Global Grooves — In Stock — CDs 
Unusual grooves from around the globe -- Afro Funk, Bollywood soundtracks, Turkish rock, gamelan, ethnographic/field recordings, sitar sounds, and more!
CDs (170) new/used, Vinyl (358) new/used, LPs (337) new/used, 12-inch (6) new/used, 7-inch (15) new/used, All (528)
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Nemi/Livingston (Nigeria), 1979. New Copy ... $19.99
A Nigerian soul classic from Gboyega Adelaja – an artist who spent a fair bit of time on the US scene in the mid 70s, where he clearly drank from the deep well of funk and soul! The album's got a vibe that's maybe a bit tighter and groovier than some of Adelaja's contemporaries – maybe ... read more CD
ARC, 2000. Used 2 CDs ... $2.99
... CD
(Out of print.)
Africando —
Ketukuba ... CD Sterns (UK), 2006. Used ... $9.99
... CD
(Out of print, crease through traycard artwork.)
Africando —
Vol 2 – Tierra Tradicional ... CD Sterns (UK), 1994. Used ... $6.99
... CD
(Out of print, crease through traycard artwork.)
Akofa Akoussah —
Akofa Akoussah ... CD Sonafric/Mr Bongo (UK), 1976. New Copy ... $10.99 11.98
A beautiful record from Akofa Akoussah – a singer from Togo who's equally gifted in funky and sweeter soul styles! Half the record is full-on funk, and we'd swear that Lafayette Afro Rock Band must have had a hand in some of the instrumentation (possible, as it was recorded in Paris) – ... read more CD
Everland (Austria), 1977. New Copy ... $14.99
An interesting turning point for this funky Nigerian group of the 70s – as the set's still got the chunky rhythms of previous efforts, but also shows a touch of influence from reggae on some of the grooves – as well as some very cool use of keyboard touches that give the whole thing ... read more CD
Also available In The Groove ... LP 22.99
Blue Note, 2017. New Copy ... $13.99 14.98
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 more CD
African Cream (South Africa), 2003. Used ... $4.99
... CD
(Out of print.)
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley —
Ambolley ... CD Cougar/Mr Bongo (UK), 1982. New Copy ... $10.99 11.98
A really well-crafted set of funk from the legendary Gyedu-Blay Ambolley – maybe best known for his material in the mid 70s, but sounding equally wonderful here on an album from the start of the 80s! The sound is sharper and more sophisticated than before – recorded in London, with a ... read more CD
Also available Ambolley ... LP 20.99
Mr Bongo (UK), 1975. New Copy ... $10.99 11.98
A holy grail of 70s African Funk – and not just for the unusual look of the cover! The set's a really unique one – almost rootsier than most of the better-known Ghanian grooves of the time, but funkier too – with a brilliant blend of raw percussion, quirky basslines, and some ... read more CD
Subah Zindagi (UK), Mid 70s. New Copy ... $12.99
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 more CD
Nonesuch/World Circuit, 2006. Used ... $4.99
Daptone, 2017. New Copy ... $12.99 13.98
Maybe the most searing album we've ever heard from Antibalas – a set that's completely on fire from the very first note, both musically and politically – and which burns with an intensity that seems to blow away all their previous music! Make no mistake, we've always loved these guys ... read more CD
Also available Where The Gods Are At Peace ... LP 14.99
Colourful World (Netherlands), 2018. New Copy ... $9.99
Arp Frique certainly does live in a colorful world – not just in the image on the cover, but in the grooves of the record as well – which bring together lots of funky 80s keyboards with a wider global sense of groove! There's often some acoustic percussion alongside the electric keys ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves) read more CD
Kardum (France), 1991. Used ... $2.99
Big Crown, 2018. New Copy ... $15.99 17.98
Funky genius from a mighty unique group – one who've drunk deep on the classic steel band sounds of the 70s, but who've also refined that groove with a contemporary funk approach too! The group's the brainchild of Bjorn Wagner – who you might know from The Mighty Mocambos – and ... read more CD
OK World (Norway), 2018. New Copy ... $16.99
Spare sounds get taken to the next dimension – as the music of Adama Barry is presented in both its original creation, and in a set of remixes by Henrik Schwarz, Bugge Wesseltoft, Prins Thomas, Mental Overdrive, and others! The album's got an unusual approach – as two-thirds of the ... read more CD
Nonesuch, 2018. New Copy ... $9.99 14.99
An interesting little album – a set that's part indie, and part a surprisingly great tribute to the music of the Indonesian gamelan – extrapolated through the compositions of Colin McPhee, who was one of the first to transcribe the sound of the percussive ensemble for the piano! The ... (Rock, Global Grooves) read more CD
Pharaway Sounds (Spain), 1983. New Copy (reissue)... $16.99
A wonderful conflation of grooves all taking place in a single space – some of the West African modes of the late 70s, coming into play with more contemporary soul elements – all spun out over a quartet of long tracks that are filled with unusual grooves! Instrumentation is electric ... read more CD
Also available Sensible (with bonus download) ... LP 25.99
Sony, 2002. Used ... Just Sold Out!
