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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 (219) new/used, Vinyl (396) new/used, LPs (380) new/used, 12-inch (10) new/used, 7-inch (6) new/used, All (615)
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Folkways, 1979. New Copy Gatefold ... $12.99 16.98
A beautifully poetic take on the transplantation of African sounds in the US scene – played on a variety of different instruments by Bilal Abdurahman! The tracks are mostly short, percussive ones – with the strongest focus on instrumentation, but with occasional vocal refrains from ... read more CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
Bilal Abdurahman —
Innovative Rhythmic & Tonal Textures ... CD Folkways, 1976. New Copy Gatefold ... $12.99 16.98
A beautiful record – and one that definitely lives up to the "innovative" name in the title! The set's a bit more complex, and more jazz-based than some of the other Folkways albums from Bilal Abdurahman – still very much in the spare modes of his other records, but also with ... read more CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
Folkways, 1971. New Copy Gatefold ... $12.99 16.98
Way more than just the kids record you'd guess from the title – and instead, one of the cool earthy percussion records cut by Bilal Abdurahman for Folkways! The format is that of an introduction to sounds and rhythm for children – and the set mixes some spoken bits with some ultra-cool ... read more CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
Habibi Funk, 1973. New Copy ... $14.99 15.98
Monstrous funk from Morocco – unreleased material recorded in 1973, with a sound that should have revolutionized North Africa at the time! The group works here in a really raw blend of heavy percussion and riffing guitar – produced with lots of edge and echo, and delivered with the ... read more CD
Nemi/Livingston (Nigeria), 1979. New Copy ... $12.99
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
PMG (Austria), 1975. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
The title's no like – as these guys definitely groove, and they're definitely funky too – a sweet 70s combo from the Lagos scene, and one who play with a very sharp edge at their core! Aktion make nice use of darker, downturning chords – which creates a moody feel to their funk, ... 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
PMG (Austria), 1975. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
A stunner from the Afro Funk scene of the 70s – and the kind of record that makes us realize just how much greatness there is to discover! Years back, we thought we'd heard all the good cuts from the sub-Saharan continent – but a record like this really makes us sit up and take new ... read more CD
Oneyda Alvarenga —
Songs & Dances Of Brazil ... CD Folkways, 1956. New Copy ... $12.99 16.99
Not the usual sorts of Brazilian songs that you might expect – no tight samba or bossa, but instead a batch of rootsy music from Bahia – all with rhythmic qualities that strongly inspired both later genres! Percussion is the strongest element on most of these tunes, but there's also ... (Brazil, Global Grooves) read more CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
Subah Zindagi (UK), Mid 70s. New Copy ... $8.99
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
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
Also available Serpent's Mouth ... LP 18.99
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Late 70s. New Copy ... $14.99 18.99
Excellent sounds from Ojo Balingo – a Nigerian juju artist from the same stretch as King Sunny Ade – but one whose music is much more obscure to audiences on this side of the Atlantic! Balingo's group here has the loose, spontaneous vibe that characterizes juju at its best – this ... read more CD
Also available Afrotunes – Best of Juju Vol 2 – Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo (180 gram pressing) ... LP 24.99
OK World (Norway), 2018. New Copy ... $9.99
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
Pharaway Sounds (Spain), 1983. New Copy (reissue)... $9.99
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
Rupa Biswas —
Disco Jazz ... CD Numero, 1982. New Copy ... $13.99 16.98
A record that's got to be one of the coolest recorded in Calgary during the early 80s – as it offers up a really unusual blend of modes that definitely lives up to its title, and which also borrows a bit from Indian music as well! Singer Rupa Biswas fronts a group that's equally strong on ... read more CD
Also available Disco Jazz ... LP 18.99
PMG (Austria), 1979. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
An album that definitely lives up to its title – thanks to a strong embrace of funky boogie styles, but served up here with a sweet Nigerian twist! Some cuts are heavy funk right from the start – clearly inspired by Kool & The Gang and other sharp-edged American groups of the 70s ... read more CD
Mr Bongo (UK), 1980. New Copy (reissue)... $10.99 11.98
