A record that's every bit as groovy as you might guess from the title – served up by one of the most unique combos to record for Colombia's Discos Fuentes in the 70s! Afrosound certainly have plenty of rhythms and sounds that resonate with their contemporaries at the top of the South American scene – but they also use rootsier percussion, and served up a rawer sound too – definitely bringing back some West African modes, after that scene had an earlier influence from the world of Afro-Cuban music! There's some especially cool keyboards that get all weird and distorted – like electric guitar on some Peruvian records – balanced with plenty of live, loud percussion – on titles that include "Banana De Queso", "Baila Felipe", "Negua", "Ponchito De Colores", "Carruseles", "Zaire Pop", "Rapsodia Del Chinito", "Me Voy De La Vida", "Salsa Con Tabaco", and "La Negra Saramuya". (Latin, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz trio, but one with a really unusual combination of instruments – vibes and marimba from Benoit Lavollee, drums from David Georgelet, and bass trombone from Stephane Montigny – who also plays some great work on shells as well! The music is heavy on currents from global sources, but is definitely jazz as well – and given the performance of Montigny, there are some aspects of the record that maybe remind us of a more stripped-down take on the territory of Steve Turre when he reaches for some non-American modes as well! The drumming of Georgelet is great – often more tribal and percussion-like than standard swing – and the use of vibes and marimba moves nicely between rhythm and melody. Titles include "Fauve", "Sancocho", "Traverse", "Rococo", "Lonnie's Lament", and "Tony". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

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 – all moving and grooving in ways that are a lot hipper than any other belly dance music we've heard! Music features piano and organ, plus a very cool "string synthesizer" by played by the leader – and there's also plenty of percussion at the core of the set, making for a nice juxtaposition with the electric elements. Titles include "Night Entertainer", "Dance Of Tenderness", "Joy Of Lina", "A Flower Of My Imagination", "Love Of Laura", "Girls Of Iskandariah", and "Once A Year". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool Scandinavian combo, and one who've got heavy influences from both American and African funk of the 70s – influences that they weave together wonderfully here in a rich tapestry of grooves! There's as much Nigerian elements in the music as Ethiopian – especially the more exotic horn parts of the latter – and in addition to familiar funk instrumentation on guitar, keyboards, saxes, and trumpet – the record features some especially nice use of percussion, flute, xylophone, and sitar too! Titles include the long Indian-themed track "Bhimpalasi" – plus "Gunkali", "Movefeze", "What Could I Do", "Surrounded", and "Big Words". (Deep Funk, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Heavenly sounds from the Ethiopian scene of the 70s – a set that has the vocals of Aselefech Ashine and Getenesh Kebret wrapped together wonderfully – not exactly harmonies in the conventional sense, but maybe a double-barreled approach that really makes the music soar! The instrumentation includes work by the Army Band – with nicely offbeat piano lines over percussion, and the unusual reed phrasing you'll know from other Ethio groovers of the time – all a perfect match for the vocals! The style here is right up there with some of the better-known classics from the scene in the golden era – and titles include "Ene Yalant Feker", "Kenawtte", "Lametew", "Anlak Abet Abet", "Ayinouma", "Jegenaw Belaye", and "Amerewal Shegenuo". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite disco sensation from Babla – a singer who refits older Indian film songs with new club grooves for the 80s – definitely very much in the mode that's promised by the title! The set features older songs by Shankhar Jakishan, Kalyanji Anadji, and Hemant Kumar – plus a few originals by Babla too – and the instrumentation also has a fair bit of keyboards in the mix, which creates this spacey disco vibe that's not unlike some of the more cosmic club tracks coming from the European scene at the start of the 80s! Rhythms are all upbeat, and the keyboards give the music a darker edge than you might expect – on titles that include "Aye mere Dil Kahin Aur Chal", "Intian Aartis", "Hamko Tumpe Pyar Aaya", "Kabhi Hota Nahin", and "Man Dole Mera Tan Dole". LP, Vinyl record album

