Global Grooves — Recently Added

The Stormers are a group who rose from the ashes of the legendary Lagos funk combo Aktion – and they step out here with a really storming sound that definitely earns them their name! The groove is funk of the tightest form possible – especially for the start of the 80s – and the ... CD

Blo have gone through a few different phases before this fantastic fourth album – but none of them as funky as the work on this set – which may well set a whole new standard for the Nigerian music legends! The groove here is super-tight, with lots of excellent bass and drums snapping ... CD

The title's no like – as these guys definitely groove, and they're definitely funky too – a sweet 70s combo from the Lagos scene, and one who play with a very sharp edge at their core! Aktion make nice use of darker, downturning chords – which creates a moody feel to their funk, ... CD

A set of work from Lebanese composer Ihsan Al-Munzer, who you might know from his work with various vocalists – but a record that's all-instrumental, and which almost has the feel of an 80s sound library set overall! Tracks are heavy on keyboards – used in varying ways from cut to cut, ... LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful little record, and one that certainly lives up to the "fantastic variety" promise of its title! The set features work from Panamanian pianist Alonso Wilson De Briano – and although you'll see the word "calypso" in the title, the overall sound is maybe more ... LP, Vinyl record album

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 ... LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little set from Bombino – recorded in Amsterdam, but heavy on the kind of fuzzy, freaky guitar work that have made the Tuareg group such an international hit in recent years! These guys wail mightily throughout – mixing pulsing rhythms with nicely freaky guitar lines – ... LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible Turkish psych album from Baris Manco – totally riveting work that blends some traditional Turkish influences with the panoramic psychedelia of the late 60s & early 70s – all of which makes for lots of fuzzed out rock-funk, and a fantastic melodic sensibility! The ... LP, Vinyl record album

Two generations of the Fela Kuti legend work here back to back – in a double length set that features one full album from Fela's son, and another by his grandson! Femi is up first on a set titled Stop The Hate – full-on Afro Funk with plenty of message in the music – the older ... LP, Vinyl record album

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

Two rare albums from Uncle Victor Chukwu – a hell of a guitarist, and the driving force behind both of these Nigerian gems from the late 70s! Akalaka is a record that's maybe higlife in outward appearance, but which has a very different quality overall – in part because the guitar work ... LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the first-ever collection of the work of this important group from Djibouti – a huge state-financed ensemble whose performances were captured on tape for radio, but never issued as regular commercial albums at the time! 4 Mars take their name from a key moment of independence in the ... LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from Stella Chiweshe – a set that gave mbira player Stella Chiweshe much wider exposure than some of her previous records, and a nicely bold sound to match! Stella sings lead vocals, and handles her instrument with amazing dexterity – and also uses a few other percussion ... LP, Vinyl record album

Divine reeds, indeed – as the set features a host of rare recordings from Greek clarinet player Tassos Chalkias – recorded here for his own short-lived label! Tassos has a sound that's amazing – rooted in older Greek modes, but filled with the sorts of tones you'd hear from ... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best collections of early klezmer music we've ever seen – a big package that traces the roots of the style as it developed in the hands of early Jewish immigrants to America at the turn of the century – then grew and transformed as European styles came into context with ... CD

Incredibly funky work from Manu Dibango – a set that's easily as great as his classic Soul Makossa album – but which is a lot more obscure overall! The work's got a fiercely-jamming quality all the way through – lots of rumbling percussion at the bottom, and also a bit of ... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic overview of contemporary work from the South African scene – most of it jazz-based, and brought together here as a great discovery of underground material we never would have heard otherwise! The set follows in a similar spirit to other Brownswood label explorations of the ... LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool take on traditions of Guadeloupean musical traditions – served up in a style that echoes some of the blends of jazz and island elements from earlier generations! The group here is a trio – with the great Edmondy Krater on ka, djembe, and percussion – all instruments ... LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet boogie groovers from the early 80s Nigerian scene – heavy on warm vocals from Victor Essody and riffing guitar from Claude Dibson – but also warmed up with plenty of basslines and keyboards too! The sound is pretty spare and tight – electro soul, maybe filtered through a ... LP, Vinyl record album

80s Afro grooves, recorded in Belgium – given a nice twist by the Crammed Discs label, which was one of the first to really open up African styles with more European elements! Bony Bikaye handles vocals, and Hector Zazou plays plenty of keyboards and adds in beat – so there's an ... LP, Vinyl record album

South African soul from Caiphus Semenya – and a set that's got a nicely righteous, upbeat vibe throughout! Caiphus works here in that best sort of South African style in the decade when the nation's struggles were getting a lot more global attention – showing a spirit that refuses to ... LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little record from Caiphus Semenya – a South African singer, but one who works here with backings from some top-shelf studio talents in LA – a mix of jazz and fusion players who really bring a great sense of groove to the material! Tracks include two originals co-written with ... LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the first-ever collection of the work of this important group from Djibouti – a huge state-financed ensemble whose performances were captured on tape for radio, but never issued as regular commercial albums at the time! 4 Mars take their name from a key moment of independence in the ... CD

A really great project from the legendary saxophonist Manu Dibango – a set that's almost a return to more rootsy territory after his more upbeat grooves of the 80s – even though Manu was always a bit more of a hybrid player overall! The set was originally issued in two different ... CD

Hugh Masekela at a really fantastic point in his career – recorded live for a radio broadcast, and working with a freewheeling style that's quite different than both his early and later work! The vibe here is right up there with some of the few longer-form jazz recordings made by Hugh in the ... LP, Vinyl record album

The Mulatu performance for the Timeless live series – the already legendary concerts organized by Mochilla in honor of influential composers J Dilla, Mulatu and Arthur Verocai – this one headlined by Mulatu himself! The evening was hosted by Eothen "Egon" Alapatt and Garth ... LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing organ player from the Ethiopian scene – one whose work here easily rivals that of Mulatu and some of the best artists on the Ethiopiques series! Hailu Mergi has plenty of jazz in his approach – not just on his own keyboard lines, but also in the way he lets the group members ... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection of Ethiopian funk – rare singles from the late 60s and early 70s – all brought together as an amazing illustration of a time when the scene was really on fire! The music here has this incredible resonance between ancient and modern – local and global – ... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of Afro funky soul – one of a few albums recorded by the legendary Lafayette Afro Rock Band! The set has an incredible blend of American funk, African rhythms, and European production – recorded in the heady cross-cultural scene of early 70s Paris – with a sound ... LP, Vinyl record album

Rare early work from Mulatu – material recorded in America, in the years before Mulatu returned to his Ethiopian homeland, and really set the scene on fire! The style here is a mix of Latin jazz with some more exotic elements – played by a combo that features Mulatu on vibes, alongside ... LP, Vinyl record album