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 (296) new/used, Vinyl (477) new/used, LPs (446) new/used, 12-inch (10) new/used, 7-inch (21 used), Books (1), All (774)
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Domino Sound, Early 60s. New Copy ... $16.99
Beautiful sounds from the short-lived musical legacy of Salum Abdallah and his Cuban Marimba Band – a group from Tanzania, but one who play with lots of influence from Latin Music – as you might guess from their name! And yet, unlike some of the larger, fuller Latin-influenced groups ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
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
African Music Machine —
Black Water Gold ... LP 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
Also available Black Water Gold (Japanese paper sleeve edition) ... CD 19.99
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
PMG (Austria), 1975. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Groove The Funk ... CD 6.99(Includes download!)
Everland (Austria), 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available In The Groove ... CD 6.99
PMG (Austria), 1975. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
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 11.99
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
Afro 7 (Finland), 1987. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99
Fantastic grooves from Amabano – an obscure group from Burundi, on a record that was initially only issued in the Soviet Union! That strange lack of exposure is no reflection on the music at all, though – as these guys are wickedly funky, and play with the sharpness and rawness of some ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 1000 copies – includes download!)
Amanaz —
Africa (with bonus download) ... LP Now Again, 1975. New Copy 2LP (reissue)... Just Sold Out!
Wonderfully fuzzy work from Amanaz – one of the trippiest, headiest groups of the Zamrock scene of the 70s! The guitars here are very full and present – not at a hit you over the head jamming label, but with this rich sonic element that has lots of bassy undercurrents – at a ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Cougar/Mr Bongo (UK), 1982. New Copy (reissue)... $14.99 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
Piranha (Germany), 2020. New Copy ... $25.99 26.99
A great blend of Saharan and Ethiopian guitar styles – the former played by Alhousseini Anivolla, the latter by Girum Mezmur – working together here in a set of intertwining solos and nicely snakey grooves! There's a really seductive feel to the record, right from the start – and ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Afropentatonism ... CD 13.99(Includes download!)
Daptone, 2020. New Copy ... $18.99 19.99
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
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)... $14.99
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)... $18.99
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!)
Kollington/Soul Jazz (UK), 1978. New Copy (reissue)... $19.99 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!)
Tabansi/BBE (UK), Late 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $16.99 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
Heavenly Sweetness (France), 2020. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... $28.99
A really fantastic idea for a project – and one that comes off even better than we would have guessed – new versions of classic grooves from the nations of Cabo Verde and Guinea Bissau, performed by a really well-matched group of singers and musicians, in a mode that's quite different ... 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!)
Everland (Austria), 1979. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
Bayan Mongol Variety Group may not have the catchiest name in the record store – but they definitely have a sound that really stands out from the pack – and which comes across as this unusual mix of 70s styles and more traditional modes! The vocals are by the two ladies pictured on the ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
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
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 9.99
Hot Casa (France), 2020. New Copy (pic cover)... $14.99
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
PMG (Austria), 1979. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Cree (Germany), Late 80s. New Copy ... $9.99 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
Selected Sound/Be With (UK), 1983. New Copy (reissue)... $16.99
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
Kalita, Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy Gatefold ... $18.99
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
Heavenly Sweetness (France), 1970s/1980s/Early 90s. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... $28.99
Some of the hippest sounds we've ever heard from Guadeloupe – served up by Erick Cosaque – a singer, percussionist, and key figure in the gwo-ka genre – yet an artist who works in a special space that's all his own! The tunes here definitely have the heavy percussion of gwo-ka, ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Sing A Song Fighter (UK), 2020. New Copy ... $24.99
New work from Dekula Band – a group with roots in the Tanzania scene of decades back, but who currently reside in Sweden, where they cut this wonderfully intimate recording! The group are relatively lean, but have a great way of criss-crossing their musical elements, so that they actually ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Dibson & Essody —
Justice ... LP Wilfilms/Dig This Way (Italy), 1984. New Copy (reissue)... $34.99
Sweet boogie groovers from the early 80s Nigerian scene – heavy on warm vocals from Victor Essody and riffing guitar from Claude Dibson – but also warmed up with plenty of basslines and keyboards too! The sound is pretty spare and tight – electro soul, maybe filtered through a ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Sahel Sounds, 1994. New Copy ... $13.99 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
Pura Vida (France), 2019. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... $28.99
That's a pretty darn striking image on the cover – and the sounds within are pretty darn striking too – a fantastic mix of Cuban roots and contemporary hip hop production! French producer Al Quetz works here with El Tipo Este of Cuban hip hop group Obsesion – and the style is far ... (Latin, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
