A Venezuelan group, one who are living in Paris – and work here with a criss-crossing of styles that really reflect that global journey! The music definitely has echoes of older Venezuelan styles, but maybe served up in a more impressionistic version – with a dream-like quality at times, as the instruments come together airily, often getting a nicely moody vibe in the production – which was partly done by Malcolm Catto, who also mixed the record. There's a really lovely female singer in the mix – with a lightness that's almost more like a bossa vocalist at times – and the instrumentation is both electric and acoustic, but often delivered at a level that make it hard to figure out where one begins and one ends. Titles include "Lloviendo En Guatire", "Yo Soy Mi Rio", "Tonada Del Guante", "Transmutada", "Vuelve", "Pajaro", and "Machurucuto". (Global Grooves, Latin) CD

Lovely tracks from Ramon Marquez and his Orquesta America – titles that include "Classes Of Cha Cha Cha", "Amor", "Sube Y Baja El Telon", "Cha Cha Cha Con Melodia", "Solamente Una Vez", and "El Zaptero". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer Latin dancefloor material! Compiled by Brit Latin DJ Gerry Lyesight, and filled with loads of storming cuts that we don't see elsewhere, wrapped up into one lovely package with the usual BBE high standards! There's 14 cuts, and titles include "Tumba El Quinto" by Hector Rivera, "Coco My Way" by Tambu, "Gaviota" by Jimmy Bosch, "Oromi" by Daniel Ponce, "Muneca" by Charlie Palmieri, "Red Onions" by Armando Peraza, "No Que Va A Llora" by Andy Harlow, and "Porque No Me Dices" by Linda Leida. Great stuff all the way through, and mostly slamming instrumentals, with a few tight jazzy vocal cuts thrown in! LP, Vinyl record album