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Repress coming soon!

Remastered vinyl reissue of this 1990 BILL LASWELL / RICHARD HOROWITZ production of local Gnawa musicians, recorded in the Medina of Marrakesh. According to Allmusic "a must for fans of both African and Middle Eastern music" and voted one of the "10 essential Gnawa albums" by Songlines.

The Gnawa are an ethnic minorityin today's Morocco, descendents of slaves from West Africa who were brought to Morocco in the 16th century and who (although they quickly converted to Islam) nevertheless brought with them remnants of their animistic practices.

The Gnawa perform a complex ceremony (called lila or derdeba) that over the duration of several
hours recreates the genesis of the universe by the evocation of the seven main manifestations
of the divine, represented by seven colours. Those ceremonies, led by a master or "maleem",
are still taking place today privately while Gnawa music in general has clearly been modernizing
and thus become more profane, but witnessing a performance is still an astonishing experience.

With the exception of a handful of recordings by PAUL BOWLES and PHILIP SCHUYLER (more
ethnographic documents in a field recordings style), Gnawa music was barely heard outside of
Morocco before 1990 – one of the first westerners to come and record the music was BILL
LASWELL, back then running his AXIOM label that portrayed a wide range of ethnic music and
musicians like THE MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA or MALEEM MAHMOUD GHANIA, to
name just two.

"Night Spirit Masters", recorded in the Medina of Marrakech, delivers soulful
tracks of lead and group singers in call/ response mode, fired by sentirs, drums, hand clapping,
and qrakechs, while others are drum features or sentir/ vocal pieces.
Over 30 years after its initial release, this essential Gnawa album is finally available again –
remastered and on 180gr audiophile vinyl!

"Gnawa, bottom heavy trance music of North Africa. Repetitive bass lines, generated by the
gimbri or sintir with metal clappers, hand drums and voice.
Seven trances, seven colors, seven scents, Gnawa not only moves, it can remove."
Bill Laswell
Hell's Kitchen, NYC, May 2022

1970’s best-kept Bossa Nova secret. Surrounded by mystery for nearly 50 years due to its obscurity, this is one of the most honest, personal and unpretentious albums of it's genre.

A selection of 12 exquisitely crafted songs supported by measured, subtle arrangements. The list of musicians born or raised in the Tijuca district of Rio de Janeiro is long and illustrious and includes names that have shaped Brazilian music: Tom Jobim, Roberto Carlos, Tim Maia, Milton Nascimento, Jorge Ben or Erasmo Carlos – to mention but a few.

We can now add to that list another name: Werther. In 1970, a man by that name recorded an album unique in its personality, its honesty, and its lack of pretense. In a time when Bossa Nova had become a global phenomenon and its main characters were already household names in Brazil, Werther assembled a collection of songs that uncannily – almost naively – remind us of the time when Bossa Nova was just a group of youngsters making music. His songs are about simple things: bohemian life, the sea, love.

Despite Werther and his friends being only in their teens, without any previous experience recording music, those working behind the scenes were not equally amateur. Producer Peter Keller had already worked with Aloysio De Oliveira in the quintessential Bossa Nova label Elenco, and was also an initial partner in Roberto Quartin’s cult label Forma.

Studio owner Bill Horne was a very loved character in the Rio jazz scene who had regularly taken part in the legendary meetings in Nara Leão’s apartment and befriended some of Brazil’s most respected musicians. Some of these musicians were, for example, Naná Vasconcelos and Edison Machado, who provided small contributions to Werther’s album.

Limited Edition cassette release in 100% recycled packaging and recycled plastic tape shells, with A5 paper insert, manufactured at carbon-neutral duplicators.
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The Root Folk Band - led by David Chatton Barker (co-leader at Folklore Tapes) - tells the story of Mossy, an explorative woodland creature who, along with his forest folk friends, tries hard to maintain the balance of nature through the various rituals and celebrations that must be observed in order to allow the earth spirit to flourish.
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A musical story-tape, adapted from two books written by David Chatton Barker, originally published in partnership with Analogue Farm & The Boo (2020.)

Repress !