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)... $16.99 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
Ketu (France), 1975. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99
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
Relax In/We Want Sounds (UK), 1984. New Copy (reissue)... $31.99
One of those records that grabs you right away, even if you can't understand the language – a classic 80s set by Lebanese singer Fairuz, set to superb arrangements that resonate with some of the best European work of the time! Fairuz herself has a voice that's amazing – full of life ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Celluloid/PMG (Austria), 1983. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
Words of love from Libyan singer Ahmed Fakroun – an artist who works with some sweet 80s electro soul backings that perfectly match his look on the cover! The vocals are mostly in Arabic, but they're set to backings that have a definite western approach – very universal in sound, with ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Mots D'Amour ... CD 6.99
Knitting Factory, 1985. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99
The original take of "Army Arrangement" – one of the greatest 80s grooves from Fela Kuti – stretched out here over the course of the entire album! The notes list side one as being the "instrumental" and side two as the "vocal" – but in truth, the ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Knitting Factory, 1992. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99 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)... $21.99 24.99
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
Knitting Factory, Mid 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $21.99 26.99
One of the most compelling Fela albums of the 70s – and one that's got a very different feel than some of his others. The album features one long track – "Coffin For Head Of State" – and although the track still has the usual Fela staples of horn riffs, chopping vamps, ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Knitting Factory, 1975. New Copy (reissue)... $21.99 24.99
A real classic from the great Fela Kuti – a seminal mid 70s record that not only shows his impeccable sense of rhythm, but also his sense of rage as well! The title track – "Expensive Sh_t" – is Fela's answer to the time that he got busted for dope, and was forced to ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Knitting Factory, 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99 26.99
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)... $21.99 26.99
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)... $24.99
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
Knitting Factory, 1976/1999. New Copy (reissue)... $21.99 26.99
A really killer 70s album from Fela Kuti – one that serves up a hell of a message, and some great slinky grooves too! "Yellow Fever" is a brutal attack on miscegenation, backed by a funky groove that makes the whole thing fall into place with an amazing riffing sound – bold, ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Bongo Joe (UK), Late 70s/Early 80s. New Copy ... $18.99
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)... $18.99
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.)
Ostinato, Early 90s. New Copy Gatefold ... $13.99 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)... $19.99
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.)
Java Sounds/Hive Mind (UK), 2007/2020. New Copy 2LP ... $32.99
A beautifully expanded take on the music of Idjah Hadidjah – the legendary Indonesian singer who first came to the ears of most of us on a famous late 80s album for the Nonesuch label! This set follows the mode of that one – in that Hadidjah uses her great range and very expressive ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Issam Hajali —
Mouasalat Ila Jacad El Ard ... LP Habibi Funk (UK), 1977. New Copy ... Just Sold Out!
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 9.99
Karl Hector & The Malcouns —
Unstraight Ahead (with download) ... LP Now Again, 2014. New Copy 2 LPs ... $19.99 21.98
They definitely got the title right on this one – because the group never seems to move in any sort of direct line – instead always tripping around nicely with all these hip little twists and turns! Karl Hector & The Malcouns are the same loose collective of players you'll know ... (Deep Funk, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Unstraight Ahead ... CD 7.99(Includes download card.)
Hot Mule (France), 1986. New Copy (reissue)... $29.99
A really unusual little album – one that partly embraces a globe's worth of acoustic percussion, partly expresses itself in the minimal percussion legacy after Steve Reich's Drumming, and partly embraces some of the electric/acoustic sounds of the New York downtown scene of the early 80s ... (Out Sound, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Comes with a bonus set of notes, and a download code!)
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 8.99(Includes download!)
EMI/Outernational (UK), 1968. New Copy (reissue)... $22.99
An album that's every bit as cool as you might expect – a set that's very much in the same Indo-jazz experiments as saxophonist Joe Harriott, but with a slightly different approach overall! Although sitar is part of the instrumentation, there's also a fair bit of conventional jazz phrasing ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
CBS/Mad About Records (Portugal), 1977. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
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
Juju (Oneness Of Juju) —
Chapter Two – Nia ... LP Strata East/Now Again, 1974. New Copy (reissue)... $20.99 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!)
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 9.99
Om Kalsoum —
La Ya Habiby ... LP Fantome Phonographique (Italy), Early 70s. New Copy ... $22.99
Sublime sounds from legendary Egyptian singer Om Kalsoum – one of the greatest voices of her nation in the middle part of the 20th Century, and an artist with a style that's completely her own! Kalsoum has even more drama in her music than you'd expect from the cover – stretching out ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Hand-numbered limited edition of 500!)
Ahead Of Our Time (UK), 2020. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ... Just Sold Out!
