A stunning selection of tropical grooves from the Colombian scene – all recorded at that great moment when sounds were really colliding – influences from the north and the south, cities and country, and even coasts and inland scenes – all served up here with plenty of romping rhythms and tons of jazzy instrumentation! The format's maybe a bit similar to that of Afro-Cuban – percussion, basslines, and horns on the top – but the overall rhythms are very different, and have that great "anything goes" vibe that makes Colombian music from this period so great. Edmundo Arias had a hand in all the cuts – arranging, leading, and working on other aspects in the music too – and titles include "Guepa Je", "Fiesta Tropical", "La Luna Y El Pescador", "Orlandito", "Juanita Bonita", "Tus Ojos", "Brisa Mar Y Arena", "Uey Je Je Pa", "El Canje", "Solo Estoy", and "El Guarachero". LP, Vinyl record album

Lucho Bermudez may look a bit square on the cover, but he was a key force in the rise of cumbia on the Colombian scene of the postwar years – and also handled a fair bit of other really great styles too! That work is finally given its due here – in a well-done package that brings together key tracks from Lucho's years on the scene – music that's served up in a variety of rhythms, but which is united in the way that Bermudez takes rootsier styles and mixed them with modern jazz instrumentation – a blend of modes that's very much at the same level that was happening in Havana during the period, but with very different results! A number of these tracks feature vocals from the lovely Matilde Diaz, and the instrumentation blends in lots of earthy percussion with well-crafted reed lines from the larger group. Titles include "Plinio Guzman", "Arroz Con Coco", "Gaiteando", "Mi Cumbia", "Irma", "Tolu", "Taganga", "Tambores De Chambacu", "Prende La Vela", "Santa Marta", "Fiesta De Negritos", "Danza Negra", "Colombia Tierra Querida", and "Nelly". LP, Vinyl record album