... CD
(Barcode has a cutout hole.)
Real World, 1990s. Used ... $3.99
... CD
(Out of print.)
ObliqSound, 2008. Used ... $7.99
Enigmatic duets between trumpet and kora – the former played by Volker Goetze, the latter by Ablaye Cissoko – who also sings a bit on the set as well! The sound is wonderfully spare, and extremely haunting – and the warmth of the trumpet is a great mix for the airier tones of the ... read more CD
(Out of print.)
Face Pelt, 2017. Used 2 CDs ... $9.99
Sublime Frequencies, 2018. New Copy ... $13.99
Rootsy grooves and heavy rhythms from Baba Commandant – an album recorded in Burkina Faso, and done with a nice blend of guitar, bass, and drums – plus plenty of work on balafon and n'goni! The steel tones of the n'goni ring out nicely next to the warmer percussive melody of the ... read more CD
Dub Store (Japan), 1972. New Copy 2 CDs ... $20.99 24.98
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 more CD
Cherry Red (UK), 2015. New Copy ... $3.99 13.99
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 more CD
Palm, 2003. Used ... $5.99
A bold step forward for the team of Patrick Forge and Chris Franck – the first Da Lata album in years, and a real departure from the past! The group's still clearly inspired by older Brazilian tunes, but they've also opened their groove up to a much more global horizon – taking on ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves) read more CD
(Out of print, penmark through barcode.)
Djinji Brown —
Sirround Sound ... CD 7 Heads, 2003. Used ... $2.99
A pretty nice full length from Djinji Brown! Djinji's thing is to sprinkle deep hip hop production techniques over Latin and African roots for a mostly instrumental approach, with ethereal chants and vocals, and a smattering of modern synth. The great single "Abuelita's Dance" is the ... (Hip Hop, Global Grooves) read more CD
(Out of print.)
Fela & Africa 70 —
Roforofo Fight/Barclay/Universal (France), 1972/1973. Used ... $6.99
Brilliant stuff! Roforofo Fight hails from 1972 – an early full-length Fela LP, filled with 4 tight groovers that stand with his best work! "Go Slow" begins with this mad trumpet solo that you'll recognize from a famous sample, especially as it mixes in with keyboards; "Rofor ... read more CD
(Out of print.)