A rare one from Ghanaian legend Gyedu Blay Ambolley – fully in control of a far-reaching funky trip with his Zantoda Mark III group! Control carries on with the most treasured aspects of Ambolley's mid 70s work – the raw percussion, punchy horns and charismatic vocals – but it's ... read more CD
Also available Control ... LP 23.99
Rev-Ola (UK), 1973/1975. New Copy ... $4.99 14.99
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 more CD
PMG (Austria), 1976. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
Blo have gone through a few different phases before this fantastic fourth album – but none of them as funky as the work on this set – which may well set a whole new standard for the Nigerian music legends! The groove here is super-tight, with lots of excellent bass and drums snapping ... read more CD
Precious/BBE (UK), Early 80s. New Copy ... $13.99 16.99
A pair of rare records by Sidiku Buari – issued back to back on a single CD! Feelings is a record that was issued on the tiny Precious label – home to only two Buari albums in its tiny catalog – and the set follows strongly on the work that Sidiku recorded in New York during the ... read more CD
Also available Feelings In Africa/
Decca/PMG (Austria), 1978. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
A set that definitely lives up to the promise of its title – as it offers up this magical blend of earthy elements and Afro Funk – all served up in a style that's quite unique! Benis Cletin has a massive bassist on the set – who creates these pulsating lines that are strongly ... read more CD
Also available Jungle Magic ... LP 19.99
Kalita, Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy ... $13.99
Classic tracks from the short-but-strong music career of Julie Coker – a huge figure in Nigerian culture, both for her work onscreen and off! Coker recorded a handful of records at the end of the 70s – right at the height of her career – and the tracks here are from two of the ... read more CD
Also available Life In The Limelight – Lagos Disco & Itsekiri Highlife 1976 to 1981 ... LP 25.99
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
Dawn/Esoteric (UK), 1970. New Copy ... $14.99
Messed-up funky jazz from an obscure early 70s UK group – and an album that really lives up to its trippy cover! The tracks are all long and stretched out – with lots of organ, sax, and spaced out drums – and the overall style is a mix of dub-heavy funk, Afro jazz, and a bit of ... (Soul, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available Afreaka! ... LP 11.99
Mercury (France), Late 60s/1970s/1980s. New Copy ... $6.99 11.98
Incredible stuff – a mind-blowing collection of work by Manu Dibango that offers some real gems that go way way past the hits! The package is divided up into different periods of Manu's career – his early recordings in France with Nino Ferrer, his Soul Makossa years, his time in the ... read more CD
Awesome Tapes From Africa, Early 80s. New Copy ... $12.99 14.99
There's nothing quite like the voice of Nahawa Doumbi – a sound that's lean and powerful at once, haunting and heartfelt, and served up here on a set of tunes that were originally only issued on cassette in her homeland of Mali! The music features really deft guitar work from N'Gou Bagayoko ... read more CD
Also available La Grande Cantatrice Malienne – Vol 1 ... LP 18.99
PMG (Austria), 1980. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
A sweet bit of Afro Funk from Effi Duke & The Love Family – a set that's got some great touches that make the whole album pretty darn unique! There's a lot more groove here than you might expect from the "love" in the title – long tracks that build up in a flurry of ... read more CD
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Early 80s. New Copy ... $14.99 16.99
That's "Dytomite", not "dynamite" – and don't ask us what it means, either! But we can tell you that the set's a great bit of highlife, recorded with a lean, breezy feel – a bit more heft than just the duo pictured on the cover – with criss-crossing guitars, ... read more CD
Also available Dytomite Starlite Band of Ghana ... LP 24.99
Ediigwu —
Music Of The Idoma Of Nigeria – Ediigwu Sings The Ancient Songs Of Oturkpo, Nigeria ... CD Asch/Folkways, 1969. New Copy Gatefold ... $12.99 16.98
One of the darkest field recordings on the Folkways label – a set of Ichicha music – music traditionally performed during the wake of a funeral – actually recorded during a funeral! Some of the songs are just Ediigwu, but the others are call and response with a full chorus and ... read more CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
PMG (Austria), 1976. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
A bold title statement from The Funkees – and one that's backed up with plenty of adult funky music as well – that hip blend of dubby soul that really made these guys a standout on the Nigerian scene of the 70s! The style's almost a bit like Cymande – with a head-nodding bassline ... read more CD
