Legendary reedman Idris Ackamoor is strongly back in action – working here with a new version of his classic Pyramids group from the 70s – with a groove that's every bit as righteous as their classic albums from back in the day! In truth, Ackamoor has been going strongly over the ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes bonus CD.)
King Sunny Ade —
Aura ... LP Island, 1984. Good+ ...
$4.99
The third and tightest of Ade's albums for Island. The sound here is a hybrid of his Ju Ju style with a bit of Afrobeat thrown in, with Tony Allen guesting on one number. The percolating multi-guitar and talking drum sound that was Ade's signature keeps the set gliding along nicely. 6 longer ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Nigerian pressing on Sunny Alade.)
King Sunny Ade —
My Dear ... LP Atom Park (Nigeria), 1986. Very Good- ...
$19.99
The second domestically released album from King Sunny Ade and His African Beats, with the wonderful Ju Ju sound ringing throughout every piece, from the up tempo numbers to the more mellow grooves. Interlocking, chirping guitar parts are layered over nicely percolating rhythms, 9 tracks in all: ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Afrique —
Soul Makossa ... CD Mainstream/Ultra Vybe (Japan), 1973. New Copy ...
$13.99
A killer album of Afro Funk – with a very unusual origin! In the wake of Manu Dibango's big hit (and some kind of failure to register the copyright), many many versions of "Soul Makossa" were recorded and released, some good, some bad. This album is a good example of that ... (Soul, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Edip Akbayram & Dostlar —
Nice Yillara Gulum ... LP Pharaway Sounds (Spain), 1982. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)...
$13.99
An early 80s album from Turkish legend Edip Akbayaram – served up in a style that's more keyboard-oriented than some of the guitar-based Arabesk rock of the 70s – but in a mode that's still pretty darn trippy overall! The keyboards have an approach that's maybe a bit more understated, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Tony Allen —
Black Voices ... LP Kindred Spirits/Comet (France), 1999. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$28.99
A seminal set that really put Tony Allen back on top – a record that showed that Allen was way more than just Fela's drummer, or another Afro Funk artist in general – but instead a really free-thinking, deep-concept musician overall! The album comes from key time that Allen spent on ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Tony Allen —
Source ... LP Blue Note, 2017. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$45.9964.99
One of the coolest records in years from the legendary Tony Allen – and that's saying a lot, given that his legacy includes famous work as a drummer with Fela Kuti, and a much more recent run of very experimental recordings! This set has Tony soaring out on Blue Note – and working with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Otim Alpha —
Gulu City Anthems ... LP Nyege Nyege Tapes (Uganda), Late 2000s/Early 2010s. New Copy 2LP ...
$28.99
Contemporary electronic sounds from Uganda – served up here by an artist who takes older songs of celebration, and reworks them through digital modes at a blistering pace! The grooves here sometimes move at a speed that might have you checking the settings on your turntable – but the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Stunning new work from Gyedu-Blay Ambolley – whose Simigwa album was one of the Afro Funk treasures of the 70s – still sounding great here in the company of some excellent younger musicians! The set's an update of Ambolley's earlier style – a bit in the way that Tony Allen's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great little Bollywood soundtrack by one of key composers of the genre – and one that's still got all the right sort of elements you might expect! There's some really great upbeat tracks – nice groovers that even get a bit funky at times – and which have a few cool instrumental ... read moreCD
Apostles —
Apostles ... CD PMG (Austria), 1976. New Copy ...
$13.99
Fantastic funk from The Apostles – a group who were easily one of the most hard-hitting on the African scene of the 70s – and one who definitely absorbed key currents from a range of American artists – from James Brown through Booker T & The MGs! The groove here is totally ... read moreCD
The Apostles are nice and groovy here – working in this offbeat way that combines upbeat cuts with some unusual mellower numbers – but all at a level that really keeps things interesting throughout! These guys can clearly move with the groove and hit some sharp funky instrumentation at ... read moreCD
Yasko Argirov —
Hot Blood ... CD Felmay (Italy), 2002. Used ...
$4.99
Excellent work from Ayetoro – a group who are always out to show that they're not just another Afro Funk revival band! Instead, these guys work with a groove that's much richer – calling forth older highlife and jazzy styles too – wrapped up with a slight contemporary sensibility ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A definite disco sensation from Babla – a singer who refits older Indian film songs with new club grooves for the 80s – definitely very much in the mode that's promised by the title! The set features older songs by Shankhar Jakishan, Kalyanji Anadji, and Hemant Kumar – plus a few ... read moreCD
One of the most compelling albums we've heard from the African scene of the 70s – a rare set from a Soweto group, and one that's got a heavy dose of spiritual jazz in the mix! The album almost feels more like the kind of set you'd hear by a Paris group, extrapolating African sounds in the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really unique session of world music from the late 60s – recorded by the enigmatic Bauls Of Bengal, a group who were kind of playful tricksters in their Bengali home! "Baul" means "afflicted with the wind disease" – and the group have kind of a "crazyman" ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo pressing. Cover has a center split bottom seam.)
