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 moreCD
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 moreCD
(Special limited CD – pressed up for us by the Smithsonian Folkways label. Comes with original cover artwork, and the CD also features a PDF file with the original liner notes and other materials from the original record release.)
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Very nicely-done reissue – with all the heft of an orginal Folkways pressing!)
A very different album than the previous effort from drummer/percussionist Saratha Korwar – a lot more political, as you might guess from the title – and a set that has the London musician working with performers from the hip hop scenes in Mumbai and New Delhi! Most of the tunes have a ... (Jazz, Global Grooves)read moreCD
A Kostis (Constantinos Kostas Bezos) —
Jail's A Fine School ... LP Mississippi, 1930/1931. New Copy ...
$13.99
Beautifully folksy work from pre-war Greece – a series of 78s from Constantinos Bezos, not only a musician, but also a journalist and actor too – and reportedly one with a very political wit! That wit comes through in the title of the collection – but might not in the lyrics to ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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 moreCD
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
Two guitars and percussion – working together here in an unusual representation of West African music – in early recordings that came to lay the basis for the highlife sound to come! The set brings together rare early 78rpm singles from this trio from the Ghanian city of Kumasi – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Early album by Femi Kuti – a tight bunch of tracks that picks up where his father's work left off, taking the classic 70s Afro Funk sound firmly into the 90s. By that, we don't mean that Femi's adding in any extra garbage to the music – because the overall sound is very much in the ... read moreCD
Fela's funky son is back – sounding more soulful than ever! The album's a great one – an incredibly solid effort that's light years beyond Femi's first two LPs – spanning a globe of grooves with one foot in his father's Afro Funk tradition, and another in the future of soul, hip ... read moreCD
Excellent double 12" pack with nice pumped up remixes of numbers from the Shoki Shoki LP. 12-inch, Vinyl record
(Promo in a stickered sleeve.)
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 —
Black Times ... LP Strut (UK), 2018. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$26.9928.99
Some of the most righteous and furiously funky Afro Soul since Fela Kuti's prime – and it's beyond appropriate for such a committed, perfect personification of a classic sound via a modern player come from Fela's own son Seun! As strident as Seun's approach is, much like his father at his ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Kutiman —
Wachaga ... CD Siyal (Israel), 2020. New Copy ...
$12.99
Much deeper work than we're used to hearing from Kutiman – and a set that's really widened the global scope of their sounds and influences! At the start, these guys were a funk group with a mix of psychedelic and 70s Afro-oriented influences – but they've really expanded here, and ... (New Grooves, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Lots of heavy percussion – and tracks include "Chant Abakua", "Musique Rituelle Yoruba", "Mama No Quiere", and "La Rebambaramba". (Latin, Global Grooves)LP, Vinyl record album
Lakou Mizik —
Wa Di Yo ... CD Cumbancha, 2016. Used ...
$6.99
Music of a very different style than some of Laraaji's other work – more tuneful and song-based – with shorter tracks that show a whole different side of his talents! Laraaji's gotten great acclaim for his homespun spiritual sounds – long tracks that first found a home in Brian ... read moreCD
Beautiful work from Mali – recorded by the nomadic studio of Frikyiwa, and a mixture of music, vocals, and sounds of the city of Bougouni! The approach is really striking, and makes for a CD that's as much a cultural document of Lipitone's music as one could hope for. Titles include "Ta ... read moreCD
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Beautiful reissue – with all the heft of a classic Folkways pressing!)
Luka Productions —
Falaw ... CD Sahel Sounds, 2019. New Copy ...
$7.9914.98
Luka Productions is a showcase for the fantastic voice of Luka Guindo – a singer with this raspy charm that grabs you right away and really conveys the power of the tunes – so much so, you hardly need the English translations of the lyrics in the notes! The music is a blend of acoustic ... read moreCD
Raw crackling hip hop funk beatcraft at its deepest from mighty Madlib – working in his Beat Konducta style for this third entry in the epic Madlib's Medicine Show Series! Beat Konducta In Africa is a hazy hip hop instrumental set from 'Lib (lest you thought it might be a funky compilation ... (Hip Hop, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Mauricio Maestro with Nana Vasconcelos —
Upside Down ... CD Far Out (UK), 2011. New Copy ...