Wiederveröffentlichung des ALL TIME CLASSIC ALBUMS: Das dritte Studioalbum "Shine" ist endlich zum ersten Mal auf Double Vinyl erhältlich! Inklusive des unveröffentlichten Bonustracks "Stan Getz Singt". "Shine" beinhaltet Kooperationen mit Kristina Lindberg, Gabriella Hänninen und Luke, neben den Singles "Love Pt 1" und "Shine feat. Lilja Bloom". Das Album ist jazzig mit viel Soul, aber es gibt auch andere Zutaten. Abgerundet wird die Doppel-LP durch einen bisher unveröffentlichten Track, der von Parov Stelar zum Zeitpunkt der Veröffentlichung von "Shine" produziert wurde - ein echter Schatz in jeder LP-Sammlung.

King Earthquake Reggae 12" - Love and Happiness / Sylford Walker

A nice collection to relax in a warm and cosy musical atmosphere

More dancefloor dynamite from Benin's almighty Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou Dahomey, this time in the form of 'Gbeti Ma Djro'. Confusingly described on the centre label of the 1971 original issue as ’Soul’, this is in fact a prime slice of Afro-psych-funk complete with wails and grunts over fierce drums and picked guitar. 'Angelina II’ is a much warmer affair that rides a shuffling mid-tempo pachanga groove. Both tracks were transferred, restored and mastered from the original 1/4 inch tape.

Two monumental full-side tracks from a pair of late 70s Orchestre Poly-Rythmo albums, ‘Unité Africane’ isn’t exactly a compilation, more a combination of the standouts at a time when the band was at the peak of its powers. Originally released in 1977, the title track is an infectious Afro-Latin workout that is interwoven with driving horn stabs by master trumpet player Tidiani Kone. ‘Unité Africaine’ was recorded over the Nigerian border at the state-of-the-art EMI Studios in Lagos, yielding majestic sonic results. ‘Mede Ma Gnin Messe’ is taken from the 1978 ‘Special 30 Novembre’ and this time Poly-Rythmo wore their Afro-funk hat to deliver almost sixteen minutes of dancefloor fire. Propelled by PolyRythmo’s super-tight beats and underpinned by a relentless keyboard refrain, the magic is in the stellar horn parts that take this track to another level. As with much of the Albarika catalogue, copies of the original LPs are incredibly tough to locate in anything approaching reasonable condition, so this should be a gift.

After 6 years and 7 volumes, the Tramp Records crew invites you to join them on yet another enlightening journey into soulful Jazz, Folk and Funk from the 1970s.

This 8th volume contains nineteen Jazz, Soul and Folk nuggets from between the late 1960s and the late 1970s. One of the many highlights is the opening track by Bobby Cole which is most likely one of the finest independently produced vocal jazz recordings ever put on wax. So true. Oscar Brown Jr. and Mark Murphy sends its regards. But that's just the beginning. Praise Poems Vol.8 covers a wide selection of genres, from big band jazz (Helmut Pistor's Big Rock Jazz Band and Germany's own Ladykiller) to psych-pop (Portraits in Sound, Harve and Charee and Allison & Shaffer), from folk-rock (Flash, Garndarf and the incredible Fang Buzbee) to AOR (The Menagerie and Penn Central), completing the set with a handful of melancholic folk beauties, most notably Hans Hass Jr.'s mind-blowing "Welche Farbe hat der Wind".

Very few compilation series' release as many as eight volumes and those that get that far often start to run out of quality music or meander too far from their original artistic direction. That certainly is not the case with the "Praise Poems" series which leaps from strength-to-strength as our team of compilers and researchers continue to unearth lost and often overlooked music from an era long gone. Many of these records were released in small quantities as private pressings or by small regional labels. Obviously, those labels neither had the budget, expertise, nor options to promote their releases in a sweeping way. Therefore the majority of these artists failed to find the wider audience their music so richly deserved.

"This fabled 11 minute+ version of Brazilian icon Joyce's groundbreaking "Feminina" was recorded at Columbia Studios, New York in 1977, for the as yet unreleased Natureza album. Produced, arranged and conducted by the great Claus Ogerman (Frank Sinatra, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Billie Holiday... the list goes on), Natureza would have ostensibly been Joyce's big break to international stardom, but mysteriously it was never released. With Joyce came fellow Brazilian icons Mauricio Maestro, Nana Vasconcelos and Tutty Moreno, and Ogerman employed North American jazz legends Joe Farrell, Michael Brecker, Buster Williams and Mike Manieri. In anticipation of the monumental forthcoming Natureza album release via Far Out Recordings, this astonishing version of a true classic gets it's first proper 12" release for Record Store Day 2022. In the spirit of making the release special for RSD, rather than make it a single sided 12", Far Out boss called up Joyce to talk about the recording, recorded the conversation, and pressed it to vinyl on the B side."

