Global Grooves — In Stock — Vinyl
Unusual grooves from around the globe -- Afro Funk, Bollywood soundtracks, Turkish rock, gamelan, ethnographic/field recordings, sitar sounds, and more!
CDs (185) new/used, Vinyl (359) new/used, LPs (347) new/used, 12-inch (8) new/used, 7-inch (4) new/used, All (544)
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EMI/Dig This Way (Italy), 1984. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99
The cover looks a bit cheesy – like some sort of Star Search graphic – but the album's a rock-solid gem from the second decade of Nigerian funk – recorded in Lagos with a great boogie vibe, and a groove that's as heavy on keyboards as it is on riffing guitar and percussion! Peter ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Attarazat Addahabia & Faradjallah —
Al Hadaoui ... LP Habibi Funk, 1973. New Copy ... $19.99 22.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Al Hadaoui ... CD 14.99
Soul Power, 1972/1974. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $11.99
Incredible work from the obscure African Music Machine – a southern funk combo led by bassist Louis Villery – a legendary batch of funky singles, finally brought together as a full album! The band has a very unique sound that involves a lot of rolling bubbling basslines, spacey organ ... (Soul, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Sonafric/Mr Bongo (UK), 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $23.99 24.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Akofa Akoussah ... CD 10.99
A Chahine & Fils/BBE (UK), 1979. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)... $24.99 28.99
A really fantastic little record – and one that's even better than you might expect from the title – which itself is already pretty darn fantastic! The set is upbeat and funky, but not entirely disco – more this very groovy blend of Mid-East elements and more familiar keyboards ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Belly Dance Disco – Ernest Chahoud Presents Middle Eastern Heavens ... CD 16.99
Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela —
Rejoice (180 gram pressing) ... LP World Circuit, 2020. New Copy ... $23.99 24.98
A really fantastic collaboration between two pioneers of African music – and a set that nicely opens both into the jazziest side of their talents! Hugh Masekela blows flugelhorn, and Tony Allen handles drums and plenty of percussion – and although both artists sing a bit, the main ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Rejoice ... CD 12.99
Cougar/Mr Bongo (UK), 1982. New Copy (reissue)... $20.99 21.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Vendemiaire/Digger's Digest (France), Late 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $32.99
Really fantastic work from Cossi Anatz – a 70s French group who play something they term as "jazz Afro-Occitan" – a wonderful hybrid of modes that's even more compelling than you might think! At some level, the record follows from some of the experiments of Jef Gilson along ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 500 copies.)
Daptone, 2012. New Copy ... $15.99 19.99
Amazing sounds from one of the best funky combos anywhere – ever! Antibalas have certainly risen to fame in the years since we first heard their Afro-styled grooves – working famously in the Fela musical, and reaching generations of ears with their own brilliant records. Yet ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Vinyl version includes code for full album download.)
Daptone, 2019. New Copy ... $18.99
Antibalas take a page from the Wu-Tang book, and add a little kung fu action to their music – with results that maybe make this set one of their freshest in years! All the core energy of the group is very firmly in place – that razor-sharp instrumentation that's made these guys one of ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Fu Chronicles ... CD 12.99(Limited edition colored vinyl pressing – includes downoad!)
Daptone, 2017. New Copy ... $14.99 17.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
EMI/Tidal Waves, 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $23.99
A tight little set from one of the grooviest groups on the Nigerian scene of the 70s – a combo who could play with a familiar mix of fuzz and funk, but also throw in some deeper soul touches on the vocals – in a way that makes the whole album a much richer set than work by some of their ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 500 copies!)
Accords Croises (France), 2020. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... $29.99
Arat Kilo blend together sounds of West Africa, currents of hip hop, and older Mid East modes – all filtered through their unique Parisian perspective, and topped here with help from Mike Ladd and Mamani Keita on vocals! The record's a great evolution of older world music blends that never ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Atumpan/Kalita (UK), 1980. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99
A lost set from percussionist Okyerema Asante – an African percussionist, but one who made some great music as part of the Black Fire/Oneness Of Juju collective on the DC scene in the 70s! This album follows with a spirit that's a bit like the later work of Oneness – and in fact, the ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes bonus notes, photos, and interview insert.)
