A fantastic treasure from the South African jazz scene of the 60s – a record that's full of soul and spirit, and which draws enough from the piano of leader Chris Schilder as it does from the tenor of Winston Mankuku Ngozi! Nogzi's a player who's very much in the John Coltrane camp, but with a spirit that's all his own – a rich tone that reaches back to late 50s hardbop styles, but which gets a more fluid, modal expression here – alongside well-crafted lines from Schilder on piano, in a quintet with guitar from Garry Kriel, bass from Phillip Schilder, and drums from Gilbert Matthews. There's certainly a South African spirit in some of the rhythms, but the music itself is more in the righteous territory of late 60s Blue Note – like the most creative work from Lee Morgan or Hank Mobley – on titles that include "The Birds", "Look Up", "Before The Rain & After", "Spring", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". (Jazz, Global Grooves) 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". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the funkiest album ever from Marius Cultier – and definitely one of the records that perfectly shows off his wonderful post-colonial blend of sounds! There's bits of funk from both sides of the Atlantic going on here – roots in both Africa and the Caribbean, but fused through that new sense of freedom that an artist like Cultier found on the Parisian scene – where he could also explore some jazzier inspirations, and move the grooves into so many great areas! The album's got a wonderful vibe – a sound that appeals both to lovers of global funk from the 70s, and sweet fusion as well – thanks to some great work on Fender Rhodes and vibes by Cultier. Titles include "Sousaki", "Ouelele", "Missie Sirop", "Laini", "Ni Tellement Longtemps", and "Mazouk Souvenir". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Beijo De Longe", "Maria Elena", "Flor Di Nha Esperanca", "Sorte", "Carnaval De Sao Vincente", "Paraiso Di Atlantico", and "Roma Criola". LP, Vinyl record album

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

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, most of this work might hail from any hip spot in the global underground – save for the fact that the lyrics are often in Spanish, and many tunes have some slight reference to older musical modes – sometimes an acoustic element mixed in with more electronic instrumentation, sometimes a more direct reference! The quality of the tracks is wonderful – a really strong surprise to our ears, as we never would have discovered this music otherwise – and it represents a really great alternative so some of the more staid, often boring attempts to create a global fusion of elements in the mainstream. Titles include "Cada Paso" by Liannia, "Cumbia Lobina (ext mix)" by Dragao featuring Nidia Gongora, "Aquazero" by Systema Solar featuring Pedro Ramaya, "Oyele" by Jimena Angel, "Cuando Canto Grito" by Cerrero featuring Lucia Pulido, "El Leopardo" by El Leopardo, "Mujer Divina" by Salsangroove, "Gualayo" by Radio Rebelde Soundsystem, "La Negra Y El Fantasma" by Bareto, "Nunca Termina" by David Caneva Akle, "Manana Sera" by Ruzto, and "De Donde Vengo Yo" by Los Transatlanticos featuring Pilar Matarola. (New Grooves, Global Grooves) CD

A fantastic look at the groundbreaking sounds of the Disques Debs label – one of the most important companies producing music in the French Caribbean – and an imprint whose impact was strongly felt on the other side of the Atlantic as well! The core of these grooves is that compelling biguine rhythm that flowed from Guadeloupe – almost a mix of Latin and jazz, but with a different sort of vibe of its own – which was then interwoven with elements from Cuban, European, and African styles amidst the initial decade or so of recordings on this set! Debs had strong ties with Paris, and a bit with the West African scene – and their recorded legacy almost follows old colonial paths, but in reverse – creating this wonderful criss-crossing of cultures amidst their grooves. The package is wonderful – loads of vintage photos and great notes in the best Strut Records way – and titles include "Douce Kombass" by Henri Debs Quintet, "Mr Morin" by Joseph Lacides, "Lan Mise" by Geno Exilie, "Feeling Happy" by Cyril Dias Et Son Orchestre, "Ces P'Tits Je T'Aime" by Daniel Forestal Et Sa Guitare, "Assez Fait Cancan" by Guy Conquette, "Stanislas" by Eric Virgal, "Meringue Mondey" by Remy Mondey, "Si I Bon Di I Bon" by Le Ry-Co Jazz, "Salvana" by Dolor Et Les Diables Du Rhythme, and "Van Van" by Henri Guedon Et Les Contesta. CD