Adrian Quesada announces the release of ‘Boleros Psicodélicos’,
a sprawling and singular tribute to the golden era of balada music.
The brand-new album from the GRAMMY-nominated guitarist,
producer and Black Pumas co-founder serves as a celebration of
the super funky, slightly delirious and deeply soulful sounds that
transcended the cultural boundaries of Latin America throughout
the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Featuring vocals from Puerto Rican icon, GRAMMY-winner and
former Calle 13 member iLe, Colombian-American visionary
Gabriel Garzón-Montano, Mexican R&B star Girl Ultra, as well as
Angelica Garcia, Gaby Moreno, contributions from living legends
such as Marc Ribot and Beastie Boys musician Money Mark, and
many more, ‘Boleros Psicodélicos’ consists primarily of original
Adrian Quesada compositions, as well as covers of La Lupe’s
‘Puedes Decir De Mí’, Jeanette’s ‘El Muchacho De Los Ojos
Tristes’ and other balada classics.

All twelve tracks were produced, engineered, mixed and largely
performed by Adrian Quesada, honouring and extending the
influence of a personal obsession that he has cultivated over the
past 20 years.

Similar to his acclaimed 2018 album ‘Look At My Soul’, which
traced the deep roots and relationship between Latin and Texas
music, Adrian Quesada sees every song on ‘Boleros Psicodelicos’
as both a history lesson and a step towards a newly imagined,
more united future: “I always wanted to pay tribute to that sound
that I was already hearing in my head without realizing that people
had already done it. Balada changed the face of Latin music
forever. If something like that happened today, it would be normal
because everyone’s connected on Instagram. Think how powerful
this sound had to be for everyone to be connected through the
songs. As someone who grew up speaking two languages and
living on both sides of the border, I love how much music can
transcend barriers and boundaries. It really is a universal
language, especially back then.”

From deep in the heart of Moomin Valley, frozen in time for many
midwinters passed, comes a genuine treasure chest of never
heard Moomin melodies and instrumental comet songs composed
for the continued animated adventures of our Fuzzy-Felt freak folk
friends who disappeared from UK TV pastures in the mid-1980s.
From the top of the Hobgoblin’s Hat and the bottom of Snufkin’s
satchel, original Moomins composer Graeme Miller (‘The Carrier
Frequency’) kindly shares this patchwork selection of spellbinding
sound poems and percussive peons made using the very same
selection of ocarinas, kalimbas, miniature squeak boxes, Waspy
synths, cornflake box shakers and a seemingly endless array of
talent and lo-fi home studio trickery.

Regarded as one of the most enigmatic, beguiling and haunting
imported children’s programmes to ever grace UK TV screens,
‘The Moomins’ was one of the first-ever commissions by Anne
Wood (‘The Teletubbies’) who ingeniously replaced the original
Polish/Austrian/Finnish soundtrack with homemade music
experiments by unknown post-punk theatre students Graeme
Miller and Steve Shill (aka The Commies From Mars) who, after
the screening of two unforgettable series in 1983 and 1985, were
left in eager anticipation of rescoring further Moomin adventures
with new melodies, arrangements and sound designs, which then
lingered in the ether waiting until the Groke awoke and
Snorkmaiden sang once more.

With future felt adventures screened exclusively in Poland and
Germany for many years (often as feature films) these unheard
recordings are the only genuine musical sequel to the bizarre UK
version of ‘The Moomins’ and stand as important inclusions in
Graeme Miller’s own portfolio of theatrical theme music and sound
installations as part of The Impact Theatre Cooperative, including
collaborations with artists and writers such as Russell Hoban.

Witnessed in fragmented form during a short run of incredible rare
live screenings at The Barbican Theatre and various film festivals,
this record marks the first time this music has been heard in its
original full-length form, free from sound effects, dialogue and
whimpers of euphoric joy and nostalgia from those who have
continued to crave the company of our Moomintrolls and their
mysterious music over the last five decades.