Nanga Boko (France), 1979. New Copy (reissue)... $26.99
Pascal Atangana is a hell of a singer – one who can move quickly, but with lots of deft changes – over the very dynamic rhythms provided by his excellent backing group! The set was originally issued as a part of a series to showcase the music of Cameroon in the 70s – but it's got ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Hand-numbered limited edition of 300 – with poster and download!)
Now Again, Mid 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $21.99 25.98
A really wild album from this Indian psych group of the 70s – a set that's a bit different than their better-known first and second albums, but which is pretty darn groovy overall! The set's definitely somewhere in the "disco" of the title – but not in a slick, commercial way ... (Rock, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Kollington/Soul Jazz (UK), 1978. New Copy (reissue)... $29.99 32.99
An album of heavy righteous power from Alhaji Kollington Ayinla and his Fuji 78 ensemble – a group who bring a very different sound to this record than some of the more mainstream Afro Funk work of the Nigerian scene at the time! The group are heavily percussive, and also use their drums in ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 1000!)
Big Crown, 2018. New Copy ... $18.99 24.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Serpent's Mouth (with bonus tracks) ... CD 15.99
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Late 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99 26.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Afrotunes – Best of Juju Vol 2 – Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo ... CD 14.99
Saravah/Souffle Continu (France), 1970. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $22.99
Beautiful stuff – and one of the most stunning jazz albums ever recorded – a blinding mix of harpsichord, cello, and Indian percussion – with a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of! The album was the brainchild of the cross-culturally fertile Saravah records at the ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Matsuli (UK), 1974. New Copy (reissue)... $26.99
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited repress!)
Beau Monde (France), 1990. New Copy (reissue)... $32.99
A record from the start of the 90s, but one with a spirit that's much more like some of the best 70s hybrids of jazz and global rhythms – served up here by a group that features plenty of the three musical elements pictured on the cover, plus some vocals from the ensemble as well! Electric ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Rupa Biswas —
Disco Jazz ... LP Numero, 1982. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Disco Jazz ... CD 13.99
Hot Casa (France), 2020. New Copy (pic cover)... $24.99
A great little funky single from Franck Biyong – part of his continuing evolution and growth as one of the leading lights in the contemporary Afro Funk underground – an artist who's really moved past some of the slavish styles of years behind! Franck adds in both live drums and rhythm ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves) read more 12-inch, Vinyl record
Colemine, 2020. New Copy Gatefold ... $19.99
Beautifully heavy sounds from Black Market Brass – a group who started out with more of a global funk approach, but who emerge here with the intensity of some lost funky soundtrack – all with the sort of edge you might expect from the cover! The style here is really revolutionary ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Black vinyl pressing – with download!)
Afro 7 (Estonia), Mid 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99
A Kenyan funk combo from the 70s – and one who've got a groove that definitely lives up to the striking image on the cover! The set brings together obscure singles and album tracks from Black Savage – a group who sing in English throughout, and also draw plenty of influence from ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes a bonus CD & download!)
CBS/Afro 7 (Estonia), Early 80s. New Copy ... $11.99
A set of rare tracks from the vaults of CBS Records in Kenya – tunes that really show a nicely complex approach to the groove! Black Fire kick things off with "Fire" – a tune that's got a reggae vibe, but a sound that's quite different than the style of Kingston! The cut's ... read more 12-inch, Vinyl record
(Limited to 500 copies – with download!)
