Robert Sput Searight on drums, Nate Werth on percussion, MonoNeon on bass, Dominique Xavier Taplin on keyboards, and Sylvester "Sly5thave' Onyejiaka on saxophone. LP, Vinyl record album

A percussion heavy Latin set from the start of the 80s – one that has a very classic Cuban descarga approach to the instrumentation, yet which also sparkles with some more contemporary arrangements as well! Chico Alvarez handles most of the vocals, and plenty of percussion too – but there's also some great players in the mix on other instruments too – including Felix Vega and Chocolate Armanteros on trumpets, Jose Rodriguez on trombone, and Xavier Lynch on some mighty nice soprano sax and baritone – really giving the whole record a nicely jazzy vibe! Yet the percussion persists too, and with a bit of tres from Victor Trias, there's plenty of very rootsy elements to the record too – on titles that include "Chino's Yambu", "Rumba En El Solar", "Con El Ritmo Del Tambo", "El Eden De Los Roncos", "Pineiro", "Esa Brujeira", and "Yo Tengo A Chango". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those really special records from the French scene of the 70s – a time when the local musicians were mixing sounds with new visitors from the post-colonial years – often with inspiration from American artists too! This set features singer/cultural figure Franck Valmont working with the hip Synchro group – a jazzy combo with some fantastic work on saxes from the great Jo Maka – who you'll know from other albums – alongside keyboardist George Nouel, guitarist Gerard Coubillon, drummer Yves Dolphin, and bassist Louis Xavier – all in this blend of French vocals, jazz instrumentation, and some strong currents from the global scene! The whole thing feels like some of the best cross-cultural experiments on the Saravah Records label – and titles include "Le Blanc Bleute", "Malere", "Ou Te Ke Belle", "Roche L'Anglais", "Mimil", "Petit Bonhomme", and "Quand Le Bateau". LP, Vinyl record album