A really fantastic collaboration between Coldcut and a host of South African musicians – and a set that also features a number of key contributions from the legendary Tony Allen! The record uses the older cutup style that Coldcut first forged on the London scene of the 80s – but has ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Mr Bongo (UK), 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $14.99 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
Alhaj Bai Konte, Dembo Konte, & Ma Lamini Jobare —
Gambian Griot Kora Duets (180 gram pressing) ... LP 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
Also available Gambian Griot Kora Duets ... CD 12.99(Very nicely-done reissue – with all the heft of an orginal Folkways pressing!)
PMG (Austria), 1978. New Copy ... $18.99
Funky sounds from Croatia – presented here with a sweet 70s groove, and some very offbeat vocals throughout! Zdenka Kovacicek has a completely different way of phrasing than most other European singers we've heard – all these weird twists, turns, and sharp little angles that are a ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Night Dreamer (UK), 2020. New Copy ... $18.99 29.99
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
Lafayette Afro Rock Band —
Malik ... LP Makossa/As The Record Turns, 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $12.99
A fantastic bit of Afro funky soul – one of a few albums recorded by the legendary Lafayette Afro Rock Band! The set has an incredible blend of American funk, African rhythms, and European production – recorded in the heady cross-cultural scene of early 70s Paris – with a sound ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Cultures Of Soul, Early 80s. New Copy (reissue)... $9.99 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
All Saints, 2020. New Copy ... $23.99 24.99
A really beautiful album from Laraaji, and a record that's a bit of a change too – as Laraaji not only plays just acoustic piano, but he also does so in a way that's different than some of his longer, more freer-sounding meditative work of the past! The instrument is recorded in the space of ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
Drift (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $16.99
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
Lord Invader & His Calypso Group —
Calypso Travels (180 gram pressing) ... LP Folkways, 1960. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99 22.98
The last album ever recorded by Trinidad calypso legend Lord Invader – and a set that really sums up all the genius he brought to his too-short career! At a time when the music was really entering the mainstream in commercial ways, Invader keeps things very spare, stark, and basic here ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Beautiful reissue – with all the heft of a classic Folkways pressing!)
Sonafric/Nubiphone (France), Early 70s. New Copy ... $16.99
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
NCF/Superfly (France), 1989. New Copy (reissue)... $19.99
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.)
Bongo Joe (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $16.99
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
JMD/Digger's Digest (France), Late 70s. New Copy (reissue)... $36.99
An album that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before – served up by a percussionist who spent the mid 70s touring the Caribbean and South Pacific, and who seems to have absorbed a globe's worth of rhythms in the process! The album's probably closest to a jazz fusion album – as ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Hand-numbered limited edition of 500 copies!)
Arsivplak (UK), 1979. New Copy (reissue)... $19.99
A very groovy little record – one that was only ever issued in Denmark, but which stands up strongly next to the best Turkish grooves of the 70s – thanks to a great blend of Turkish percussion, keyboards, and some mighty nice work on guitar! The guitars aren't as totally exotic as some ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Lauren (Italy), 1975. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
A lost combo from the South African scene of the 70s – and one who play here with a wonderfully spiritual vibe! The tunes are longish, and open – with some rhythmic currents that fall in the Dollar Brand side of the spectrum, but which are also topped with really tremendous work on ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 70 hand numbered copies.)
Awesome Tapes From Africa, 2020. New Copy ... $18.99
A great new recording from Hailu Mergia – the Ethiopian keyboardist who's given us some great records over the years! This set has Hailu working on both of his strengths – using keyboards in the lead on some tracks, accordion on others – plus a bit of melodica, and just a slight ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Awesome Tapes From Africa, 1977. New Copy ... $18.99 19.98
An amazing organ player from the Ethiopian scene – one whose work here easily rivals that of Mulatu and some of the best artists on the Ethiopiques series! Hailu Mergi has plenty of jazz in his approach – not just on his own keyboard lines, but also in the way he lets the group members ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download.)
MELT 2000/Matsuli (UK), 1999. New Copy (reissue)... $26.99
Groundbreaking work from Busi Mhlongo – a real shift in South American soul at the end of the 90s, almost as if the set was marking the new sense of pride and nation that was taking place at the tip of the continent! Mhlongo's vocals are amazing – expressive in familiar soul ways, but ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download.)
East West/Ascensionale (Italy), 1969. New Copy (reissue)... $44.99
One of the most evocative albums ever recorded by the enigmatic Lloyd Miller – a set created at Brigham Young University, in Utah – but filled with a mix of different styles from the other half of the planet! Miller plays a variety of stringed instruments and percussion – ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 200 copies – and packaged in a very heavy, hand-assembled cover!)