Odd Funk (Netherlands), 2019. New Copy (reissue)... $28.99
A funky combo who draw heavily on elements from Ethiopian music – so much so that most of the album's titles are also written in Ethiopian script! The core instrumentalists are Finnish, and work together in a great blend of older Ethio roots and leaner contemporary funk – mixing heavy ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Mr Bongo (UK), 1980. New Copy (reissue)... $23.99 24.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Control ... CD 10.99
Mar & Sol (Netherlands), Early 80s. New Copy (reissue)... $14.99
One of the only albums ever recorded by Djarama – a group with roots in Cape Verde, but who rocked the Dutch scene of the mid 80s – where their highly rhythmic style must have been a huge hit! The approach here is a bit like some of the post-colonial acts recording in Paris around the ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Cultures Of Soul, Late 80s. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $19.99 22.98
Modern music from Belize, circa 1988 – as the set brings together a host of homegrown recordings from Bro David – done in a style he refers to as cungo music! There's definitely some Caribbean touches in the grooves, but the music is also heavy on instrumentation and production modes ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Cree (Germany), Late 80s. New Copy ... $18.99 24.99
Great grooves from Brother Reistance – tracks that are aimed at the dancefloor, but which also have a strong social message too! "Tonite Is De Night" is a cool call to action, set to a rhythm with tight tropical touches – and "Crucial Decision" is presented here in ... (Soul, Global Grooves) read more 12-inch, Vinyl record
Makossa/BBE (UK), 1979. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)... $26.99 32.99
A killer blend of African roots and American rhythms – and a set that definitely lives up to the disco promised in the title! Buari's working here with a host of New York musicians – jazzy players who include Randy Brecker and Jon Faddis on trumpet, Barry Rogers on trombone, and ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Features the album pressed up on 2LPs, each of which play at 45rpm for extra added fidelity!)
Shanu Olu/Hot Casa (France), Mid 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $28.99
A really tremendous record from the Lagos scene of the 70s – a set that's completely sharp from beginning to end, and which has the same sort of side-long jamming that you'd find on the best records by Fela Kuti at the time! King Bucknor's billed as "The Black Isaiah Of Africa" ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Cultures Of Soul, Early 80s. New Copy (reissue)... $7.99 12.98
A slow-grooving boogie number from Junior Byron – one that's got a catchy sort of back/forth rhythm, which Junior uses to nice advantage with his swinging vocals on the tune! The version brings up the riffing guitar in the rhythms, in a way that's even cooler than the original mix – ... (Soul, Global Grooves) read more 12-inch, Vinyl record
Selected Sound/Be With (UK), 1983. New Copy (reissue)... $29.99
A very unusual sound library album from the German scene – a set that's maybe a lot more ethnographic than the usual stock TV and commercial grooves you'd expect – done by Victor Cavini with a fairly sensitive blend of traditional Japanese instrumentation and a few key modern elements ... (Sound Library, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Barbes, 2008. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)... $22.99
A new take on the older chica groove – a slightly romping rhythm that's almost a South American take on Tex Mex modes! The sound here has a nicely old-style feel – despite contemporary origins of the recording – and instrumentation is heavy on keyboards, including Electravox, ... (Latin, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
100 Copies (Egypt), 2019. New Copy ... $22.99
A really cool concept for a record – one that's unlike anything else we've ever heard, both in its sound and instrumental presentation! The group features two drummers behind the keyboard lines of Islam Chipsy – drums playing together at a pace that's very quick and almost skittish, ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Kalita, Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy Gatefold ... $25.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Return To Analog (Canada), 1970. New Copy ... $16.99
Vintage work from Marius Cultier – a singer with roots in the Antilles, but who found a very welcome audience in the French Canadian scene – where he recorded this great little groover at the start of the 70s! Marius has this rich vocal style that's often best set up next to rhythms ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Individually numbered limited edition of 500!)
Desco/Daptone, 1998. New Copy (reissue)... $15.99 18.99
One of the greatest grooves from the legendary Desco Records years – a brilliant album of modern Afro Funk done by The Daktaris – in a groove that's just as hard-hitting as any of Fela's work from the 70s! The album was one of the first to bring back an older African style to current ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Remastered pressing – with download!)
Mushroom/Manufactured, Late 60s. New Copy (reissue)... $16.99 19.99
Beautiful vocal work from Nitai Dasgupta – a singer in the Indian classical tradition, but working here in two different modes that are equally great! One side of the record has shorter songs that balance Dasgupta's vocals with light percussion and a bit of flute – and the other has a ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 500!)