Bongo Joe (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy ... $16.99
Not the kind of calypso that was issued by the big American labels in the 50s – and instead, sounds that have a sound, style, and overall approach that's maybe a lot more similar to American blues from the rural scene! The tracks here are all pulled from the personal archive of Walter Gavitt ... read more CD
Windham Hill, 1989. Used ... $1.99
Heavenly Sweetness (France), 2019. New Copy ... $16.99
Guts bills this set as "an Afro-Tropical experiment" – but to us, the album's just a further expansion of his wonderful talents as a producer – which have really come a long way in just a few years! Guts maybe got his start in hip hop, but he's able to embrace a globe's worth ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves) read more CD
Everland (Austria), 1979. New Copy ... $14.99
A fantastic groover from Kiki Gyan – a singer from Ghana who worked in Osibisa during the early 70s – but one who's also got a really universal club vibe here on this overlooked gem from the end of the 70s! The record's got a bubbling, upbeat vibe that really lives up to its title ... read more CD
Sahel Sounds, 2019. New Copy ... $12.99
One of the coolest records we've heard on the Sahel Sound label to date – not the usual guitar material you might know from the imprint, but instead a batch of very cosmic keyboards – all instrumental, and spinning out into space with a vibe that's almost a collision between the best ... read more CD
Also available Houmeissa ... LP 19.99
Third Man, Late 20s/Early 30s. New Copy ... $10.99 15.00
Clarinet music, but unlike anything else you might have heard before – as Greek musician Kitsos Harisiadis uses the instrument in a style that's quite far from American jazz and swing! Instead, the clarinet here is used on a series of folkloric tunes – music from the northwestern ... read more CD
Also available Lament In A Deep Style – 1929 to 1931 ... LP 16.99
Lion, 1974. New Copy ... $9.99
A heady set from mid 70s South Korea – the debut album from a mighty edgey little trio! The album's not nearly as psych as some of the other Korean efforts from the period – as the group's got a tight groove on most numbers, with a definite funk influence on the drums and bass – ... read more CD
Colemine, 2017. Used ... $6.99
A fantastic album from this increasingly hip combo – a group who were already pretty darn funky at their start, but who've just kept on moving into really amazing territory over the years! The sound here is maybe the equivalent of the depth and shifts that El Michels brought to the deep funk ... (Deep Funk, Global Grooves) read more CD
Finders Keepers (UK), Mid 80s. Used ... $8.99
Great electronics from the Indian scene of the 80s – music that's a lot warmer and more evocative than you might guess from the "robotic" in the title – thanks to plenty of roots in the Kollywood soundtrack scene! The instrumentation is often spare, but still echoes the ... read more CD
Olindo (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $11.99
A Venezuelan group, one who are living in Paris – and work here with a criss-crossing of styles that really reflect that global journey! The music definitely has echoes of older Venezuelan styles, but maybe served up in a more impressionistic version – with a dream-like quality at ... read more CD
Cobra Rose (Korea), 1974. New Copy Gatefold ... $24.99
A very moody, very enigmatic album from Korea – one that was recorded in 1974, but feels as if it's from the previous decade – and also has this oddly timeless sound as well! The tunes are dreamy, snakey, and served up with an undercurrent of slow funk underneath strings – almost ... (Rock, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available My Heart Wavers ... LP 29.99
PMG (Austria), 1979. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
A mighty nice set from Berkely Ike Jones – guitarist and one of the founders of the legendary Blo – working here in a groove that's a bit more Afro disco overall, but which still has all the great touches of his previous work! The music's plenty funky, but more in a clubby way than ... read more CD
Heavenly Sweetness (France), 2018. New Copy ... $14.99
Anthony Joseph takes a trip back to his roots – recording this album in his home turf of Trinidad, for a set that may well be his best record to date! The music sparkles with all the sunny touches you might guess from the title – but also has all those deeper, righteous currents that ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available People Of The Sun ... LP 24.99
Strata East/Shout (Japan), 1974. New Copy ... $26.99
The rare second album from Juju – the avant jazz collective who'd later morph into funk band Oneness Of Juju, but who still sound pretty revolutionary here! There's a bit more focus than before – still energy that's a lot like the best righteous jazz groups coming out of Chicago or St ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
Lyncell/BBE (UK), 1982. New Copy ... $16.99 19.99
A sweet Soweto group from the start of the 80s – one who have a nice current of funk in their mix, but who also serve up some well-crafted solos on both guitar and flute! The vocals are often warmly in that more familiar South African style of the period – but the record's nicely ... read more CD
Also available African Sunset ... LP 24.99
Favorite (France), 2018. New Copy ... $19.99
A great little album from French singer Pat Kalla – an artist whose "Super Mojo" here is really the genius of producer Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart! The set is a collaboration between Pat and Patchworks – and uses the great vocals of Kalla to bring new focus to the ... read more CD
Also available Jongler ... LP 26.99
Heavenly Sweetness/Pura Vida (France), 2019. New Copy ... $16.99
Really driving percussion, and some great horns as well – the former served up by KOG, who also delivers some fantastic vocals on the set – the latter from The Zongo Brigade, who work in a great mix of funky rhythms, jazzy horns, and some sweet keyboards too! The set's very different ... read more CD
Soul Jazz (UK), 2018. New Copy ... $9.99 22.98
A beautiful set of contemporary yoruba recordings – performed by the Konkere Beats group in Nigeria, and with a different vibe than some of the more familiar yoruba material from the Caribbean! The sacred sounds are full of percussion and vocal chants – and have a vibe that's maybe ... read more CD
Konono No 1 —
Lubuaku ... CD Terp (Netherlands), 2003. Used ... $1.99
A brilliantly funky and raw live recording by the Congo's great Konono No 1 – taped in Vera, Holland on their first European tour in February of 2003, and released on Terp, the label owned by Terrie Ex of the Ex! The brittle, in-the-red likembe patterns fly by in high-velocity cycles, amped- ... read more CD
(Out of print. Includes slipcase.)