East West/Now Again, 1968. New Copy (reissue)... $20.99 25.98
Possibly the greatest album ever from the enigmatic Lloyd Miller – his legendary Oriental Jazz album from the late 60s, and a really wonderful blend of musical modes! Some of the tracks here really stretch out in the Eastern promise of the title – mixing jazz rhythms with santur, oud, ... (Jazz, Global Grooves) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Mzuri/Afro 7 (Finland), 1960s. New Copy (reissue)... $24.99
Yaseen Mohamed doesn't look like a party animal on the cover – but he really makes some fantastic music with his group – in this unusual blend of percussion, vocals, and cool thin keyboard lines on an unusual 60s instrument! The group also recorded under the name Mac & Party, but ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 1000 – includes download!)
Latency (UK), 2019. New Copy ... $16.99
A really cool criss-crossing of modes from percussionist Mohammad Reza Mortazavi – a musician who handles a range of older Persian instruments on the set, but also produced the album with a fair bit of echo and effects – so that the acoustic instruments crackle with deeper, more ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
PMG (Austria), 1978. New Copy (reissue)... $18.99
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Worthy, 1966. New Copy (reissue)... $12.99
Pure insanity from the mighty Mulatu – one of his few American albums from the 60s! The record's an incredible blend of New York Latin and some of the more Afro-styled grooves Mulatu explored more freely on his Ethiopian recordings – served up in a jazzy style that has plenty of vibes ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Worthy, 1966. New Copy (reissue)... $12.99
Rare early work from Mulatu – material recorded in America, in the years before Mulatu returned to his Ethiopian homeland, and really set the scene on fire! The style here is a mix of Latin jazz with some more exotic elements – played by a combo that features Mulatu on vibes, alongside ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Mulatu —
Mulatu Of Ethiopia ... LP Worthy, 1972. New Copy (reissue)... $12.99 14.98
Amazing work from the legendary Mulatu Astatke – one of Ethiopia's funkiest musicians of the 70s, making a rare appearance here on this lost American recording! The album has been a holy grail for years amongst beatheads – loved for its killer blend of weird rhythms, sweet funk, and ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Agogo (Germany), 2020. New Copy ... $22.99
A great entry in the ongoing resurgence of the mighty Mulatu Astatke – the legend of Ethiopian music from the 70s, still going strong after all these years – and finding new ways to interact with generations of musicians that he inspired with his original recordings! This set has ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available To Know Without Knowing ... CD 15.99(Includes download card!)
Dig This Way (Italy), 1989. New Copy (reissue)... $23.99
A sweet set of digital dub from the Nigerian scene – a record that blends drum machine beats with richer, bassier currents – all in a vibe that's like some of the best underground work coming out of Kingston a few years before! Singer/leader Essco Wilson, aka Sharon Dread, features ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Comes with a nice booklet of notes!)
Sonorama Discos, 2020. New Copy ... $19.99
A really striking group from the contemporary Austin scene – one that's led by Victor Andrews Cruz, and who blend together his Colombian roots with some deeper strands of guitar-based music – with resonances that move between the fuzzy sounds of Saharan guitar and some of the moodier ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Nubiphone (France), Early 80s. New Copy ... $18.99
A really cool little record, and one that's got a lot more going on than just the usual set from an African female singer – as Liza Ngawa's as much a great guitarist as she is a vocalist, and stretches out here in an excellent group with two other guitar players, two keyboards, and some ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Hand-numbered limited edition of 500 – includes poster & download!)
Polydor/Tidal Waves, 1978. New Copy (reissue)... $23.99 26.98
The fourth and final album from Ofege – and a set that shows the Nigerian group still very much at the top of their game – soaring out on fast funk rhythms that often echo American styles of the time, but with a lot more edge – and produced with all these cool trippy touches ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 500 copies.)
Survival Research (Australia), 1975. New Copy (reissue)... $19.99
The debut album from the Ogyatanaa Show Band – a group who'd been working heavily on the Ghana scene in the early 70s, and who begin this set with a side-long track that pays tribute to all the giants in the world of highlife! That track's quite unusual – a highlife number, but one ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Oneness Of Juju —
Space Jungle Luv ... LP Black Fire/Now Again, 1976. New Copy (reissue)... $20.99 25.98
A fantastic record from one of the greatest underground jazz groups of the 70s! Oneness of Juju are perhaps best known for the heavy funk of their first album, African Rhythms – but we're actually partial to this second album – a warmly spiritual batch of soul jazz tracks, and a set ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Lacquered from the original master tapes in a tip-on sleeve. Includes 12 page booklet!)
Strut (UK), 2020. New Copy 2LP ... $19.99 29.99
That image on the cover is a fantastic visual representation of the sound of Onipa – a group who draw on older cultures with roots in Ghana, but who are clearly poised to shoot out into the cosmos with lots of future energy in their music! Percussion is a mix of acoustic and electric, and ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available We No Be Machine ... CD 7.99
Tabansi/BBE (UK), 1975. New Copy ... $14.99 26.98
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 LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Trumpet King Zeal Onyia Returns ... CD 9.99