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 than the usual revival record of this nature! The songs are definitely classics, but the presentation is very contemporary – directed by producer Guts, and Francisco Sousa, with a special ear for avoiding the sorts of cliches that both mar a project like this, and some of the stereotypes that get reinforced by reissues on the market. Instead, there's a fresh criss-crossing of cultures, but one that never waters down the roots at all – maybe a bit like some of the best Parisian productions of the 70s and 80s post-colonial years. Titles include "Dunia Be Tene", "Riba Bass Di Mi", "Citi Ku Liti", "No Guinea", "Mulato Ferrera", "Segunda", and "Di Mas". LP, Vinyl record album

Not what you might expect when shopping for African music – unique electronic sounds from Cameroon musician Francis Bebey – as heavy on keyboards as other 70s work is on guitar! There's still plenty of acoustic elements in the mix though, too – lots of earthy percussion at the bottom, which links some of these tracks to other styles of the time – even though some of the more unusual tunes here have these great electronic sounds that almost feel like they came from the late 70s German underground! The mix of modes is breathtaking – as if Moebius and Roedelius recorded with musicians from Lagos – shaking off the colder sounds of the Conny Plank side of the spectrum, to come up with a warm new style that's really unique! Titles include "La Condition Masculine", "Sahle", "The Coffee Cola Song", "Super Jingle", "Pygmy Love Song", "Agatha", "Catching Up", and "Divorce Pygmee". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the most authentic records ever cut by John Berberian – an American musician, but one who delivered great work on the oud during the 60s – including some projects that were often a bit psychedelic in nature! This set's a bit more straightforward, but equally great – really hard-driving and surprisingly earthy, without any attempts at all to touch up the sound with rock or pop elements – quite a surprise, given that the set was issued on Roulette Records, home to more mainstream rock and soul! Instrumentation includes lots of percussion, plus saxes and guitar – as well as a host of great oud solos from Berberian, on titles that include "Samra Ya Samra", "Dale Dale", "Chifte Telli", "Gamavor Zimfor", "Tamiko", and "Oud Solo". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful album from this ever-changing Brazilian group – a combo who started out in more standard Afro Funk modes years ago, but who've really shifted their music in all sorts of great ways over recent albums! There's still some strong use of horns and heavy percussion throughout – but they also work in keyboards and electronics in these really great ways – almost echoing some Brazilian musical experiments from that Trama Records generation at the start of the century, while also holding true to the more acoustic elements at their roots! Titles include "Baile Flutante", "Mar Virado", "Loa Lua", "Marginal Elevado Radial", and "Na Quarta Feira". (Brazil, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A Caribbean group, but one with a much heavier groove than most – much more of a West African vibe overall, with a very heady mix of percussion, bass, and other heady elements! There's a mixed-up, dubby approach to the music that almost recalls Cymande at times – core musical ideas taken nicely far from their roots – not in a way to make them more commercial, but just to shake things up, recombine then, and come up with a sound that's wonderfully unique! The whole thing is every bit as funky as you might expect, and really criss-crosses scenes and styles with a blend of percussion, guitars, flute, kalimba, keyboards, and Arp. The production is great – nice and moody, with just the right current of echo – and all titles were penned by lead singer Oluko Imo, with tracks that include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", and "Umbala". This edition also features the bonus track "Imo". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of classic albums, served up here in a single set! First up is the sound of Angola, circa 1972 – served up here in a beautiful album of songs from Bonga! The music is relatively spare – mostly just lead acoustic guitar, bass, and percussion – the latter of which is played by Bonga himself, almost always with this lively quality that really matches his vocals – which themselves are filled with all these fantastic inflections that almost remind us of salsa singers of the time – no surprise, given how much Latin music styles were hitting the scene in West Africa during the 60s and 70s. But the style here is very different, too – as Bonga's richly expressive in the way he uses his voice – almost more folkloric, given the acoustic guitar instrumentation – yet surprisingly powerful too, despite the spareness. Titles include "Ku Tando", "Balumukeno", "Uengi Dia Ngola", "Paxi Ni Ngongo", "Muimbo Ua Sabalu", and "Muadikime". Angola 74 is a beautifully sophisticated setting for the voice of Bonga – as he works here with lively small group backings, and a bit of larger orchestrations as well! There's this fantastic blend of folk roots and modernism in the music – maybe a bit like some of the more experimental work from Havana at the time, but a bit like some Brazilian projects too – as the enigmatic vocal inflections of the leader mix with his own percussion – all given nice shadings in color by acoustic guitar. Titles include "Venda Poro", "Kubangela", "Ma Kongo", "Kinga Kueta", "Ghinawa", "Roots", and "Marika". LP, Vinyl record album