Tsehaytu Beraki —
Selam ... CD Terp (Netherlands), Early 2000s. Used ...
$7.99
Fabulous new recordings from Eritrean singer Tsehaytu Beraki, one of the stars of Ethiopiques 5-Tigrigna Music! A vocal critic of the Mengitsu regime, she was forced to flee her country in the late 80s and eventually settled in Rotterdam where she lived in obscurity until the late 90s, when she ... read moreCD
Their name may be a mouthful, but the Black Children Sledge Funk Band have a groove that's nice and lean – a wicked blend of basslines, percussion, and lots of riffing guitar – plus these very cool keyboards that wander over the grooves and give the whole thing a sweetly spacey vibe! ... read moreCD
Black Disco —
Night Express ... LP Matsuli (UK), 1976. New Copy (reissue)...
$29.99
Don't think "disco", think "funky jazz" – because this sweet South African group from the 70s is filled with lots of groovy twists and turns – all in a mode that's quite different than any of the American or European jazz albums we know from the time! The lineup ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Black Hippies —
Black Hippies ... CD Academy, 1977. New Copy Gatefold ...
$9.9915.98
Hardly the kind of hippies that were always hanging around when we were growing up – as these guys are super tight, super funky, and right on the money throughout – grooving hard in one of the most searing styles of Afro Funk we've ever heard! Older psych modes are turned towards the ... read moreCD
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers —
Drum Suite ... LP Columbia, 1956/1957. Good+ ...
$9.99
An incredible early experimental album from Art Blakey – one of the first to feature him in expanded percussion format! Side one of the album features the extended "Drum Suite" – a set of 3 tracks ("The Sacrifice", "Cubano Chant", and "Oscalypso") ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(6 eye pressing with deep groove. Cover has a split spine and mostly split bottom seam.)
One of the hippest groups of the Nigerian scene of the 70s – presented here in two classic albums, back to back on a single CD! Chapter One is a landmark set of African grooves – very unusual in both conception and execution – with a feel that's unlike anything we can think of! ... read moreCD
Despite the colonialist overtones of the project – sort of the African equivalent to Porgy & Bess, at least in terms of authenticity – this groundbreaking musical was actually a crucial moment in the development of South African jazz. It's unfortunate that the package doesn't list ... (Soundtracks, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An unusual Caribbean soundtrack – issued on the mostly-Latin Tico label! Titles include "Goombay", "Push Push", "Basket On Head", "Stranded", "Coconut Water Rum & Gin", and "Wanna Do Nothing All Day". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing! Cover has some light wear and a cut corner.)
Boukman Eksperyans —
Vodou Adjae ... LP Mango, 1989. Very Good ...
$9.99
RD Burman —
Mukti ... CD Subah Zindagi (UK), Late 70s. New Copy ...
$12.99
A classic soundtrack from Indian film composer Rahul Dev Burman – and one that reminds us just how important the voice was to the format over the years! Unlike some Bollywood soundtracks, which have long upbeat songs that are driving the dance numbers in the film – this score has a ... read moreCD
Fantastic forro from the Brazilian scene of the 60s – a really hard-hitting collection of work from Camarao – and some of the sharpest use of the accordion you'll ever hear! This isn't the accordion of the polka world, Lawrence Welk, Paris musette, or even Tex-Mex music – as the ... (Brazil, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Fantastic forro from the Brazilian scene of the 60s – a really hard-hitting collection of work from Camarao – and some of the sharpest use of the accordion you'll ever hear! This isn't the accordion of the polka world, Lawrence Welk, Paris musette, or even Tex-Mex music – as the ... (Brazil, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is definitely at the core – but the set also features wonderful contributions from Vincent Bowens on tenor and soprano sax, Jerome LeDuff ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Cool Knights —
Bana Mulenga ... LP Private (Italy), Mid 70s. New Copy ...
$19.99
Quite an obscure group from the Zambian scene of the 70s – and one who've got a vibe that's maybe a bit more soulful than some of their better-known Zamrock contemporaries! The octet have a great way of trading voices back and forth with their grooves – in a mode that's almost South ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Hand numbered limited edition of 65!)
Count Ossie & Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari —
Grounation ... CD Dub Store (Japan), 1972. New Copy 2 CDs ...
$21.9924.98
An amazing record, and one of the most spiritual, righteous sets to ever come from Jamaica in the 70s – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given that scene at the time! The vibe here is really rootsy, and almost more spiritual jazz than reggae – with lots of spare percussion from Count ... (Reggae, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Marius Cultier —
Way ... LP Magidisco/Ascensionale (Netherlands), 1976. New Copy (reissue)...
Just Sold Out!