‘A Ka Titine’ has long been a staple at Beauty & the Beat parties, a dancers’ favourite and one of those truly special records which have become part of the party’s DNA. This is gwoka from Guadeloupe, a term which not only designates an authentic music genre from the Caribbean island, but also a specific dance and more spiritually the soul and identity of a people. Lyrics often express the uniqueness of Guadeloupean culture, through the codes and metaphors of the Creole language, acting effectively as transmission of a collective history.

Gwoka is made up of seven distinct rhythms, each of them used for different social occasions, from baptisms to funerals. ‘A Ka Titine’ is based on the driving toumblak rhythm, one which expresses love and happiness, and the most often heard in party situations.

Gaoulé Mizik were a seminal outfit which released two cult albums in the late 80s, alternating between gwoka traditionnel and fusion experiments which they described as gwoka évolutif. ‘A Ka Titine’ is straight-up gwoka traditionnel, with legendary singer Michel Laurent at the peak of his powers.

The “Titine” of the song is the name of the beach hut’s owner where Michel goes to have some fish, ends up drinking rum and playing dominoes, before almost getting killed in a brawl (!). Laurent is in raconteur mode, akin to the role of a griot in Africa, acting like a chronicler of his time and singing about everyday chores and social issues.

BATB alumnus and Time Capsule head honcho Kay Suzuki has built himself a reputation as the master of hypnotic Afro cosmic productions (check his classic remix of Blackbush Orchestra’s 'Cherchez Les Filles' on BATB 002, as well as his cult Afrobuddha project, and was the natural choice for the remix. Embracing the concepts of Tout-monde, Suzuki has created a unique fusion of genres, incorporating his London influences to the mix by adding strong dub and electronic flavours. The result is a fresh and unique take on gwoka music, perpetuating the tradition of openness in creole culture. Purists beware, this is hybrid music at its very best.

'Kan Sizè Sonné' (presented here in a slightly re-edited version for maximum dance floor pleasure by BATB's very own CW)is taken from a different album released around the same time under Michel Laurent’s name, but produced by the same team and featuring most of the members from Gaoulé Mizik.

The innovative, radical soul of Guadeloupe explored across thirty years of contemporary gwoka music, released by Time Capsule and Séance Centre.

As Guadeloupean vocalist and composer Marie-Line Dahomay writes in her liner notes to the compilation, gwoka is more than a style of music, it is “a way of living and thinking.”

Rooted in the social, musical and ritual practices of enslaved African people and their descendants on Guadeloupe, gwoka has always sought to express the spirit of independence and resistance authentic to the island.

Building on its traditional call-and-response form and the ideas of pivotal figures like Gérard Lockel and Christian Laviso, modern gwoka evolved throughout the second half of the twentieth century to include funk, jazz and electronic influences.

Defined by its propensity for innovation and experimentation, this compilation charts the most radical changes to modern gwoka, capturing a sensory riot of traditional répertoires, rhythms and makè techniques fused with a rich seam of genre-defying experimentation.

Whether heard in the deeply cosmic, spiritual music of Dao, Freydy Doressamy and Gaoulé Mizik, or the jazz funk inflections of Gui Konket and Horizon, the music here is united by the feeling of santiman ka, crucial not only to gwoka music but the identity of Guadeloupe at large.

As co-curator Cédric Lassonde writes: “What unifies these selections is the depth of the compositions, the experimentation around the santiman ka, and the spirit of resistance and liberation against slavery, be it modern or ancestral. With a thirst for innovation typical of the island’s creole culture, the ka spirit is deeply rooted in collective history and in a quest for identity.”

Co-curator Brandon Hocura continues: “The creative energy of these musicians is powerful and demonstrates a universal pursuit of resistance, freedom and identity. Their voices are distinct, but the chorus rises high and carries their message far across the sea.”

Released on double LP, Lèsprit Ka: New Directions in Gwoka Music from Guadeloupe 1981-2010 is the first compilation of its kind to bring the sound of modern gwoka to a wider audience, with many of the musicians features still active today.

Presented with typical attention to detail, the release features a specially commissioned essay by Guadeloupean musician Marie-Line Dahomey, and extensive liner notes from the curators.

True to the hybrid nature of the music, the compilation seeks not to provide a definitive sound, but express the variety of contemporary forms gwoka has grown to take. Just as Guadeloupean trailblazers Kassav fused gwoka with funk and cadence to create zouk, so did the musicians on this collection push gwoka in new directions rarely heard beyond its shores.

In the words of Gérard Lockel, “gwoka is the soul of Guadeloupe".