A really well-chosen set of classic Afro Funk records from Fela Kuti – hand-picked by Idris Elba, and brought together in this limited box set! Open & Close is an early classic from Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – the kind of early 70s record that helped both the leader and the group establish themselves as a global powerhouse of funk and soul! The set begins with the side-long "Open & Close" – a righteous tune that's driven onward by lots of tight drums from Tony Allen – young, focused, and completely amazing here – while Fela delivers all these madly leaping electric piano lines amidst the super-sharp horn section – all moving instrumentally for many minutes before the vocals come into play! Side two features two shorter tracks, but still nice and long in comparison to most funky groups – the wonderful "Swegbe & Pako" and "Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo" – tunes that really send the record over the top! Fela teams up with vibist Roy Ayers on Music Of Many Colors – one of the best soul collaborations ever – a 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 track. And in keeping with Roy's work, the album has a sweet soulful feel, with lots of nice jazzy touches, cool vibes, and great vocals by Roy. Two long tracks, both classics: "2000 Black" and "Africa, Center of the World". Opposite People is seminal work from one of Fela's most crucial periods – recorded at a time when his soul was the deepest! The album features 2 long tracks – "Opposite People" and "Equalisation Of Trouser & Pant" – and they both have beautiful spooky keyboards in the instrumental passages, then leap into hard soul vocals by Fela. Tremendous stuff – done in a style that shows that no matter how many people cop or remake Fela's sound, he's still the best one to do it! The rare Stalemate album features the side-long tracks "Stalemate" and "Don't Worry About My Mouth" – both really hard-driving numbers, with a fantastic mix of vocals and grooves! Live In Amsterdam is an excellent live set from Fela – one that shows that he was still very capable of going over the top during the 80s! The set's a double LP – and it features 4 great numbers by the group, with Fela on soprano sax, piano, and organ, and plenty of other great work on tenor, alto, and trumpet. Titles include "Gimme Shit I Give You Shit", "Custom Check Point", "Movement Of The People", and "Political Statement Number 1". I Go Shout Plenty is a great one from Fela – with a date of 1986, but a sound that's pure late 70s! The record features 2 long tracks – "I Go Shout Plenty" and "Why Black Man Dey Suffer" – and they're both hard groovers with a strong political feel. "Why Black Man" is especially nice, and has some great keyboard riffing in the middle, with that great tinny sound that you'll hear on the best Fela albums. One that we almost never see – and issued on the Decca subsidiary Afrodisia. LP, Vinyl record album

A mid-70s message from the legendary Fela Kuti – a record whose title and cover image are a commentary on the wrong directions the Nigerian elite were heading in at the time – served up here with all the fantastic frenzied grooves that Afrika 70 can deliver! "Ikoyi Blindness" begins with quick-stepping percussion and riffing guitar, then soon opens to a great keyboard part as the horns come in, and the whole thing flowers beautifully in both an instrumental and vocal level! The flipside also features the equally-great "Gba Mi Leti Ki N'Dolow" – translated as "Slap Me Make I Get Money", an attack on the way that the rich bend the system of justice to their own needs – and really set fire by Fela and the group. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant album from Fela – and one that shows him really coming into his own, with that tremendous new sound that would go onto influence decades of musicians! The title track – "Roforofo Fight" – is a side-long jam that instantly sets a new standard for African funk – skittish drums, a sweet keyboard line that snakily sets the groove, and a wonderful long alto solo that's got even more raspy soul than Fela's vocals! Those vocals are sometimes more broken up, verbally – and have an instrumental quality at the start – then lay into the lyrics later, with some great supporting backup. The flipside features the side-long "Go Slow" – a tune that layers and layers sounds as it moves on – from an initial thin keyboard line, to a rumbling bassy blend that has lots of room for the horns and vocals! LP, Vinyl record album