PMG (Austria), 1975. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
The fantastic first album from The Funkees – a Nigerian group, but one who also spent a good deal of time on the London scene – and who work here in a freaky, fuzzy, funky style that we might put somewhere in the same space as music by Demon Fuzz or Cymande! Like both of those groups, ... read more CD
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
PMG (Austria), 1975. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
Great work from this cool Nigerian funk combo of the 70s – a group who bore strong ties to the equally-great Akwassa, and who work here with an equally righteous groove! Lyrics are mostly in English, and have some political currents that give the music a social sort of edge – but the ... read more CD
Ikebe Shakedown —
Kings Left Behind ... CD Colemine, 2019. New Copy ... $11.99 14.98
It's hard to imagine these kings being left behind, as the sound of Ikebe Shakedown just keeps getting bolder and more majestic with each new release – a very special strand of deep funk, with a blend of horns that you might find in a more Afro-styled band, mixed with tighter rhythms at the ... (Deep Funk, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available Kings Left Behind (pink vinyl pressing – with download) ... LP 20.99
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
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Mid 80s. New Copy ... $14.99 16.99
Tight Nigerian boogie from Ben Jagga – done with a lean groove that really represents the change in styles during the 80s, while still holding onto modes that reference some of the funk from before! Ben's got this bright style of singing, and at times the record almost has a Caribbean vibe ... read more CD
Also available Hold On Pretty Woman (180 gram pressing) ... LP 24.99
Fremeaux & Associates (France), 1990s/2000s/Early 2010s. New Copy 4CD ... $19.99 29.99
A wonderful package – one that brings together five excellent albums from pianist Alan Jean-Marie – an important player on the French scene, but one who never full gets his due on this side of the Atlantic! The set begins with Jean-Marie's first album of Biguine Reflections – a ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
Strata East/Shout (Japan), 1974. New Copy ... $28.99
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 ... $13.99
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
Everland (Netherlands), 1977. New Copy ... $14.99
A great mix of modes from Osamu Kitajima – a set that's still got some of the exotic elements of his other material, but which also brings in a stronger fusion component too – mixing Kitajima's work on guitar and koto with plenty of Fender Rhodes and other great electric touches! The ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
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
Also available Wahala Wahala – Joy From The Struggle ... LP 26.99
Antoinette Konan —
Antoinette Konan ... CD Awesome Tapes From Africa, 1986. New Copy ... $12.99 14.98
A record that offers up a real criss-crossing of sounds and styles – the spare ahoko instrument pictured on the cover, and a host of excellent 80s electro soul elements at the core! The record mixes boogie beat and sweet keyboards with the lovely lead vocals of Antoinette Konan, and her ... read more CD
Also available Antoinette Konan ... LP 18.99
Leaf (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $10.99 11.99
A very different album than the previous effort from drummer/percussionist Saratha Korwar – a lot more political, as you might guess from the title – and a set that has the London musician working with performers from the hip hop scenes in Mumbai and New Delhi! Most of the tunes have a ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available More Arriving ... LP 20.99
Tramp (Germany), 2019. New Copy ... $14.99
The Kutimangoes keep on refining their groove with each new release – and really open up with a nice sense of variety from the usual Afro Funk mode! The horn section still has a strong role – two saxes, one trombone – but there are also both instrumental and rhythmic shifts from ... read more CD
Also available Afrotropism ... LP 18.99
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
Kindred Spirits (Netherlands), 1977. New Copy ... $12.99
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
Aparte (France), 2018. New Copy ... $13.99 21.99
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
Reprise/Strut (UK), 1967. New Copy ... $13.99 14.99
A huge breakthrough moment for Miriam Makeba – a South African singer who'd been bringing her music to the American scene for a number of years, but really took off in new soulful directions with this album! Previously, Makeba was maybe more confined to the world of folk – mostly ... read more CD
Also available Pata Pata – The Hit Sound Of Miriam Makeba (mono & stereo mixes) ... LP 26.99(Double-length package – with both mono and stereo mixes of the album!)