'Gustavo Yashimura-Arce comes from humble origins in the Ayacucho region of the Peruvian Andes. He started playing guitar in 1987 and 2 years later he travelled to Montevideo in Uruguay to study music at La Casa de la Guitarra.

After spending some years playing classical guitar in Japan, Gustavo returned to Peru in 2004 and began his intense studies of the Andean guitar styles of the Ayacucho region. Later, in 2008 he found the perfect teacher – 80 year old veteran guitarist Don Alberto Juscamaita Gastelú, known locally as Rahtako. Through Don Alberto, Gustavo was able to learn songs and styles from across the Andes, though the main focus remained on the traditional styles of the Ayacucho region.

The Ayacucho Province of Peru is mountainous and remote and mainly populated by indigenous people of Quechuan descent, with the main language remaining Quechua, or Runasimi ('the People's Language'). The Quechuan people of the Andes remained resistant to Spanish colonisation and fierce in their preservation of their culture but on this album you will hear one of those strange, hybrid artefacts that can arise when cultures meet. The Spanish guitar was taken by the Quechuan people of the Ayacucho region and employed as a new means to convey their traditional music. The melodies you hear are versions of the traditional Huayno melodies usually played on harps, Andean pipes, charango and mandolin.

Gustavo is joined by Luis Sulca Galindo on second guitar and Greys Berrocal Huaya on vocals on 4 tracks on the album.

We've been extremely happy to work with Henkel Bellido (Sounds of the Andes) to bring this beautiful music to light.'

'Misha Sultan is a multi-instrumentalist originally from Novosibirsk in the heart of Siberia. His home town's location, in the hinterlands between Europe and Asia provides a deep well of inspiration for his music.

Hive Mind have been happy to work with Misha to bring you this stunning collection of recordings made between 2015 and 2022 which we hope will serve as a great introduction to Misha's unique sound, which appropriates elements of Eurasian folk music, psychedelia, 90's chill-out, breakbeat, dub, and field recording to produce something stunning and singular.

Whilst we were working on this release P*t*n invaded Ukraine and Misha was forced to leave the country quite suddenly. All money from sales of the digital album will go straight to the artist in order to help through this difficult time.'

All tracks written, recorded and mixed by Misha Sultan (2015-2022).
Track 3 mallets, percussion & flute by Marble.
Track 8 synth by Dyad.
Artwork by Alisa Gvozdeva.
Design by Yuliya Kuskova.

Originally compiled and released in 2018 as Time Capsule's 2nd release and sold out almost immediately. The 2022 repress comes with new liner notes design. It's been the longest out of stock release from TC catalogue so we are thrilled to answer the many requests we received to repress it. Only available on 45rpm loud cut 12" vinyl remastered by Tim Young at Metropolis Studios, UK.

FROM MUSIC COMES HARMONY
HARMONY BRINGS BALANCE
BALANCE RESTORES PEACE
Enter the heart of drums ..

With obvious intent Nui and Simon set out to create an album that encompasses all of their influences and experiences as musicians and journeymen in the world of African inspired rhythm and sound and have arrived at a work that is at once global, innovative and deeply funky !

It’s been an incredible journey that has taken them from the wilds of the northern hinterlands of New South Wales in Australia to the dreamy secret gardens of Marrakesh, from the onsite recordings of Afro-Cuban choirs of Havana, to the Gnawa street sounds of Moroccan medinas.

Nui and Simon have traversed the globe to create these recordings and have collected diverse and international group of artists to collaborate with in the making of Heart of Drums.

Artists such as Cazeaux Oslo, who is an African-American Mc and vocalist hailing from California.

Olugbade Okunade , Nigerian trumpeter and vocalist , was formerly a member of the Femi Kuti Positive Force band.

Members of Clave y Guaguanco, One of Cuba’s foremost folkloric groups, who have been around since the 60’s.

Lalita Yagnik, Portuguese Speaking Indian, vocalist and martial artist.

Radouan Naim, Traditional Moroccan vocalist and instrumentalist .

And

Close Counters, Australian Up and coming Electronic duo.

Digital Afrika is made up of two main protagonists:

Zhonu ‘Nui” Moon (Future Roots)
An African-Australian producer, percussionist and Dj that has performed and recorded all over the world.

With a strong focus on African music,He has worked with the likes of Femi Kuti , Mulatu Astake and Tony Allen.