$7.9916.99
A contemporary set, but one that's unlike any other recent Brazilian recording we can think of – given the very unique vibe that Mauricio Maestro is going for! You might know Mauricio from his mid 70s work with Joyce on Visions Of Dawn – and although this set is a recent recording, it ... (Brazil, Global Grooves)read moreCD
Magic Drum Orchestra —
In The Studio ... CD Lion Head (Germany), 2009. Used ...
$6.99
Plenty of drum magic here – a highly rhythmic outing that's built from the talents of a battery of great percussionists, working without any other instrumentation at all! There's a romping, funky sensibility to the music on most numbers – drums and percussion handling not just the ... (Deep Funk, Global Grooves)read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens —
MBAQANGA ... CD Verve, 1991. Used ...
$1.99
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
Groovy South African soul from Linda Bab Majika – a singer who's part of that new generation of positivity that was flowing out of the scene, reaching out here with a sound that's pretty universal in appeal! The music is more conventional 80s soul than you might expect – and richer and ... (Soul, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Tri-color stereo pressing. Cover has a small split near the bottom seam.)
One of Miriam's first albums in the US – issued under the supervision of Harry Belafonte, and recorded with only guitar backing on most cuts, plus some additional vocal help from the Belafonte Folk Singers. Tracks include "Olili", "The Retreat Song", "Umhome", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really sweet little record from the South African scene – one that mixes together elements of American instrumental soul with Jamaican-influenced rhythms – but with a vibe that's a bit unlike anything else we can think of! The music here is credited to the Makgona Tsohle Band, but ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 400!)
Malawian Madalitso Band —
Wasalala ... LP 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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
Jose Mancliere —
Doubout Pou Gade ... LP 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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
You might know Ze Manel as a member of Super Mama Djombo – but here, he comes across on a set of tracks that are even more personal, yet still highly rhythmic overall! There's a criss-crossing of elements in the tunes that's really great – lots of back/forth rhythms, sewn together by ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 500 – on heavyweight vinyl and in a tip-on cover!)
Mariah —
Utakata No Hibi ... LP Better Days/Everland (Austria), 1983. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$34.99
A wonderfully groovy set from the early 80s Japanese scene – a record that's maybe got a lot more cultural strands criss-crossing than some of its contemporaries! The cover looks a bit psychedelic, and the sound is maybe a bit too – but with the sorts of early 80s keyboards and ... (Rock, Global Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Marumo —
Modiehi ... CD Gallo/Mr Bongo (UK), 1982. New Copy ...
$10.9911.98
A really unusual album from the South African scene of the 80s – served up by a blind quartet who partly echo the styles of other vocal ensembles of the period, but done with a mish-mash of styles that really keeps the whole thing interesting! The album's maybe best-remembered for a few ... read moreCD
A later album from Hugh Masekela – but still plenty darn hip, way more so than most of the other artists on the Casablanca label at the time! Hugh's South African groove is still very firmly in place here – mixed with a slightly warmer LA soul sound, but expanded with loads of great ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cut corner.)
Hugh Masekela —
Live In Lesotho ... LP Matsuli (UK), 1981. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$34.99
It's a strange thing to see Hugh Masekela sitting on a horse, out in a field – and the cover hardly gets at the energy that's going on inside – since the album features a full, funky live performance from the famous trumpeter – at a time when his group included piano and keyboards ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Pure 70s genius from Hugh Masekela – a record that's quite different than his earlier Afro-soul styled albums, but somehow even better! The format here is much more straightly soulful – with larger arrangements and a strong vocal groove on a number of tracks – but Masekela's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cut corner, some edge wear, and lightly bent corners.)
Richard Massiah's Steel Orchestra —
Calypso Vacation ... LP Merry Disc, Mid 70s. Very Good+ ...
$2.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Black & orange stereo pressing with deep groove.)
