... LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a cover that's a lot more hard-hitting than some of the later global efforts from The Latin Brothers – and one with a sound that definitely matches that image too! There's a raw sound here that's right in keeping with the best of Discos Fuentes at the time – music that clearly draws inspiration from the combo of Willie Colon up in New York, but which features backing from Fruko Y Sus Tesos, who have a style that's even more raw – with all sorts of great percussion next to the jazzy piano and soaring trombone lines! Piper Pimienta Diaz handles lead vocals – and titles include "Y Tu Que", "Echa Pa'Lante Camara", "La Perla", "Que No Pare La Rumba", "San Juan De Puerto Rico", "Son Dolores De Cabeza", and "El Picotero". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

Titles include "Adios Compay Gato", "Chela", "El Brujo De Arjona", "Carruseles", "Vitamina", "Los Cocacolos", and "Acuyuye" – 12 tracks in all. CD

... 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

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Killer Colombian work from Combo Los Yogas – a 60s group who've got a sound that's maybe more like some of the hardest grooves coming from Puerto Rico at the time! There's a wicked pre-salsa style going on here – fierce percussion and piano right from the start – definitely influenced by earlier descarga modes, and the smaller combo styles that came into play during the Latin Soul years – but with less of a boogaloo vibe overall. The image on the cover is rather unassuming, but the album bursts with deep Latin spirit right from the very first note – on titles that include "Coco May May", "Canabrava", "Bajandote", "Aqui Y Alla", "Caramelo A Kilo", and "Montuno Pa Carida". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

36 classic tracks! CD

Los Corraleros De Majagual are pictured in front of the Brooklyn Bridge on the cover, but the group hail from Colombia, and deliver a style that's very much their own take on salsa – one that mixes familiar New York elements with sounds specific to their scene – including some great use of accordion that runs at a pace that's equally fast as the driving percussion and horns on the set! There's some currents of cumbia in the rhythms, and the instrumental phrasing – and the blend makes for a Discos Fuentes classic that's one of the most unique albums the label issued at the time – with cuts that include the funky killer "Charanga En Mexico" – plus "Sigan Bailando", "Ocho Dias", "El Mondongo", "Do Eliseo", and "El Helicoptero". LP, Vinyl record album

Youthful cumbia from Los Golden Boys – a combo with a spirit that really lives up to their name – and which is served up here with some very cool use of organ next to more familiar cumbia rhythms! The instrument is lean and spacey – almost otherworldly – and the quality makes for a record that's very unique, almost as if Saturn Records had decided to do a co-release with Discos Fuentes! In addition to the "boys" in the group, the lineup also features some vocals from female singer Amparo Muniz – on titles that include "Cumbia Y Beso", "Cumbia De Juventud", "Cumbia De La Mariguana", "El Buena Vida", "Si Me Quieres", "A Volar Moscas", "El Ano Viejo", and "Vengan A Baila". LP, Vinyl record album

A triple-time killer from the Colombian scene at the start of the 70s – one of those rare gems on Discos Fuentes that had the label setting a new sort of fire on its own, in comparison to the New York Latin generation! In addition to the cumbia tracks you might expect, the set's also got some killer guaguanco and descarga tracks – super-jazzy, and filled with lively interplay between the percussion at the core, and the criss-crossing of piano, tenor, and trumpet on the top! Peter Scott handles the vocals with Piper Diaz – and titles include "Hacha Y Machete", "El Mico", "Atiza Y Atala", "Ven A Colombia", "Cali Querido", "Guaguaco Supremo", and "El Cuento". LP, Vinyl record album

Wganda Kenya were one of the most unique groups to record for the Discos Fuentes label in the 70s – and they were maybe also one of the coolest, too – as they never stopped in their pursuit of a groove, and were always able to mix together so many different styles at once! This gem of a record has some elements that begin in more familiar Colombian modes, but the group also bring in touches from American soul, Afro Funk, and lots more too – all with unusual instrumentation and production, at a level that really sets this album apart from the pack! Very different stuff than mid 70s sounds on Fania or Vaya – with titles that include "La Torta", "Dulce De Guayaba", "Mira Para Arriba Mira Para Abajo", "Mammy Boy", Tifit Hayed", "Fiebre De Lepra", and "Entre Tu Y Yo". LP, Vinyl record album

A deep dive into the heady world of Colombian music – a really special place of criss-crossing cultural modes, as befits the nation's place in the South American scene! The work here is all from the catalog of the legendary Discos Fuentes – a label whose depths are only getting fully appreciated all these many years later – as so many of these tracks were so revolutionary, they were years ahead of their time – and have a groove that the rest of the world's collectors have finally caught up with! The long length of the set means that you've got plenty to explore within – a total of 26 tracks that include "Salsa Pa Ti" by Peregoyo Y Su Combo Vacana, "Descarga Colombiana" by La Carnaval Swing, "Cumbia De Serenata" by El Sexteto Miramar, "Pa La Playa" by Los Satelites, "Ariza En Descarga" by Ariza Y Su Combo, "Zapatico Viejo" by Juan Pina Y Sus Muchachos, "La Magdalena" by Los Alegres Diablos, "Amaneci Tomando" by Los Corraleros De Majagual, "Salsa Sabroso" by El Super Combo Los Diamantes, "Zaire Pop" by Afro Sound, and "La Noche" by The Latin Brothers. LP, Vinyl record album

A bit more of a South American groove than usual for the Mary Lou label – thanks to the presence of a lot of merengue and cumbia numbers on the set! The recording quality usually has a nice rough edge – one that makes the set feel a bit like some of the Discos Fuentes classics of the 60s – particularly the way the rhythms leap around with jittery energy, and the vocals usually follow suit, by snaking through cool saxophone lines! Titles include "El Week End", "El Plantao", "A Francisco", "Estas Hecha", "Vivo Llorando", "El Castigado", and "Josefa". LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked bit of funky Latin from the Colombian scene of the 70s – and a record that mixes together all different styles at once – in a mode that's maybe a lot more like some of the hip samba soul and funky productions on the Emi/Odeon label in early 70s Brazil, than some of the more local work on Discos Fuentes! Arrangements are large and wonderful – put together by Harold with a mix of raw percussion, riffing guitars, sweet keyboards, and soring horns – all as groovy as groovy can be, and topped with vocals that are a mix of soulful styles and freer modes – backed by lovely female singers at some key moments too! Titles include "Yany Yany", "Evolucion", "Bajo El Sol", "Latino", "Busque El Gato", and "Ansias De Vivir". LP, Vinyl record album