Cool cuts from 60s Spain – all pulled from a musical moment when the Spanish scene was exploding with the same sort of new female pop energy that was taking place in France and England! Like those more familiar modes of 60s girl pop, the style here is upbeat, groovy, and undeniably powerful – quite a change from some of the bluer, weepier modes of the decade before – and a way of infusing the female voice with new energy through lively arrangements, and great use of jaunty rock styles! Lyrics are in Spanish throughout, but there's a universal appeal to the music that really bridges boundaries – excellent small combo instrumentation, often romping along with a pretty great groove – on titles that include "Creo En Ti" by Rico Durcal, "Corazon Contento" by Marisol, "Si Llegara El Amor" by Rosalia, "Aqui En Mi Nube" by Sonia, "Molino Al Viento" by Los Stop, "Prima O Poi" by Silvana Velsasco, "No Se Por Que" by Massiel, "La Verdad" by Soledad Miranda, "Pon Un Anillo En Mi Dedo" by Las Chic, and "Voy A Pintar Los Paredes Con Tu Nombre" by Los Mismos. (Rock, Latin) CD

Latin grooves from the 60s and 70s – most from hard-to-find sides cut for Atlantic Records! Like the first volume, this one dips into some excellent material that was only ever briefly issued on LP – and it mixes it with some overlooked Latin cuts on albums by jazz and soul artists from the same time. The groove's got a tight 60s beat to it – with plenty of Latin Soul riffing, and even a bit of funk in the mix. Titles include "His Groove" and "King Kong" by Eddie Cano & Nino Tempo, "Watusi Boogaloo" and "Light & Sweet" by Willie Rosario, "Are You Sure" by Freedom Sounds, "Ghetto Funk" by Ike Turner, "Blood Shot" by Hubert Laws, "Devilette" by Dave Pike, and "Hip Hug Her" by Mongo Santamaria. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of classics from this legendary group – including "Bombele", "Ya Te Olivide", "Cuando Florezcan Las Amapolas", "Mosaico No 1", "El Trago", "Coco Pleao", "Casi Te Muerdo", and "El Hombre Marinero". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Juguete", "La Cocaleca", "Caracol", "Besame La Bembita", "Chica Perdona", "Maria Dolores", and "Zape Gato". LP, Vinyl record album

Great Joe Cuba set from the mid 60's. This one was recorded slightly before Joe hit it big with his Latin soul hit "Bang Bang", and the sound's a mix of Latin jazz and tracks that have more of a Latin soul sound. The lineup includes the classic sextet, and tracks include "Oye Bien", "Flaco's Cha", "Nina Nina", "Trip To Mamboland", and "I Need You". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking overview of work from the glory days of the Venezuelan scene – that moment when the nation's economy was opening the doors to rich new avenues of expression – including the important Discomoda label, which recorded all the gems on this set! The vibe is great – kind of a sideways take on NYC Latin modes of the years involved, but with some of the rootsier elements you might expect from Colombian work too – all presented with really stark, simple, no-nonsense production that really makes the music burst out loud! The selection of tracks here is great – all killer, no-filler, with a focus on the best Discomoda grooves from this stretch – 21 tracks that include "Mambo Tema" by Genaro Y Sus All Stars, "Disparo Goajira" by Nelson Y Sus Estrellas, "No Salgas De Tu Barrio" by Los Kenya, "Fiesta En Venezuela" by Los Satelites, "Lija" by Rodrigo Mendoza, "Mi Rendencion" by La Renovacion, "Analiza" by Principe Y Su Sexteto, "Juana Guaguanco" by Supercombo Los Tropicales, "Algo Diferente" by Johnny Sedes Y Su Orquesta, "Muneca" by Los Megatones De Lucho, "Pero En Caracas" by Sonora Venezuela, "Maracaibo" by Microbanda Marabina, and "Oye Como Suena"b y Orquesta Sonoramica. LP, Vinyl record album

A set of merengue tracks, but from a very focused source – as the package features all numbers recorded in the Dominican Republic during the 60s and 70s – often with a groove that sets them apart from the rest! The rhythms here are often blindingly fast – so much so, you might be tempted to make sure you're not playing the album at 45rpm – which makes for an even more amazing discovery once you realize that live musicians are moving at such speed with such dexterity – in a way that also creates all this weird tension in the vocals and other instrumentation too! As with other Bongo Joe sets, the track list is great – and titles include "La Negra" by Bilo Y Sus Tipicos, "Me Gustan Las Pegajosas" by Trio Ramirez, "Que Mala Suerte" by Rafaelito Roman, "La Mecha" by Victor Suriel Y Trio Rio Verde, "La Pasion De Cristo" by Trio Royecell, "Por La Manaita" by Negrito Figueroa, "Cana Brava" by Fefita La Grande, and "Los Lanbones" by Aristides Ramirez. CD

A set of merengue tracks, but from a very focused source – as the package features all numbers recorded in the Dominican Republic during the 60s and 70s – often with a groove that sets them apart from the rest! The rhythms here are often blindingly fast – so much so, you might be tempted to make sure you're not playing the album at 45rpm – which makes for an even more amazing discovery once you realize that live musicians are moving at such speed with such dexterity – in a way that also creates all this weird tension in the vocals and other instrumentation too! As with other Bongo Joe sets, the track list is great – and titles include "La Negra" by Bilo Y Sus Tipicos, "Me Gustan Las Pegajosas" by Trio Ramirez, "Que Mala Suerte" by Rafaelito Roman, "La Mecha" by Victor Suriel Y Trio Rio Verde, "La Pasion De Cristo" by Trio Royecell, "Por La Manaita" by Negrito Figueroa, "Cana Brava" by Fefita La Grande, and "Los Lanbones" by Aristides Ramirez. LP, Vinyl record album