Global Grooves — Recently Added

An early killer by Congolese combo Ry-Co Jazz – a set that's got as much Latin in the mix as the jazz in their name – and which serves up both with a lean style that's even groovier than some of the later work by the group! The album captures the combo at the height of their early fame ... LP, Vinyl record album

Electrified zouk from the Guadeloupe scene – just the kind of unusual musical hybrid that's always made the Antilles so great! The work here has some echoes of the more familiar modes of zouk, but also has a leaner, more soul-based mode too – almost like a New York take on the genre, ... LP, Vinyl record album

Not just a fantastic album from Ethiopia's legendary Asnakech Worku, but also a great setting for Hailu Mergia too – as he plays organ on the record, and produced the whole thing too! Worku sings and plays the krar – an Ethiopian harp, but one with a very raw sound – almost more ... CD

A really mind-bending collection of African grooves – one that digs deep into the West African scene of the early 70s – and comes up with a massive batch of tunes that really opens up our understanding of the music! The sound here isn't just 70s Afro Funk – as the tunes include a ... LP, Vinyl record album

A great overview of early flamenco from the Spanish recording scene – tracks that begin before the Revolution, and move into the postwar years – but all with a spare sort of energy that shows just how timeless the style has always been! Most numbers just feature a singer, some clapping ... LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album from French singer Pat Kalla – an artist whose "Super Mojo" here is really the genius of producer Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart! The set is a collaboration between Pat and Patchworks – and uses the great vocals of Kalla to bring new focus to the ... CD

A NYC combo with rhythms and traditions rooted in Colombia, and a unique psych-tinged , danceable sound! Raw rhythms anchor them a bit and provide deep roots while the powerfully soulful vocals by Carolina Oliveros and backing vocals by the rest of the group provide a soulful integrity, but ... LP, Vinyl record album

Not just a fantastic album from Ethiopia's legendary Asnakech Worku, but also a great setting for Hailu Mergia too – as he plays organ on the record, and produced the whole thing too! Worku sings and plays the krar – an Ethiopian harp, but one with a very raw sound – almost more ... LP, Vinyl record album

Spare sounds get taken to the next dimension – as the music of Adama Barry is presented in both its original creation, and in a set of remixes by Henrik Schwarz, Bugge Wesseltoft, Prins Thomas, Mental Overdrive, and others! The album's got an unusual approach – as two-thirds of the ... CD

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 ... CD

A seminal album from one of the hippest groups going on the South African scene of the 70s – a combo who mixed equal parts electric jazz and R&B, in a mode that's strongly inspired by American groups of the time! The Pacific Express vibe has plenty of echoes of the Earth Wind & Fire ... LP, Vinyl record album

Really lovely work from Stella Chiweshe – both a singer and a hell of an mbira player – both talents that get equal play on this collection of early singles from the 70s! In fact, the set feels a lot less like some African singles from the time, than a unified album that really offers ... LP, Vinyl record album

Afro club with a very international vibe – no surprise, given that Momo Joseph was raised in Cameroon, but spent most of the 70s living in Paris – where he quickly assimilated a range of soul and funk styles to the music of his roots! The result is work with a nice sort of polish, but ... LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of rare albums from the legendary Mulatu Astatke – back to back on a single CD! First up is Afro Latin Soul Vol 1 – pure insanity from the mighty Mulatu – one of his few American albums from the 60s! The record's an incredible blend of New York Latin and some of the more ... CD

A very young group from Agadez – as you might guess from their image on the cover – a sextet of singers who started out as a school project, but recorded their beautiful music for an album that was originally only issued on cassette! There's some very cool early currents of Tuareg ... LP, Vinyl record album

Pure insanity from the mighty Mulatu – one of his few American albums from the 60s! The record's an incredible blend of New York Latin and some of the more Afro-styled grooves Mulatu explored more freely on his Ethiopian recordings – served up in a jazzy style that has plenty of vibes ... LP, Vinyl record album

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 ... CD

80s sounds from the Somali scene – but served up with a lean, raw quality that feels a lot more like 70s funk overall! In a decade where some of the other scenes on the continent were using more beats, electronics, and keyboards – Dur Dur Band still keep things plenty live, and plenty ... LP, Vinyl record album

Long live disco, but not the sort that was big on the American scene of the 70s – as Tunde Mabadu serves up a nicely lean version of the music here – filled with Nigerian funk elements, and plenty of his own great work on tenor and alto sax! The tunes are jumpy, jaunty, and plenty darn ... LP, Vinyl record album

A lost chapter from the late 60s/early 70s Ghana scene – a great mix of African rhythms & melodies with the raw grit of garage rock, the heavy groove of funk and soul, the swirling and fuzzed out guitars and organ of psychedelia – the Psycho African Beat of The Psychedelic Aliens! ... CD