Jazzland (Norway), 2018. New Copy ... $12.99
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
Soundway (UK), 2017. New Copy ... $9.99
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
National/Modern Harmonic, 1963. New Copy ... $13.99 14.99
A great 60s record from Mighty Sparrow – and the kind of set that shows just how different calypso music could sound when you got away from Harry Belafonte and the hits! The music here is every bit as political and socially conscious as earlier recordings of the genre – but you can ... read more CD
Also available Slave (red vinyl pressing) ... LP 23.99
PMG (Austria), 1979. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
Bala Miller's got a great pan-African group here – one that's more from the western side of the scene, despite the pyramids mentioned in their name – with players hailing from Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon – all coming together in a mighty righteous style! The music is fairly ... read more CD
Sahel Sounds, 2019. New Copy ... $12.99 15.99
An album titled after the creator, and a set that's maybe the most spiritual to date from Tuareg guitar genius Mdou Moctar – a record that comes across with a strong sense of focus right from the start, and which seems to have Mdou's guitar sounding even better than ever! The drums are maybe ... read more CD
Also available Ilana – The Creator ... LP 18.99
PMG (Austria), 1978. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
Sweet grooves from Harry Mosco – once the leader of The Funkees, but stepping out here with some wicked work from the London scene at the end of the 70s! The album's got a snapping electric vibe – sometimes clubby, but with more of a funk feel overall – thanks to some heavy ... read more CD
El (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s. New Copy 3 CDs ... $9.99
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
King/Mr Bongo (UK), Late 60s. New Copy ... $10.99 11.98
60s jazz meets Japanese bamboo flute – all in a session with a great mix of groovy and exotic touches! The record's a unique meeting of jazz and folkloric elements – done in a style that's a bit like some of the late 60s sessions of this nature on MPS, but a fair bit groovier overall ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available Bamboo ... LP 26.99
PMG (Austria), Early 80s. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
An early 80s set from the Lagos scene – and one that's about as far from the Afro Funk sound of the 70s as that city is from New York! Instead of full-on ensemble styles, Danny Offia has this nice lean groove – basslines that bump with a wickedly catchy sound, laced with keyboard solos ... read more CD
Soundway (UK), 2012. New Copy ... $9.99
Colombian music, both classic and contemporary – as a group of older all-star players comes into contact with Will "Quantic" Holland! The set's easily one of the most smoking Latin-styled projects we've heard from Quantic so far – recorded in Colombia with work from Fruko, ... read more CD
Also available Ondatropica (deluxe version – with book, 7 inch, & download) ... LP 31.99
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Late 70s. New Copy ... $14.99 18.99
A great combination of Congo grooves and Nigerian 70s – served up here by vocalist Ondigui and his Bota Tabansi ensemble! Ondigui already has a fantastic sound himself – this vocal range and ability to inflect his notes that has the singer cascading up and down the spectrum – in ... read more CD
Also available Ewondo Rhythm (180 gram pressing) ... LP 24.99
Black Fire/Strut (UK), 1975. New Copy ... $13.99 15.99
A landmark of Afro-centric jazz in the 70s – and the first album by this famous underground collective! Oneness of Juju were a Washington DC-based group that grew out of the ashes of the Juju avant jazz ensemble – formed in the culturally rich African-American community of DC in the ... read more CD
Tabansi/BBE (UK), 1975. New Copy ... $14.99 18.98
Zeal Onyia is definitely the trumpet king here – at least of the Nigerian scene in which this album was recorded – as he blows strong solos throughout, and really brings a lot of jazz-based energy to the highlife rhythms! The use of trumpet in a smaller combo mode is really great ... read more CD
Also available Trumpet King Zeal Onyia Returns (180 gram pressing) ... LP 24.99
PMG (Austria), 1981. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
Oby Onyioha has a very 80s look on the cover – and the album's got a strong 80s sound, too – almost in the hipper spectrum of underground soul on the New York scene during the post-disco generation! The best cuts are the groovers – like the snapping title cut and a few others, ... read more CD