Gearbox (UK), 2018. New Copy 2CD ... $13.99 14.99
A really amazing little record – one that's partly in the "jazz meets Indian" mode of Joe Harriott's experiments of the 60s – but a performance that also brings in a lot more from spiritual jazz, even though most of the instrumentation is more traditional! The set is live, ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available My East Is Your West (3LP set) ... LP 38.99
Heavenly Sweetness (France), 2018. New Copy ... $18.99
The first album in many years from Edmondy Krater – an overlooked musical genius from the scene in Guadeloupe – and one who maybe sounds better here than ever before! Krater's always had an ear for blending jazz with some of the more recent currents of the island – but that ... read more CD
Also available An Ka Sonje ... LP 15.99
Elektra/Nonesuch, Late 80s/Early 90s. Used ... $1.99
Chop Time (Netherlands), 2017. New Copy ... $9.99
A contemporary Afro Funk record, but one with a vibe that makes us feel like we've discovered some lost strand of sound from the 70s! The Afrospot All Stars are wonderfully jazzy – a group who swing their horns more than blast them at times, warmed up by some great Fender Rhodes and very ... read more CD
Strut (UK), 2018. New Copy ... $11.99 12.99
Some of the most righteous and furiously funky Afro Soul since Fela Kuti's prime – and it's beyond appropriate for such a committed, perfect personification of a classic sound via a modern player come from Fela's own son Seun! As strident as Seun's approach is, much like his father at his ... read more CD
Kindred Spirits (Netherlands), 1977. New Copy ... $18.99
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 more CD
Audion, 1987. Used ... $9.99
Spacey sounds from the enigmatic Laraaji – including weird work on "electronic mode zither"! CD
(Out of print.)
Yusef Lateef —
Yusef Lateef In Nigeria ... CD Yal, 1983. New Copy ... $5.99 10.00
A fantastic moment from Yusef Lateef – and a set that's one of the most unique in his mighty long catalog! The album was recorded in Lagos, and has Lateef working with a host of Nigerian musicians – a bit of a follow-up to the Hikima record he did for the Nigerian Cultural Center in ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
Cree (Germany), 1970s. New Copy 2 CDs ... $22.99 39.99
The first-ever collection we've seen to focus on the mighty talents of Lancelot Layne – an important talent on the Trinidad scene of the 70s – and an artist who really helped forge a unique hybrid of soul at the time! The music here isn't the usual Caribbean club groove – ... read more CD
Kindred Spirits (Netherlands), 1977. New Copy ... $18.99
One of the coolest records we've ever heard from the Mali scene of the 70s – a set that's got lots of unusual rhythmic impulses and vocal inflections – with a style that moves way beyond anything we might have expected! One of the best elements of the record is this really cool use of ... read more CD
Mali Kunkan/Kindred Spirits (Netherlands), 1977. New Copy ... $18.99
Amazing music from Mali – quite different than most other albums we've heard from that scene in the 70s – with wonderful reed work that really lives up to the "jazz" in the group's name! The sound is bold and righteous, but with an other-worldly vibe too – a really ... read more CD
Putumayo, 1998. Used ... $1.99
... CD
(Out of print, slipcover has some edgewear.)