An incredible bit of Afro Funk and soul jazz! Marius Cultier has a unique sound that's 50% 70s Afro Funk, 25% Latin, and 25% bits of breezy jazz – similar to some of the best European players of the mid 70s, or to some of the Blue Note work of Moacir Santos! This rare album from 1977 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Cymande hit some well-deserved heights on this massive third album – working with a complicated groove that's even more compelling than their earlier albums – in a righteous blend of heavy bass and tripped-out guitars that's unlike anything else we've ever heard! The music's a unique ... (Soul, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Heavy bass, tight percussion, and a wonderfully trippy groove – the stunning second album from Cymande, and one of our funk favorites from the 70s! These guys have a sound that's completely unique – a vibe that mixes African and Jamaican influences up in the heady London scene of the ... (Soul, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The first album in many years from Cymande – that ultra-cool British group who gave us a run of great funk records in the 70s! The style here is surprisingly faithful to the original Cymande sound – especially the basslines, which have this head-nodding, slow-grooving style that's ... (Soul, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Beautiful sounds from the Saharan scene – served up here by an Algerian combo with some wonderful guitar in the lead! The instrumentation is similar to some of their contemporaries, but also maybe crafted with a bit more tightness too – especially on numbers where the group's vocals ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
George Darko —
Hi Life Time ... LP Okoman (Germany), Mid 80s. Very Good+ ...
$9.99
Manu Dibango —
African Woodoo ... CD Fremeaux & Associates (France), Early 70s. New Copy ...
$14.9918.99
Some of the coolest work we've ever heard from the legendary Manu Dibango – sound library recordings done right around the same time as his "Soul Makossa" hit, and with an equally funky groove! The music often has Manu's sax in the lead, alongside larger orchestrations that have a ... read moreCD
Hard to peg this group from Chicago – but the album's got some pretty unusual rhythms! The combo looks to be a funky one – but they play with distinct Caribbean and African influences in the bass and drum parts, and especially in the guitar, which jangles back and forth across the ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An amazing tribute to one of the greatest series of ethnographic material ever recorded – the legendary Disques Ocora records – still unsurpassed in terms of their care and quality! The material set a new standard for field recordings – handled by musicologist Charles Duvelle, ... read moreCD
(293 page hardbound book with over 200 black & white and color photos plus 2CDs of field recordings – a beautiful package!)
An Afro Funk set with a very special vibe – a bit different than some of the other work of the time, and a standout performance from singer/instrumentalist Vicky Edimo! Vicky's a he, in case you didn't know (we didn't) – and his touch on percussion and keyboards is nicely moody in all ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Livy Ekemezie —
Friday Night ... CD Linic Major/Odion Livingstone (UK), Early 80s. New Copy ...
$13.9914.99
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
Funky disco music, and a lot more too – all served up in this rare 70s set by Eko Roosevelt from Cameroon! The leadoff track is a long groover that runs for more than 10 minutes in length – and has that mix of modes that you'd often find in some of the Parisian Afro tracks recorded in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
El Turronero —
New Hondo ... LP Belter/Pharaway Sounds (Spain), 1980. New Copy ...
$25.99
A funky treasure from the Spanish scene at the end of the 70s – a groundbreaking combination of flamenco roots and upbeat funk and soul! The album's got a groove that grabs you right from the start – almost like some of the tighter sound library funk of the European scenet at the time, ... (Latin, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
"El Doctor" is a lively little number with a nice hint of revolution – performed here by a combo from Italy, but with a very South American vibe! The percussion is upbeat, the horns punch along with the groove, and the rolling lyrics are nice and compelling – and the flipside ... (Funky 45's, Global Grooves)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
(Limited edition red colored vinyl.)
Ennanga Vision —
Ennanga Vision ... CD Soundway (UK), 2017. New Copy ...
$10.9912.98
One of those records that definitely lives up to its cover – as it's not only a great mish-mash of styles, it's also got some 80s instrumental currents that might come as a surprise if you know other records on the Soundway label! The work recasts older elements of Ugandan music with old ... read moreCD
Sweet work from a great Chicago combo – one who go way past the usual grooves you might expect from an ensemble of this nature! Sure, these guys have "Afro" in their name, but they don't just play Fela-styled sounds – and instead step into a warm, wide range of sounds – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A partnership between US indie guitarists Ian Egelson and Alex Minoff of Golden – with Onyango Wuod Omari and the late Otieno Jagwasi of Nairobi based benga band Orchestra Extra Solar Africa – for an lightly funky, deeply melodic blend of hypnotic tunes! It's a true partnership – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really seminal album from Fela Kuti – searing live set that pairs him with drummer Ginger Baker – formerly of Cream, and a huge supporter of Fela's music on the UK scene! Baker had already picked up a lot of Fela's influence in his music – and rather than the record being one ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A stunner from Fela – a record that really leaps right into the groove right from the very first note – then never lets up at all! Igo Chiko provides some fantastic tenor sax solos on the tunes – and both Tunde Williams and Eddie Faychum serve up some killer trumpet – while ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the lesser-known 70s session from Fela – but a great one too, and a record that captures the Africa 70 group at all their early raw best! Tracks are both very long – stretching for a side of the record apiece – and the title track "Alagbon Close" features some ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition color vinyl pressing – with download!)
A real classic from the great Fela Kuti – a seminal mid 70s record that not only shows his impeccable sense of rhythm, but also his sense of rage as well! The title track – "Expensive Sh_t" – is Fela's answer to the time that he got busted for dope, and was forced to ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album