Sublime Frequencies, Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy ... $15.99
You might not be able to understand the lyrics, but you'll definitely be moved by the instant charm of Malaysian rocker Adnan Othman – a singer who works here in a groovy blend of fuzzy guitar, mod rhythms, and all the other great sounds we love from late 60s French and British tracks of the ... read more CD
PMG (Austria), 1978. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
Late 70s work from Geraldo Pino – the artist who was credited as being one of the first musicians to bring the styles of James Brown to play in West Africa – still grooving hard here at the other end of the decade! The album's got a clubby vibe in parts – the "boogie" ... read more CD
Also available Boogie Fever ... LP 19.99
PMG (Austria), 1974. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
Let's Have A Party, indeed – as it's hard not to celebrate when a record sounds this great! The album's a boiling batch of Afro Funk numbers from the legendary Geraldo Pino – a key influence on the sound of Fela, and an artist with a sound that's got a bit more James Brown in his ... read more CD
Nadi Qamar —
Nuru Taa African Musical Idiom – Played On The Mama Likembi ... CD Folkways, 1975. New Copy Gatefold ... $12.99 16.98
A rare solo album from Nadi Qamar – an artist who's probably best known for his brief piano appearance with Charles Mingus, but who's working here on the Mama Likembi – an instrument of his own creation that's kind of like a big kalimba! From the information in the notes, it appears ... read more CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
Dureco/P-Vine (Japan), 1972. New Copy ... $14.99
Massive grooves from a very unique group! These guys play guitar and percussion all at once – in a flurry of fast grooves that rip away tremendously, but with a style that's still plenty darn earthy! There's definitely a bit of a global influence in the music overall, but the sound comes ... (Soul, Global Grooves) read more CD
Essiebons/Mr Bongo (UK), 1977. New Copy ... $10.99 11.98
The funky Rob way is a massive one at that – a new path into Afro Funk modes for the 70s, with a groove that's made this set a collectors classic for decades! The group is tighter than most, yet more skittish too – percussion rattling alongside basslines that have these echoey ... read more CD
Also available Rob (aka Funky Rob Way) ... LP 16.99
Empty Cellar, 2018. New Copy ... $5.99 10.00
Far-reaching yet finely-honed Chicano soul and Afro Latin grooves from Gilberto Rodriguez & Los Intocables – a Bay Area combo putting a fresh spin on diverse influences, captured really well on a debut album that captures them so naturally you feel like they're right there in the room! A ... read more CD
Saigon Supersound, 2019. New Copy ... $19.99
One of the coolest concepts for a funky combo we've heard in a long time – and a group that are nicely different from some of the old school acts in recent years! These guys definitely work in a vintage funk style – but one that's filtered through a Vietnamese heritage, specifically ... read more CD
Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 80s/1990s/Early 2000s. New Copy 5CD ... $19.99 29.98
20 years of music from the great Dede Saint Prix – collected here in a set that stands as a great introduction to his many talents! Dede sings, plays percussion, and also adds in a lot of his own work on flute – all in a groove that's been one of the strongest from the French Caribbean ... read more CD
Mammane Sani —
Mammane Sani Et Son Orgue – La Musique Electronique Du Niger ... CD Sahel Sounds, 1978. New Copy ... $12.99 15.98
Amazing sounds from Niger – some really hypnotic lines on electric organ – played in a way that's unlike any other use of the instrument we've ever heard! There's a flowing, water-like quality to the music that's almost in the territory of Terry Riley's work on organ – yet the ... (Out Sound, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available Mammane Sani Et Son Orgue – La Musique Electronique Du Niger (with bonus download) ... LP 18.99
Teranga Beat (Senegal), 1977. New Copy ... $16.99
Totally wonderful sounds from an artist who mixes Greek musical styles with tight 70s jazz modes – not the electric fusion that you'd guess from the title, but instead a really unique criss-crossing of two different cultures! There's plenty to love here if you love soulful 70s jazz – ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available Greek Fusion Orchestra Vol 2 (with bonus download) ... LP 24.99
Tabansi/PMG (Austria), 1981. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