Fantome Phonographique (Italy), Late 40s/Early 50s. New Copy ... $24.99
A groundbreaking album of Haitian recordings – not performed by Maya Deren, but recorded by the famous filmmaker during the late 40s and early 50s! In addition to revolutionizing the use of the camera in experimental cinema during the postwar years, Deren was also completely fascinated by ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Hand-numbered limited edition of 500!)
Cobiana/Mar & Sol (Netherlands), 1978. New Copy (reissue)... $26.99
Brightly beautiful sounds from this popular Guinea group of the 70s – served up in a cascading array of guitars and percussion, all topped with warmly harmonic vocals from the group! The guitar interplay is what really makes the record great, especially on the fast-moving songs – as ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Awesome Tapes From Africa, Early 80s. New Copy ... $18.99 19.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available La Grande Cantatrice Malienne – Vol 1 ... CD 12.99(Includes download!)
Analog Africa (Germany), 1986/1987. New Copy 3LP Gatefold ... $34.99 35.99
80s sounds from the Somali scene – but served up with a lean, raw quality that feels a lot more like 70s funk overall! In a decade where some of the other scenes on the continent were using more beats, electronics, and keyboards – Dur Dur Band still keep things plenty live, and plenty ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Dur Dur Of Somalia – Vols 1 & 2 (with bonus tracks) ... CD 18.99(Includes download!)
Yonca/Matsuli (UK), 1976. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $29.99
One of the hippest albums we've ever heard from bassist Johnny Dyani – and that's saying a lot, given his tremendous records of the 70s! The album's different than the album that Johnny recorded with fellow Blue Notes members on the Steeplechase label – and instead, the group here is ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Early 80s. New Copy ... $24.99 29.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Dytomite Starlite Band of Ghana ... CD 14.99
Sahel Sounds, 1994. New Copy ... $18.99 21.98
A fantastic album from a West Saharan group dedicated to political independence of the Sahrawi people, but who also work with a great blend of older acoustic styles and a few contemporary electric elements! The music has maybe a touch of Tuareg guitar in the mix, but there's also some powerful ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Tiris ... CD 12.99
Disques Debs/Tidal Waves, 1974. New Copy (reissue)... $23.99 29.98
The fantastic first album from Exile One – a group who recorded more mainstream work in Paris later in their career – but who really sound fierce and funky here right at the start! The sound is lean, stripped-down, and a lot more aimed towards American soul than you'd guess from their ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 500 copies!)
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Late 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99 28.99
One of the most rootsy albums ever issued by the Tabansi label – a set that's quite different than their more familiar electric modes, and which features very raw, tribal sounds by a percussion group that is tied to the Niri Kingdom in Nigeria! As you'd guess from their name, the ensemble is ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Eze Nri Royal Drummers Vol 1 ... CD 14.99
Ketu (France), 1975. New Copy (reissue)... $32.99
Not the famous Faces of Rod Stewart/Ronnie Wood fame, but a really great group from mid 70s Nigeria – one with a spirit as youthful as their image on the cover, and a sound that's a nicely trippy blend of funk, psych, and other West African elements of the time! The group have some really ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
We Want Sounds (UK), 1978. New Copy (reissue)... $29.99
A 70s treasure from Lebanese singer Fairuz – a vocalist who never broke big on our shores, but who gave the world this beautiful blend of traditional instrumentation and contemporary production! The music comes across in two different modes – side one has more acoustic elements, and ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Soundway (UK), 2016. New Copy ... $22.99
The title certainly gets it right – as there's a strongly unified sense of spirit here from Family Atlantica – even more so than on their debut album! As before, there's a range of global elements moving through the mix – currents of South American and African styles, given a ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Asterie/Strut (UK), 1988. New Copy (reissue)... $13.99 23.99
Electrified zouk from the Guadeloupe scene – just the kind of unusual musical hybrid that's always made the Antilles so great! The work here has some echoes of the more familiar modes of zouk, but also has a leaner, more soul-based mode too – almost like a New York take on the genre, ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Knitting Factory, 1992. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99
Late Fela – but great Fela! Underground System was released in 1992, but it sounds like Fela's best work from the late 70s – grooving away at a triple-time beat on two incredible tracks, "Underground System" and "Pansa Pansa". "Pansa Pansa" is especially ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Celluloid/Knitting Factory, 1980. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99
One of the best soul collaborations ever! Fela and Roy Ayers team up for this whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Please Note – these copies have a slightly dinged corner from shipping, otherwise these are in great shape.)
