Coco Maria hosts a mighty cool radio show on BBC Worldwide – one that showcases all sorts of unusual Latin music hybrids that have come up over the years – including a good range of contemporary music, such as the tracks featured on this really well-done compilation! The music here has echoes of older Colombian, Tropical, and Afro-Cuban modes – but often served up with really inventive arrangements and instrumentation that turn things completely around – not in any sort of Latin remix style, but with more of a groove that shows what some of the more unusual Latin hybrid combos have been working on! Titles include "Children's Favourite" by Guess What, "Lepidoptera" by Iko Cherie, "El Bravo" by Candeleros, "Vamonos Cocos" by Raz Olsher, "Off The Groove" by Ronald Snijders, "Always Ready To Smile" by Juan Hundred, "Seguimos Sonriendo" by Acid Coco, and "Sacudete" by Lola's Dice. CD

Eddie Palmieri's work for the Coco label is some of his best of the 70s, and this album is no exception – and while the title may call the record "unfinished", it sounds pretty darn well done to our ears – far better than most other Latin sides of the time! The album includes a moody 10 minute descarga track called "Cobarde", with great solos on conga, timbales, alto, and guitar – and it's also got a nice fusiony jazz waltz called "Resemblance", which features work by Ron Carter, Steve Gadd, and Jeremy Steig. Eddie solos in a contemplative free style on the track "Random Thoughts", and the whole album's a winner all the way through! CD

An obscure salsa set from Ray Camacho – an artist who always seems willing to mix up styles in his music! That's definitely the case here, as Ray mixes straighter Latin modes with a few border touches – creating a hybrid of New York and Mexican modes that's pretty unique – but which also has some occasional funk and soul currents that are probably the record's strongest suit! Ray plays trumpet, and the rest of the group includes guitar, trombone, and plenty of percussion – plus sax and piano from Manuel Palafox, who also handles arrangements. Titles include a great cover of "Low Rider", dubbed "El Pachuco", the Latin funk number "Tomas Al Timbal", and a funky take on Brass Construction's "Movin On". – plus "Me Patina El Coco", "Madrecita Linda", "Dime La Verdad", "El Pachuco", "Confesion", "Testigo Fui", and "Dulce Y Amarga". CD

A really great collection of Cugat's early work for Columbia – presented here with great sound, good notes, and some of the best packaging we've seen for his work in years! The set's got a total of 26 titles in all – with vocals by Miguelito Valdes, Abbe Lane, Tito Rodriguez, and Pepita Arvelo. Titles include "Coco Seco", "Ritmo Tropical", "Mambo Jambo", "The Brand New Cha Cha", "Jamay", "Tumbao", "Besame Mucho", "Mambo Gordo", "Mondonguero", "Mondongo", and "Who Me?" CD

A dozen heavy groovers from the legendary Discos Fuentes – pulled from a time when the Colombian label was really finding its sound and strengths – mixing together older strands of Afro Cuban inspiration with a special vibe that would soon make their scene rival the Latin music power of New York and Puerto Rico! The percussion is pretty darn heavy on most of these tracks – almost a fusion of the rootsier modes of early years with some of the more sophisticated musical elements developed in the small combo years of the New York 60s Latin scene – but also touched with some styles that are completely Colombian, yet still in a formative early moment that's never predictable or commercial at all. Titles include "Atiza Y Ataja" by Los Supremos, "El Vidriero" by Fruko Y Sus Tesos, "Coco May Ma" by Combo Las Vegas, "Cumbia En Do Menor" by Lita Barrientos, "Manue" by Michi Sarmiento Y Su Combo Bravo, "Cumbia Loca" by Conjunta Miramar, "Safari Safari" by Tita Duval Y El Nuevo Ritmo De Bobby Ray, and "La Pluma" by Peregoyo Y Su Combo Vacana. CD

An ear-opening collection of work from the Peruvian scene of the late 60s – kind of a secret hotbed of Latin grooves, at least to our American ears – and one that was overflowing with some of the best elements of the small combo scene at the time! These guys clearly take a lot of inspiration from the groundbreaking material of the Joe Cuba Sextet, but they also move the music in lots of other directions too – sometimes with a bit of cumbia in the rhythms, other times more of a descarga mode, and almost always with a lot of jazz instrumentation over the top. There's plenty of the soulful elements you'd expect from the boogaloo reference in the title, but there's also lots more too – served up in a set of 28 gems from the Mag label, with titles that include "Kintos Instrumental" by Los Kintos, "Saludo Maracaibo" by Pedro Miguel Y Sus Maracaibos, "Cumbayea" by Mario Allison Y Su Combo, "La Guarachera" by Nico Estrada Y Su Sonora, "Malambo" by Los Diablos Rojos, "La Charanga Del Espacio" by Carlos Pickling Y Orquesta, and "Busco Una Chiquita" by Coco Lagos Y Sus Orates. CD