Aparte (France), 2018. New Copy ... $24.99
Lionel Loueke, standing nicely on the borders of his styles – playing jazzily, to be sure – but also opening up with plenty of global elements too – in a lineup that includes the musician on a bit of percussion, alongside other percussion from Cyro Baptista and Christi Joza Orisha ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
Sahel Sounds, 2019. New Copy ... $12.99 14.98
Luka Productions is a showcase for the fantastic voice of Luka Guindo – a singer with this raspy charm that grabs you right away and really conveys the power of the tunes – so much so, you hardly need the English translations of the lyrics in the notes! The music is a blend of acoustic ... read more CD
Also available Falaw ... LP 19.99
Buda (France), 2017. Used ... $5.99
Beautifully bubbling sounds from Lulendo – a singer who also plays a fair bit of quissange – an African thumb piano, in the same manner as the kalimba! The instrument rings out with these percussive notes right alongside his lively, lyrical vocals – set to instrumentation that is ... read more CD
Afrodisia/Mr Bongo (UK), 1980. New Copy ... $10.99 11.98
Long live disco, but not the sort that was big on the American scene of the 70s – as Tunde Mabadu serves up a nicely lean version of the music here – filled with Nigerian funk elements, and plenty of his own great work on tenor and alto sax! The tunes are jumpy, jaunty, and plenty darn ... read more CD
Also available Viva Disco ... LP 23.99
Tzadik, 2003. Used ... $6.99
Mogauwane Mahloele, 1999. Used ... $2.99
... CD
(Out of print.)
Maestro Sound (France), Late 70s/Early 80s. Used ... $11.99
... CD
(Out of print.)
Pharaway Sounds (Spain), 1976. New Copy ... $16.99
Baris Manco was one of the leading lights of the Turkish music scene in the 70s, but that didn't stop him from setting his sights on points farther west – as you'll hear on this funky gem from the mid 70s, complete with English language lyrics for the sorts of tunes that could have burst out ... read more CD
Triloka, 1994. Used ... $4.99
Titles include "Languta", "Abangoma", "Stimela", "Marketplace", and "Nomali". CD
(Out of print.)
Universal/Wrasse, Late 60s/1970s. New Copy 3CD ... $27.99 29.99
A fantastic collection – way more than just a greatest hits set of work by South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela – and instead a special package put together by Hugh himself, shortly before his death – featuring an album-by-album selection of the best cuts from his Chisa Records ... read more CD
Shanachie, 2000. Used ... $2.99
... CD
(Out of print. Barcode has a cutout hole.)
East West (Germany), 1999. Used ... $3.99
Jazzland (Norway), 2018. New Copy ... $16.99
A beautifully dynamic set from Mohamed Issa Haji – aka Matona – a musician from Zanzibar with a specialty in Taarab, which is an unusual hybrid of African, Arabic, and Indian musical styles! The group here features Matona on oud, vocals, and percussion – illuminated by very ... read more CD
Smithsonian Folkways, 2003. Used ... $7.99
... CD
(Out of print, punch through barcode.)
Born Bad (France), 1970s/Early 80s. New Copy ... $14.99
A fantastic legacy in music from Mohamed Mazouni – an Algerian singer who worked towards political ends during the heady changes of the 60s – and who soon left his native country work over a decade's worth of recording in Paris! The Paris/Arab continuum was stronger than ever after the ... read more CD
Also available Un Dandy En Exil – Algerie/
Soundway (UK), 2017. New Copy ... $15.99
The Meridian Brothers have been making music for quite a few years now – and with each new release, they seem to open up another fresh corner of southern hemisphere sounds, and continue to find a way to weave them together into something quite fresh and unique! Few other folks could navigate ... read more CD
Lion, Early 70s. New Copy ... $9.99
A folk funk masterpiece from Korea – sung with breathy brilliance by female singer Kim Jung Mi, and featuring some great fuzzy backgrounds from guitarist Shin Jung Hyun! Although not in English, the record has a very similar feel to some of the hippest British female work of the same period ... (Rock, Global Grooves) read more CD
Allegro/Alula, 2006. Used ... $4.99
... CD
(Out of print, small cutout notch through spine.)
Celestial Harmonies, 2001. Used ... $6.99
... CD
El (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s. New Copy 3 CDs ... $18.99
A huge amount of early work from Nana Mouskouri – a singer who looked a bit like a librarian, with glasses to match – but who managed to catapult to huge global fame in the 60s and 70s! Part of that fame was due to the fact that Nana was not only a great singer, but also graced with a ... (Vocalists, Global Grooves) read more CD
Harmonia Mundi, 2005. Used ... $5.99
... CD
(Mark through barcode.)
