD
Really rare grooves from an incredibly obscure scene – and that's saying a lot, given how many global sounds have been circulating in recent years! The cuts here represent a unique outpouring of funky club styles from the nation of Surinam – tracks recorded by a handful of groups in ... read moreCD
A groundbreaking set of work from the team of Jef Gilson and Hal Singer – a uniquely cross-cultural session recorded in the Paris scene of the 70s, and easily some of the best work ever from both musicians! Singer's probably best remembered on these shores for his older R&B tenor work of ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Insanely wonderful work from Shango Dance Band – a group headed by onetime Fela Kuti bandmate Ojo Okeji – whose bass work here is worth the price of admission alone! Okeji was a key part of Fela's Koola Lobitos, until leaving the group in 1968 – and taking some of the best ... read moreCD
Charif Megarbane —
Marzipan ... CD Habibi Funk (Germany), 2023. New Copy ...
Just Sold Out!
A cool contemporary set from Beirut producer Charif Megarbane – a set served up in a style he bills as "Lebrary" – which is a combination of Lebanese elements with a classic sound library aesthetic! The tunes here are short, funky, and colorful – and almost feel like ... read moreCD
Various —
12 Bombazos Bailables ... CD Discos Fuentes/Vampi Soul (Spain), Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy ...
$7.9916.99
A dozen heavy groovers from the legendary Discos Fuentes – pulled from a time when the Colombian label was really finding its sound and strengths – mixing together older strands of Afro Cuban inspiration with a special vibe that would soon make their scene rival the Latin music power of ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Andres Landero —
Yo Amaneci ... CD Vampi Soul (Spain), Late 60s/1970s/Early 80s. New Copy ...
$11.9916.99
Andres Landero has a pretty wild look on the cover here – and the sound of his music is equally wild, too – a very raw, rootsy approach to cumbia – very much in the most hard-edged style of the genre, with a quality that often feels more ancient than the 70s recording dates of ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Bola Johnson —
Man No Die ... CD Vampi Soul (Spain), Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy 2 CDs ...
$5.9924.99
A stunning collection of work from Bola Johnson – a key figure on the scene in Lagos in the years before Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade! Johnson's style here really shows Nigerian music at the crossroads – upbeat elements of early highlife informing the rhythms with plenty of lean guitar ... read moreCD
Segun Bucknor —
Who Say I Tire ... CD Vampi Soul (Spain), Early 70s. New Copy 2CD ...
$5.9924.99
Heavy Nigerian funk from the great Segun Bucknor – an artist who was working during the same Afro Funk revolution as Fela Kuti & Africa 70, but one who never fully got the exposure he deserved on a global level! By the time of these cuts, Segun had already been working hard in a variety ... read moreCD
Massive work from this funky Nigerian cat – a set that offers up a key mix of James Brown funk and home-grown elements – all in a blend that's totally unique! The 1970 album mixes together equal parts African highlife and American soul – making for a style that's heavy one minute ... read moreCD
Music from Sonora Carruseles, Joe Arroyo Y La Verdad, La Sonora Dinamita, Los Nemus Del Pacifico, Gabino Pampini, Los Titanes, Fruko y sus Tesos, The Latin Brothers, Los Del Caney, Yolanda Rayo, Los Golden Boys, and more. CD
(Promo copy. Crease through rear tray card.)
Osibisa —
Osibisa/Woyaya ... CD Decca/BGO (UK), 1971. New Copy 2 CDs ...
$14.9919.98
Heavy-jamming Afro Funk from Osibisa – the group's first 2 albums, back to back in one 2 CD package! Osibisa were one of the most popular Afro Funk groups of their generation – with a globe-spanning influence that made them as well-received over here in the US as they were in their ... read moreCD
Gidon Kremer on violin, Friedrich Lips on accordion, Per Arne Glorvigen on bandoneon, Vladimir Tonkha on cello, Michel Portal on clarinet, Alois Posch on double bass, Elisabeth Chojnacka on harpischord, Mark Pekarsky on percussion, and Vadim Sakharov on piano. (Jazz, Global Grooves)CD
Incredible work by Randy Weston – light years ahead of his trio material from just a few years before! The album is one of his most progressive from the early years, and features an extended suite dedicated to the newly-won freedoms of the African Nations – with occasional lyrics by ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
The great drummer Tony Allen left our planet all too soon – but not before cutting this fantastic album as part of the Jazz Is Dead series – a killer record that may be one of the best he's given us in the past decade or so! The format here is different than some of Tony's other ... (Deep Funk, Global Grooves)read moreCD
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 ... (Brazil, Global Grooves)read moreCD