The second volume of legendary Fania in the Leyendeas De La Fania series – featuring hard driving salsa and soulful Latin sounds from the fertile 70s years at the label – with numbers by Ismael Rivera, Willie Colon, Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, Charlie Palmieri, Bobby Valentine, La Lupe, Joe Bataan, Pete Rodriguez and more!. t's great mix of Fania hits andl and some perhaps lesser known numbers that are just as incredible. "Me Tienes" by Ismael Rivera", "Chonqui" by Willie Colon, "El Hablador" by Sonora Poncena, "Coco" by Charlie Palmieri", "Para Puerto Rico Voy" by Joe Bataan, "Sin Tu Carino" by Fania All Stars, "Tinicue" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente and more. CD

Crack Latin from trombonist Papo Vazquez – one of the strongest sets we've ever heard from Cubop Records, a label that's always pretty darn great! Vazquez' vision here is quite strong – working with a big group to craft some tunes that are surprisingly lean while still managing to be deep and evocative. Papo's horn is at the lead – working in in a style that seems to stretch back to older work by Chico O'Farrill, but which also pushes on in a combination of Puerto Rican salsa and west coast Latin jazz. A really great set throughout – with titles that include "Stuffy Turkey", "Las Torres", "Mundo Bizarro", "Carnival In San Juan", "Vianda Con Bacalao", "Carlitos Coco", and "Snow Angel". CD

The rare first album by Ocho – and a killer batch of Latin tracks that breaks down all definitions of the music! Ocho were a seminal group in the NuYorica scene of the early 70s – blending soul, funk, Latin, jazz, and other styles into a groove that was perhaps a bit too complicated for the audiences of their time, which might be why they're only finally getting their due these days. This first record's excellent all the way through – with loads of great little numbers like "Flautira", "Undress My Mind", "Coco May May", "Suena Tu Bongo", "Que Pelota", and "Oriza". There's a great mix of electric piano, percussion, vibes, and some pretty sharp work on tenor and flute! CD

A 2CD tribute to the mighty Eddie Palmieri – one that's filled with some of his best work from the 60s and 70s! The 30 track collection features work from Eddie's key early years at the Alegre and his amazing mid period years on Tico – plus a few standout tracks from other labels like Coco and Barbaro, which stand as proof that Palmieri was always improving his groove as the years went on. The musical portrait here is a really amazing one – an evolution of sound that few other Latin musicians can match, served up with a great package that includes writings on Eddie's career and music. Titles include "Chocolate Ice Cream", "Ay Que Rico", "Palo De Mango", "Justicia", "Tema La Perfecta", "We've Loved Before", "Resemblance", "Cuidate Compay", "Azucar", "Cafe", "Si Echo Palante", "Lazaro Y Su Microfono", "Nada De Ti", "Una Rosa Espanola", "La Verdad", and "La Malanga". CD

An incredible album of Latin funk – the only-ever record from this west coast combo headed by the legendary Benny Velarde! Benny's a name that you might recognize from earlier, straighter Latin dates for Fantasy – or for countless studio work during the 70s – but here, he's really got a talent for a funky 70s groove – and manages to hit a unique space that's somewhere between conventional funk, west coast Latin, and some of the hippest blacksploitation grooves of the time! The album also features some under-credited work from Lalo Schifrin – who was tied to the project somehow (Velarde claims that the record was killed by MGM upon release because of a feud with Lalo) – but never really fully credited in the notes. There's a definite link here with some of Schifrin's funkier soundtrack of the period – a great blend of jazzier elements and headier 70s funk – all served up with a tightness that has made the record one of our favorite funky treasures for years! Titles include "The Ghetto", "Latin Slide", "Who You Fooling", "Road Runner", "Soul Sauce", "Cocoa Leaf", and "Move Your Hands". CD

A true revolution in Cuban music – not the familiar cha cha and pachanga modes of the pre-Castro years, but instead the huge wave of fresh styles and combinations that sprung up in the years to come! The tracks here aren't the kind of Cuban sounds that are locked in time by the all-star representations of the scene that circle widely – and instead, this music represents the younger, more experimental side of the scene – continually creating new styles and hybrids during the 70s and 80s, even at a time when most of the records weren't making it out to the world at large! Make no mistake, there's certainly elements of older Afro Latin rhythms, and Latin jazz instrumentation – but those are blended with new approaches to rhythm, instrumentation, and the overall role of the musicians and singers – on tracks that will really open up your ears. Gilles Peterson helped put the package together for Soul Jazz – and the whole thing's got the same hybrid hallmarks as his more recent recording forays in Havana – with cuts that include "Cancion Con Todos" by Grupo De Experimentacion Sonora Del Icaic, "Hast Las Cuantas" by Grupo Monumental, "Luna Wanestain" by Emiliano Salvador, "Te Quiero Porque Te Quiero" by Pablo Milanes, "Un Lamento Heco Cancion" by Los Reyes 73, "Dacapo" by Raul Gomez, "La Patica" by Paquito D'Rivera, "Rompe Cocorioco" by Juan Pablo Torres, "Mi Ritmo Caliente" by Juan Formell & Los Van Van, "Chequere Son" by Grupo Irakere, "El Son Del Campeon" by Conjunto Rubavana, and "Con Cadencia Y Con Dulzura" by Las D'Aida. CD