The Stormers are a group who rose from the ashes of the legendary Lagos funk combo Aktion – and they step out here with a really storming sound that definitely earns them their name! The groove is funk of the tightest form possible – especially for the start of the 80s – and the ... read more CD
Lord Tanamo & Friends —
Festival Jump Up (with bonus tracks) ... CD Gaydisc/Doctor Bird (UK), 1965. New Copy 2CD ... $16.99
A seminal album in Jamaican music from Lord Tanamo – a singer with roots in calypso, but a sound that really paves the way for ska and rocksteady to come! The record's a full length set from the Gaydisc label of important early producer Sonia Pottinger – and like some of Pottinger's ... (Reggae, Global Grooves) read more CD
Tabansi/BBE (UK), 1980. New Copy ... $14.99 16.99
A never-issued session from the legendary Ebo Taylor – recorded right at a time when Taylor was really hitting on all burners! The sessions were done for the Nigerian Tabansi label, but feature Ebo's touring band from Ghana – a tight combo whose crackling rhythms are perfect for his ... read more CD
Also available Palaver (180 gram pressing) ... LP 24.99
Phonogram/Mr Bongo (UK), 1978. New Copy (reissue)... $10.99 11.98
The son of the legendary Ebo Taylor serves up a great record of his own – a sweet blend of funky highlife and other 70s-styled grooves – set to short cuts with a nicely compact vibe, and a cool style of production that almost owes a bit to the style of Jamaican music! There's lots of ... read more CD
Also available Gotta Take It Cool ... LP 23.99
Mr Bongo (UK), 1982. New Copy ... $10.99 11.98
Not the Hitsville of Motown fame – but instead a fantastic album of upbeat, hard-grooving highlife – served up by the collaborative efforts of Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, and Uhuru Yenzu! Taylor is kind of the guiding force here – as he handles arrangements, and uses his guitar to ... read more CD
Also available Hitsville Re-Visited ... LP 20.99
Lilly Tchiumba —
Angola – Songs Of My People ... CD Monitor, 1975. New Copy ... $12.99 16.99
A really unique little record – an album of original songs based on older tradition, and one that interweaves elements of Portuguese culture with deeper roots of Angolan music! Lilly Tchiumba penned all the tracks herself, and sings in the Angolan language of Kimbundu – but there's a ... read more CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Mid 80s. New Copy ... $14.99 16.99
Sweet synth soul from 80s Nigeria – a set that definitely shows the evolution of that country's sound in the decade after the rise of Afro Funk – and a record that also delivers plenty of the beats promised in the title! There's lots of elements here borrowed from electro – drum ... read more CD
Also available Party Beats (180 gram pressing) ... LP 24.99
Rite/Jazzman (UK), 1973. New Copy ... $8.99
A killer little record that's way more than just a set of obscure Afro-styled grooves – given that the whole thing was produced by funky soul genius Oliver Sain – and features work from avant jazz musicians who include Oliver Lake on alto and flute, Lester Bowie on trumpet, and Charles ... read more CD
PMG (Austria), 1980. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
A special collaboration between these two legends of Ghanian music – one that has singer Pat Thomas working with the grooves of Ebo Taylor – in an effort to reclaim the sound of calypso as an African sound! The album's got an unusual mix of Caribbean modes and Ghanian soul – ... read more CD
Diskotur/World Psychedelia, Early 70s. New Copy ... $4.99
Trippy rock from the three Hurel brothers of Turkey – a fuzzed-up, freaked-out trio that comes off with some great psychedelic touches! The sound here is a great blending of modes – similar to some of the other Turkish rock from the time that merged electric guitar with folkloric ... (Rock, Global Grooves) read more CD
Tiroro —
Tiroro – The Haitian Drummer ... CD Cook, Late 50s. New Copy Gatefold ... $12.99 16.99
A stone classic from this legendary percussionist – a raw and rootsy set that's one of the standouts from the catalog of Cook Records! Like some of the best Cook titles, this one's recorded in a no-nonsense format that's quite live – as if you're happening upon a performance by Tiroro ... read more CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
PMG (Austria), 1978. New Copy ... $6.99 16.99
One of the most hard-grooving set we've heard from singer Mary Afi Usuah – a set that has all these deep, bassy currents on the bottom – which hold a nice groove underneath Mary's heavenly voice! Usuah has a range that's much greater than some of her contemporaries – no surprise, ... read more CD
Olindo (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $7.99