Knitting Factory, 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99
An amazing album-length jam from Fela Kuti & Afrika 70 – recorded on the group's home turf at Kalakuta, and with this stretched-out building of energy that's completely amazing! James Brown may have created the longform funky style of vamping and soloing – but Fela takes it here to ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Knitting Factory, 1978. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99
A killer from the classic years, and one of Fela's best albums! "No Agreement" is a super great groover – with a catchy hook that goes on and on, and some very tasty playing by Tony Allen and the group. The track is long, with heavy solos, and vocals that will knock you out! ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Knitting Factory, 1979. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99
A searing live set from Fela Kuti & Afrika 70 – a long album-length jam, recorded in Berlin – with the group really going to town in instrumental frenzy topped with very righteous lyrics! VIP doesn't have the usual meaning here – as it stands for "vagabonds in power" ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Bongo Joe (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy ... $26.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Nanga Boko (France), 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $26.99
The first album recorded by singer Nkotti Francois and his Black Styls group – a combo who'd been backing Nkotti for years in clubs in Cameroon, and who work here with a very sharp sound right from the start! The instrumentation is often a bit unique – organ and guitar sometimes used ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes bonus download.)
Mississippi, Mid 50s. New Copy ... $15.99
Beautiful sounds from Tanzanian guitarist Frank Humplick – who plays here alongside vocal harmonies from his two sisters – in a mode that's almost like a East African cross between The Carter Family and Andy & The Bey Sisters! The vibe is different, of course – as the raw ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 1000 copies. Comes with a great booklet of notes!)
Syllart (France), 1981. New Copy (reissue)... $32.99 34.98
Gestu De Dakar have a really great sound here – one that comes from some especially strong guitar lines from the group's leader, El Hadji Malick Diouf – who has a way of playing both rhythmically and with all these strange inflections that move all up and down in the grooves! There's ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition!)
Axiom/Zehra (UK), 1994. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... $31.99
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Ostinato, Early 90s. New Copy Gatefold ... $18.99 19.98
Quick-stepping grooves from Grupo Pilon – one of the key groups who migrated from Cabo Verde to Lisbon in the early 90s – creating almost their own wave of a musical diaspora in the process! The sounds here are a more electrified version of island styles – often with some sort of ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Cactus/Hot Mule (France), 1986. New Copy (reissue)... $29.99
A record with a new wave-looking cover – but with a sound that's a lot more acoustic overall – a really unusual blend of jazz and Balkan styles, recorded on the Vienna scene of the 80s! The group bill their music as "jazz meets the orient" – which is definitely the case ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 500 copies.)
Habibi Funk (UK), 1977. New Copy ... $19.99 21.98
A really mindblowing set of music from late 70s Lebanon – an ambitious blend of jazzy instrumentation, poetic vocals, and larger instrumental impulses – all with this soaring sort of energy that reminds us of some of the more complex Brazilian records of the 70s, or of some of our ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Mouasalat Ila Jacad El Ard ... CD 14.99
Ubiquity, 2011. New Copy ... $12.99 18.98
The much anticipated full length debut of Brooklyn Afro Funk and psych soul-influenced combo Ikebe Shakedown – following up their tight, promising EP on the Colemine label with an excellent self-titled set on Ubiquity! One of our favorite things about Ikebe Shakedown's style is the way they ... (Deep Funk, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes a code for full MP3 download.)