Matao with Atilla Engin —
Turkish Delight ... LP 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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
A beautifully dynamic set from Mohamed Issa Haji – aka Matona – a musician from Zanzibar with a specialty in Taarab, which is an unusual hybrid of African, Arabic, and Indian musical styles! The group here features Matona on oud, vocals, and percussion – illuminated by very ... read moreCD
Side one is a wicked jammer – the excellent "Bonsue", an Afro funk tune with a very unusual groove! Other tunes include "Rokpokpo", "Bere Bere", and "Ye Gbawa Oo Baba" – all with a jazzy flair. LP, Vinyl record album
(Red & white label pressing. PLEASE NOTE – Cover has staining and peeling on the bottom half – and fully split seams.)
Rare singles and unreleased tracks from one of the funkiest artists on the 70s scene in Ethiopia – the amazing Ayalew Mesfin – a fantastic talent with a groove that's dying to be heard! Mesfin's music has maybe even more of James Brown groove than some of his funky contemporaries ... read moreCD
Rare singles and unreleased tracks from one of the funkiest artists on the 70s scene in Ethiopia – the amazing Ayalew Mesfin – a fantastic talent with a groove that's dying to be heard! Mesfin's music has maybe even more of James Brown groove than some of his funky contemporaries ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The first-ever full length global collection of material by one of the funkiest cats working the Ethiopian scene in the early 70s – an artist who works here in a mode that's even more hard-hitting and funk based than contemporaries like Mulatu or Mahmoud Ahmed! The band on most tracks is the ... read moreCD
Ayalew Mesfin —
Mot Aykerim ... LP Now Again, Mid 70s. New Copy ...
$22.99
The last album in a crucial cycle of releases that bring together work from one of the most compelling singers on the Ethiopian scene of the 70s – a set whose title translates as "you can't cheat death" – and which has a vibe that's also echoed a bit in the music as well! The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Comes with an oversize 16 page booklet of notes!)
Mindblowing work from a revolutionary artist – one of the coolest cats on the Ethiopian scene of the 70s – and a singer who could effortlessly blend together American funk with East African elements! The music here definitely echoes some of the Ethio modes of some of Ayalew Mesfin's ... read moreCD
Ayalew Mesfin —
Wegene ... LP Now Again, Mid 70s. New Copy ...
$20.9925.98
Otherworldly sounds from Ayalew Mesfin – easily one of the most enigmatic artists on the mindblowing mid 70s scene in Ethiopia! Mesfin's got this way of inflecting his vocals that's amazing – an ability to run up and down the scale, all while moving forward – which makes his ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Mighty Sparrow —
Slave ... CD National/Modern Harmonic, 1963. New Copy ...
$9.9914.99
A great 60s record from Mighty Sparrow – and the kind of set that shows just how different calypso music could sound when you got away from Harry Belafonte and the hits! The music here is every bit as political and socially conscious as earlier recordings of the genre – but you can ... read moreCD
(Stereo blue label deep groove pressing in a non-gatefold cover.)
Lloyd Miller —
Near And Far East ... LP 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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited to 200 copies – and packaged in a very heavy, hand-assembled cover!)
Lloyd Miller/Press Keys Quartet —
Oriental Jazz ... LP East West/Now Again, 1968. New Copy (reissue)...
$20.9925.98
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
The music of Joe Moks has a nice sing-song feel here – a vibe that's almost more reggae than you'd expect from her Nigerian roots – but with an offbeat style that's also not like anything that might have come from Kingston! Instead, the groove here feels a bit like when American or ... read moreCD
Juan Jose Mosalini/Gustavo Beytelmann/Patrice Cara —
Imagenes ... LP Label Bleu (France), 1986. Very Good+ ...
$14.99
A sweet jazzy take on the Argentine tango sound – featuring bandoneon, piano, and bass! (Jazz, Global Grooves)LP, Vinyl record album
Harry Mosco —
Country Boy ... LP 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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
George Muakbi's definitely got some happiness in his guitar here – a bright, lively style that dances along with the spare rhythms of the tunes – in a groove that's beautifully offset by the vocals of George and his partner! The music is relatively spare, but ushered in a new stylistic ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album