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 real sense of jamming, especially in the criss-crossing of the percussion, which is tremendous throughout – a real driving force of the music, and exploding with all these melodic elements as much as rhythmic ones – so much so, that the talking between the drums speaks volumes, even before the vocals come into the mix. The whole thing's a masterpiece of creative percussion, mixed with other elements that creep in a bit more strongly on side two – and titles include "Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo", "Ayo Igbala Ni Mofe, "Igbe Eiye Oloburo", "Jide Babaloa & Bayo Babalola", and "Ile Aiye Ile Ese Ile Aiye Ogun". LP, Vinyl record album

A great release by this really unique combo – a Brazilian group, but one who are equally interested in the African roots in their music – but in ways that are completely different than any other contemporary act we can think of! Camarao Orkestra aren't one of those Fela-styled Afro Funk combos that have popped up on nearly every scene around the globe in recent years – and instead, the music here is this really beautiful blend of Brazilian percussion, warmer production styles, and some deeper modes borrowed from the other side of the Atlantic – all fused together with instrumentation that's live, spontaneous, and never overproduced – in ways that really take us back to some of the best Brazilian musical experiments of years past! As part of that, the group take on one of the key tunes from the Afro Sambas project of Baden Powell and Vinicius De Moraes – "Canto De Imenja" – and move into their own tunes on other tracks that include "Canto Da Bahia", "Dia De Verao", "Nacao Africa", "Copacabana", and "Guerreiro Yoruba". CD

A great release by this really unique combo – a Brazilian group, but one who are equally interested in the African roots in their music – but in ways that are completely different than any other contemporary act we can think of! Camarao Orkestra aren't one of those Fela-styled Afro Funk combos that have popped up on nearly every scene around the globe in recent years – and instead, the music here is this really beautiful blend of Brazilian percussion, warmer production styles, and some deeper modes borrowed from the other side of the Atlantic – all fused together with instrumentation that's live, spontaneous, and never overproduced – in ways that really take us back to some of the best Brazilian musical experiments of years past! As part of that, the group take on one of the key tunes from the Afro Sambas project of Baden Powell and Vinicius De Moraes – "Canto De Imenja" – and move into their own tunes on other tracks that include "Canto Da Bahia", "Dia De Verao", "Nacao Africa", "Copacabana", and "Guerreiro Yoruba". LP, Vinyl record album

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A fantastic collection of cross-cultural grooves from Daniel Haaksman – the man who first raised our ears with his excellent Rio Baile Funk Favela Booty Beats compilations – then kept on giving us great music during all the years in between! This set has Haaksman providing his own edits of tracks that have a fair bit of global elements in the mix – contemporary club, but rife with acoustic, organic sound styles – which are further expanded by Daniel in his thoughtful edits throughout the entire set! There's plenty here for the dancefloor, but also a deeper cultural mission at hand – on tracks that include Haacksman edits of "Akabongi" by Soul Brothers, "Vamos Farrear" by Pinduca, "Morbiyassa" by Kaba Blon, "Cazukuta" by DJ Havaiana, "Sunny Crypt" by Francis Bebey, "Me Gritaron Negra" by Victoria Santa Cruz, "Dissan Na M'Bera" by Super Mama Djombo, and "Black September" by Master Chivero. (New Grooves, Global Grooves) CD

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 four piece combo seem to take all the best elements from the bigger American funk ensembles, then fuse them down to a wickedly sharp core – with basslines, guitar, and keyboards all working with an amazing edge – and none of the too-commercial elements that might have been showing up on the US scene at the time! Vocals are in English – which should have made this record a crossover international funk hit – and the whole thing can kick the ass of just about any early 80s funk album on the planet. Titles include "Sexy Woman", "Atlantic Breeze", "Be A Lover", "Super D Jay", and "Love Or Money". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of contemporary Afro Funk work – but all served up from quite a surprising source! The music here is all from Brazil, but also continues that nation's long tradition of sharing roots and culture with the continent across the Atlantic – a legacy that's sometimes been subtle, especially as sounds get localized – but which bursts out here with a renewed sense of pride and power! The style on many cuts is nicely different than some of the too-slavish Afro combos from up north – as these musicians aren't afraid to make their own shifts in sound, and leave their own mark on the music – so that much of the cuts feel more like a fusion between rootsier traditions from both sides of the ocean, often given a funky and jazzy spin. Titles include "Afoxe" by Camarao Orchestra, "Etiopia" by Thiago Franca, "Musico" by Lucas Santtana, "Democracia" by Otto Nasca, "Farofa De Banana" by Trabalhos Espaciais Manuais, "Wababa" by Andre Sampaiao & Os Afromandinga, "Logun" by Meta Meta, "Origem" by Andre Abujamra, and "Bass Do Tambo" by BNegao & Os Seletores De Frequencia. CD