Colemine, 2019. New Copy ... $18.99 22.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Kings Left Behind ... CD 11.99(Includes download!)
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Mid 80s. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99 29.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Hold On Pretty Woman ... CD 14.99
CBS/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99
A classic album of 70s soul from Brazil – put together with a warm sunny finish that seems to unify the best modes of Rio and LA at the time! Singer Robson Jorge works here with frequent partner Lincoln Olivetti – and both artists handle plenty of keyboards throughout – lots of ... (Brazil, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Infopesa (Peru), 1972. New Copy (reissue)... $30.99
A cornerstone of the classic chica groove in Peru – and one of the albums that put Juaneco and his very groovy combo on the musical map of 70s South America! The tracks are mostly instrumental, and have a fantastically tight blend of percussion, keyboard lines, and electric guitar – ... (Latin, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Strata East/Now Again, 1974. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99 25.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition! Includes a great 12" square, 12 page booklet of notes and photos!)
Asherah, 1928. New Copy ... $15.99
A great early example of cross-cultural exchange in recorded music – as Domingo Justus had roots in Nigeria, but recorded these songs in London – moving to that city after living for years in Brazil! And yet, the recordings are taken as early sides to represent a Nigerian folk ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Lyncell/BBE (UK), 1982. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)... $24.99 28.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available African Sunset ... CD 16.99
Ubiquity, 2019. New Copy ... $12.99 16.99
That's a pretty trippy cover on the front, and an image that really sums up the vibe of this excellent record from Kaleta – a set that's even sharper and funkier than any of his previous efforts – yet which has some nicely way out qualities too! The instrumentation is heavy on elements ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Medaho ... CD 11.99
Souma/Radio Martiko (Belgium), 1964. New Copy ... $22.99
Om Kalsoum might look a bit geeky with her thick glasses on the cover – but she sounds really amazing on this album-length composition – letting her voice do all these amazing things while the music builds slowly in an exotic blend of percussion, strings, and electric guitar! That last ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Souma/Radio Martiko (Belgium), 1972. New Copy ... $22.99
There's few folks who can carry off an album-length song like Egyptian vocalist Om Kalsoum – a singer who almost treats a record like this like some dramatic work or longer narrative project – as she really lets the sound build up, then swoops in for these vocal moments that are ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Trikont/Sonorama (Germany), Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy ... $24.99
Fantastic work from Kapingbdi – a group who hail from Liberia, but who recorded all of these tracks for a label in Germany – all at a level that makes for a wonderfully open, criss-crossing sort of sound! These tracks aren't cleaned up or polished world music for the post-colonial ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Born In The Night – African Jazz/
Mr Bongo (UK), 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $20.99 21.98
A great one from Nigerian bandleader, composer and multi-instrumentalist Peter King – working in a funkier mode here than on the more jazz and roots based groove of his first record! The highlife sound is still a vital component, but on this one, Peter embraces a harder hitting approach on ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Heavenly Sweetness/Pura Vida (France), 2019. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... $26.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Wahala Wahala – Joy From The Struggle ... CD 16.99
Awesome Tapes From Africa, 1986. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99 21.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Folkways, 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99 22.99
A beautiful little record – one that features cascading tones from the strings of the kora, mixed with occasional vocal moments too! The album was recorded in Dakar and Brikama in the mid 70s – and is maybe the start of a great run of later sessions that found a way of taking this ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Very nicely-done reissue – with all the heft of an orginal Folkways pressing!)