A fantastic look at the groundbreaking sounds of the Disques Debs label – one of the most important companies producing music in the French Caribbean – and an imprint whose impact was strongly felt on the other side of the Atlantic as well! The core of these grooves is that compelling biguine rhythm that flowed from Guadeloupe – almost a mix of Latin and jazz, but with a different sort of vibe of its own – which was then interwoven with elements from Cuban, European, and African styles amidst the initial decade or so of recordings on this set! Debs had strong ties with Paris, and a bit with the West African scene – and their recorded legacy almost follows old colonial paths, but in reverse – creating this wonderful criss-crossing of cultures amidst their grooves. The package is wonderful – loads of vintage photos and great notes in the best Strut Records way – and titles include "Douce Kombass" by Henri Debs Quintet, "Mr Morin" by Joseph Lacides, "Lan Mise" by Geno Exilie, "Feeling Happy" by Cyril Dias Et Son Orchestre, "Ces P'Tits Je T'Aime" by Daniel Forestal Et Sa Guitare, "Assez Fait Cancan" by Guy Conquette, "Stanislas" by Eric Virgal, "Meringue Mondey" by Remy Mondey, "Si I Bon Di I Bon" by Le Ry-Co Jazz, "Salvana" by Dolor Et Les Diables Du Rhythme, and "Van Van" by Henri Guedon Et Les Contesta. LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning sounds from the Disques Debs label in the 70s – a powerhouse imprint in the French Caribbean scene, and a company who were really coming into their own during the decade! The "cadence revolution" in the title is a reference both to the revolution in new musical sounds that Debs was helping encourage, and the rise of the cadence style in Guadeloupe and Martinique – a mode that borrows the faster rhythms of Haitian music, then folds together some elements of Afro-Cuban styles, and maybe just a touch of West African influence – part of that back/forth activity across the Atlantic that seemed to happen so effortlessly during the 60s and 70s. A good number of the tracks here are nice and long – pulled from Debs LPs, not just 45s – and as with the first volume, the package does a great job of providing plenty of historical context, information on the music, and some great vintage images too. Titles include "Ambiance" by Les Vikings, "Lina Femm Foll" by Smoke, "Lage Yo" by Koumbit, "Disco Funk" by Galaxy, "Ping Pong" by Guy Conquette & Son Groupe, "Experience" by Tabou No 2, "Moin Domi Derho" by Super Combo, "Good Trip" by HWT Band, "Stranger" by Midnight Groovers, and "Moin Ce Roi Roi" by Guadafrica Combo. CD

Lively grooves from the islands of Sao Tome and Principe – two nations located in the gulf of Guinea – at a unique crossroads that makes for a really wonderful criss-crossing of styles and sounds! The nations are part of the older Portuguese colonial network, and share some sounds with the scene in Cameroon – but also bring in West African styles and some tropical elements from the other side of the Atlantic too – all wrapped together in the puxa style of the islands! The tunes are mostly lively, upbeat, and have strong basslines peppered with deft work on guitar – a mixture of merengue, Afro-Cuban, and highlife modes – but given a really unique spin as well, with qualities that are filled with joy and life on nearly every number. Titles include "Mado" and "Meu Di Ploco" by Conjunto Equador, "Mino Bo Be Quacueda" and "Aninha" by Africa Negra, "Corticao" and "Sun Male" by Sangazua, "Nga Ba Compensadora" by Pedro Lima, "Piquina Piquina" by Os Untues, "Tola Muandgi" by Sum Alvarinho, and "Taji Ocedo" by Conjunto Mindelo. CD