NSI stands for "new sounds from the islands" – and that's definitely what you'll get here from this combo who serve up a fantastic blend of Antilles rhythms and contemporary club funk – all very much in the best spirit of the early zouk movement at the time! There's lots of great bass on the record – often used as the key core element of the tunes, with keyboards, guitar lines, and vocals layered alongside – almost with a quality that seems to echo the way that American groups were borrowing bits from the Caribbean and using it to inflect funk and soul up in the New York scene of the early 80s. The music is plenty playful, and very groovy – and titles include "Turn Your Face On Me", "Steel Ka Dance", "Oui Ce Yes Roger A Ti Wawa", and "Moin Epi Vou". LP, Vinyl record album

A really burning record from the Venezuelan scene at the height of its musical growth – and an album that seems to echo the blend of Latin and rock styles that were happening on the American west coast at the time – but with a nicely different vibe! Guitars and keyboards come into play with plenty of percussion and jazzy instrumentation – and the result is a sound that's wonderfully funky at times, and also compressed in a way that's different from the longer jams of some of US groups. Yet there's also all these weird little twists and turns – that almost-experimental vibe that you'll hear in Venezuelan groovers from the period – great surprises along the way, on titles that include "Caliente", "Amor Y Felicidad", "Escandalo", "Semilla", "Vete", "Sinfonia Numero 20", and "No Te Olvides Del Senor". (Latin, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A really funky set from the UK scene of the 70s – an album that mixes West African roots with some of the hipper elements going on in London at the time – a city where Remi Kabaka had been lending his talents to a variety of different records over the years! The set was issued by Island Records, and has the kind of cross-cultural groove the label did so well – and at some level, the record's sort of a second chapter in some of the African-influenced funk that was bubbling over on the London scene in the early 70s – maybe a bit sharper and tighter overall, but no less funky! The basslines are especially nice – nice and deep, with maybe an influence from Jamaican music, even though there's no reggae at all on the set. Titles include "Future Of 1000 Years", "All Black Festival", "African Hustle", "Blue Lagos", "Meteorite", "Sure Thing", and "Kabaka". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 70s genius from Leon Keita, a Mandingue musician who only recorded a few albums on the scene in Mali, but really helped transform the music at the time! There's an evolution of older modes here that's great – never forced, but this kind of gentle nudge into more complexity in both the rhythms and the guitar lines – sometimes with these uplifting qualities that almost seem to echo South African jazz, but with more of the cyclical progressions that you'd expect from Keita's scene. The organ and keyboard lines are especially great, sometimes almost otherworldly – and titles include "Dalaka"," Gnanassouma", "Daka Sate Korotoumi", "Diarabi Mana", and "Ifarana". LP, Vinyl record album

Very joyous sounds from Konkolo Orchestra – an Afro Funk group, but one with a really uplifting vibe – a really special approach to the music that definitely sets them apart from the rest! Part of the music's charm lies in the vocals – often sung by lead singer Nongoma Ndlovu, a vocalist with a quality that's instantly endearing, and often echoed by other members of the group in a very joyous way! Vocals are by a few others at points, and the album also has a few instrumentals – with a small tight mix of one sax and one trumpet, keyboards, bass, drums, and some great percussion as well. Titles include "Cover Up The Bruises", "How We Got Here", "Blue G", "Count Your Blessings", "Future Pasts", "That Good Thing", and "Yese Yese". LP, Vinyl record album