Gearbox (UK), 2018. New Copy 3LP Gatefold ... $38.99 39.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Night Dreamer (UK), 2020. New Copy ... $26.99
The best album in years from Seun Kuti – recorded live in the studio, with no overdubs at all – in a way that really lives up to the best sound of his legacy in music! Tracks are all nice and long, and as spontaneous as they are hard-grooving – a perfect update of older Afro Funk ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Tramp (Germany), 2019. New Copy ... $18.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Afrotropism ... CD 14.99
As The Record Turns, Early 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $11.99
Amazing Afro Funk from one of the greatest groups of the genre – The Lafayette Afro Rock Band, a funky ensemble recording in Paris in the early 70s! The group were working in a hotbed of cross-cultural styles – and brought American funk rhythms firmly into play with African influences ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Cultures Of Soul, Early 80s. New Copy (reissue)... $19.99 22.98
The debut solo album from Don Laka – an artist you might know from the huge 80s group Sakhile, but who here steps out as a soul singer on his own – working with a vocal range that's in the higher reaches, and which really fits the contemporary beats and keyboards in the grooves! Laka's ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Centre For Nigerian Cultural Studies/Key Systems Recording (Nigeria), 1985. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99
One of the rootsiest, most spiritual albums ever done by saxophonist Yusef Lateef – and that's saying a lot, given his decades of other recordings! This very special set was done in the mid 80s, but has a very timeless vibe – as Lateef put the whole thing together with the Centre For ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Drift (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $24.99
Saxophonist Bukky Leo grew up in Lagos, but has given his talents strongly to the London scene in the past few decades – where he's really made magic in a great criss-crossing of jazz with his Nigerian roots! Part of Bukky's long legacy is an annual tribute to Fela Kuti – and this set ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Asherah, 1930s. New Copy ... $15.99
Roaring Lion is a singer who definitely earns his name – a strong early voice in the formation of calypso – and an artist whose early work on 78rpm discs still tops most of the later giants of the genre! The work here is an early hybrid of Island rhythms and jazz – often ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Sonafric/Nubiphone (France), Early 70s. New Copy ... $24.99
One of the funkiest groups we've ever heard from the Cameroon scene – a combo who play with a super-tight sound that often has as much interplay between the vocals as the instruments at the core! As you'd guess from the three guitarists on top of the van in the cover, the group's sound is ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes cool booklet of notes, and bonus download!)
Vampi Soul (Spain), Late 60s/1970s. New Copy 2LP ... $29.99
A killer compilation of late 60s & 70s tunes by Peruvian cumbia combo Los Destellos – leaning on the psychedelia inspired sounds from their earlier years! The sound is rooted in cumbia rhythms and electric guitar – but it nimble and spindly of heavily fuzzed out – with a more ... (Latin, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Afrosynth (Netherlands), 2018. New Copy 2LP ... $22.99
Contemporary jazz from the Johannesburg scene – served up by a group that features some especially nice sounds on tenor and trumpet! Despite the label's name – Afro Synth – there's only a bit of keyboards on the record, and those are mostly Fender Rhodes and piano – flowing ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Dig This Way (Italy), 1978. New Copy (reissue)... $32.99
A great little set from Mad Man Jaga – one of the few 70s albums by the Nigerian singer – despite a long legacy in other groups, including that of Sir Victor Uwaifo – who produced the entire set! The music is a blend of the skittish styles of Uwaifo's own music, with maybe a ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes booklet.)
Motella/Umsakazo (UK), 1966. New Copy (reissue)... $29.99
The earliest work we've ever seen from this legendary South African group – and music that's got a much rawer, more stripped-down vibe than the albums that made them famous in the 80s! These tracks are mostly just group vocals with a bit of percussion and guitar – billed as "zulu ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 300 – on heavyweight vinyl!)
NCF/Superfly (France), 1989. New Copy (reissue)... $29.99
Sheila and Desmond Majek work here with support from the Nigeria Conservation Foundation – whose message really comes across in the album's earth-minded grooves! The rhythms are a blend of 80s soul modes, with maybe a bit of a Caribbean vibe at times too – and the spirit of the vocals ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 1000 copies.)
Reprise/Strut (UK), 1967. New Copy 2LP (reissue)... $26.99 28.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
(Double-length package – with both mono and stereo mixes of the album!)
Bongo Joe (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $26.99
Malawian Madalitso are more of a duo than a band – Yobi Maligwa on babatoni and lead vocals, and Yosefe Kalenkeni on guitar and percussion – both working together with a beautiful sense of tightness and melody! The mix of stringed instruments is great – pulsating with an inherent ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