A really unusual collective from the London scene – a group who play jazz of a global variety, but with a style that's much more far-reaching than standard Latin or Afro-inflected jazz! Instead, these guys seem open to a few continents' wealth of rhythms – but also use them in a way ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
BBE (UK), Early 70s. New Copy ... $14.99 18.98
A pair of albums from this Guyana group – both recorded overseas, and with a really unique sort of vibe! Young Ones Of Guyana On Tour was recorded in 1970, while the group was in London – at the legendary Landsdowne Studios, home to some really groundbreaking jazz at the time – a ... read more CD
Tabansi/BBE (UK), 1980. New Copy ... $14.99 18.99
Catchy, clubby grooves from the team of Zack Roberts and Gebah Swary – a Liberian duo who issued this very catchy record at the start of the 80s! The pair have an 80s look on the cover, and definitely bring that into their music too – with early electro touches used in very spare ways, ... read more CD
Also available For The Love Of Money (180 gram pressing) ... LP 24.99
Analog Africa (Germany), 1960s/1970s. New Copy ... $22.99
A long-overdue second chapter of the African Scream Contest compilation – the first of which introduced a huge new audience to the funky sounds of Benin in the 70s! This set is every bit as fantastic as the first – filled with tunes that have these darkly brooding, heavy funk ... read more CD
Unesco Collection, 1955. New Copy 3 CDs ... $20.99 29.97
An amazing 3CD set, put together from mid 50s recordings by Unesco – and featuring one of the richest looks at Indian music we've ever heard! The collection is much more ethnographic than the better-circulated Indian recordings of the time – and although the word "classical" ... read more CD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
Favorite (France), Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy ... $18.99
Smooth, soulful tracks from many corners of the planet – all pulled together in a fantastic fourth edition of this wonderful series! Most folks associated AOR grooves with the slickest studios in New York and LA during the 70s – but in farther-flung locations, the style was also being ... (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available AOR Global Sounds Vol 4 – 1977 to 1986 ... LP 26.99
Ace (UK), Late 60s. New Copy ... $14.99 19.98
Very cool sounds from the 60s scene in Italy – music that's clearly inspired by the best British female pop of the period, and also a bit by Detroit soul – with maybe just a touch of French "yeh yeh" modes thrown in for good measure! Yet because the sounds come from a scene ... (Rock, Global Grooves) read more CD
BBE (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $14.99 18.98
A completely different side of Colombian music than you'd know from Discos Fuentes and some of the other mainstream outlets from that scene – as the tracks here are all from the contemporary underground, and represent a really rich flowering of creative grooves and soulful modes! In truth, ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves) read more CD
Soul Jazz (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s. New Copy ... $18.99 22.99
A really tremendous collection of music – and one that really gets at the heart of the criss-crossing of Latin and African modes that took place on the Congolese scene of the 50s and 60s! Sounds and styles from Cuba and the Caribbean definitely influenced other African scenes, but they took ... read more CD
Fremeaux & Associates (France), Late 30s/1940s/1950s/Early 60s. New Copy 3 CDs ... $19.99 29.99
A fantastic collection of music – 66 tracks that show the huge influence of Cuban rhythms in American music during the mid-century years – presented here in a wider range of styles than you might expect! This isn't just Latin music, made by Cuban cats hitting the New York scene – ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more CD
BBE (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy ... $14.99 19.99
A fantastic collection of Ethiopian funk – rare singles from the late 60s and early 70s – all brought together as an amazing illustration of a time when the scene was really on fire! The music here has this incredible resonance between ancient and modern – local and global – ... read more CD
Funk Embassy (Estonia), 1970s/Early 80s. New Copy ... $16.99
A really ear-opening compilation – one that brings together an insane range of music from Estonia – one of the smaller of the Soviet-era Eastern Bloc nations – and a surprising hotbed of groovy activity! The tunes here are definitely in the funk, disco, and jazz modes promised by ... (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) read more CD
Also available Groove Of ESSR – Funk, Disco, & Jazz From Soviet Estonia (180 gram pressing) ... LP 22.99