And Simon Durrington (Si Fixion ) who is an Australian based producer, keys player and DJ. With extensive experience of working with Melanesian , Indian and world musicians.

Drawing on these influences, Si weaves these styles together seamlessly with his unique high quality electronic production.

This album ‘Heart of Drums’ is a synergy of lush analog electronica and fiery African percussion, vocals and instrumentation.

With occasional reinvented throwbacks to the Disco and Funk era as well as forward thinking Afro-futuristic Record bag essentials, Heart of Drums really brings the party!

These are constructed dance floor motivators for any environment.

The artwork for this record deserves special mention as the mask was handcrafted by the interesting and talented artist Ju Mu Monster. Based in Berlin, the studied fashion designer creates colourful, wildly dancing image-worlds, in which beings from diverse cultures are combined with shamanism and spiritual worlds. Her enchanting works of art include murals and canvases as well as magical masks.

All tracks produced and arranged by Zhonu (Nui) Moon & Simon Durrington

Unique fusion of the Indian and Egyptian music cultures devised by Baligh Hamdi, the most prominent of all modern composers in the Arab-speaking world. Hamdi, who penned dozens of hit compositions for Umm Kulthum, Abdel Halim Hafez, Warda and Sabah amongst others, also shaped the future of Arabic music in a way that's difficult to overestimate.


Directed by Hamdi, the renowned Indian sitar player Magid Khan joins the Egyptian musicians of Abdel Halim Hafez's orchestra in re-reading some of Hamdi's compositions from a new perspective – here sitar and tabla dance together with arghoul, ney and other Arabic instruments.



An east-meets-east masterpiece in which Hamdi once again pushed the boundaries of Arabic music in his tireless quest for a broader, more global reach.

Bongos, bouzouki and Farfisa organ galore ! The explosive cocktail of rock'n'roll and traditional Tsifteteli hailing from 1960's Greece is still alive thanks to Deli Teli : the Marseille-based quartet performs a string of forgotten hits that once set Athens on fire, with a contagious energy and a subtle dose of Mediterranean drama.

Half a century ago, while French seasiders would dance to « Yéyé » sounds and dig the Beatles or Pink Floyd, a whole other scene was happening further along the coastline. Notably, Greek artists were a huge influence beyond the Mediterranean cradle ; Aris San's version of « Boum Pam » (a.k.a. « Bros Gremos Kai Piso Rema »), brilliantly interpreted by Deli Teli on this record, was a n°1 hit from Southern Europe to the tip of India ! Far from being an exclusive Greek sound, Tsifteteli music has travelled through borders for centuries and means « double string » in Turkish. In the 1960's, it mixed with rock'n'roll, surf and Latin-american influences, and gave birth to the typical « Laïko » sound.

With their powerful electric bouzouki (Greek lute) and the distinctive sound of the Farfisa organ, Deli Teli have carved their style while digging through the incredible goldmine of the late 60's and early 70's Tsifteteli/Laïko singles. The 4 musicians met in 2019 with a burning desire to dive into electric sensations – bassist Christos Karypidis used to play oud and keyboardist Arthur Bacon played accordion in most of his former projects – and made the most of 2020's « lockdowns » by building their repertoire and thinking up Deli Teli.

On this mini-album, they also interpret Koko's « Chily Chily », a groovy belly-dance mover ; « Ekso Dertia Kai Kaïmi », an intoxicating and frenetic floor shaker ; « Tsiftetelli 1969 », a cool organ-lead surfing instrumental ; and 2 slightly freer and more psychedelic numbers, « Taksim Deli » (improvisation) and « Bournelis », a creative re-arrangement of 2 tracks by Leonardos Bournelis.

Deli Teli preach a collective, sensual and solar hip-wiggling across the continents and beyond ; they are ready to shake our minds and bodies until we all gel together... Join the « Tsifteteli Club » now !

Amazones de Guinee - SambaPure vibes to start our series. Live and direct, high energy African funk with a powerful vocal, recorded live in Paris in 1983.Hailing from Guinea they were the countries first all female group, formed by members of Guinean army nonetheless. Their lead percussionist Kade Diallo was killed in a car crash just days after returning from a tour of France in the early 80's. The group did not record again until 2008, but they continue to tour now, with a new generation of fans.Taken from the sought after 1983 album 'Au Coeur De Paris', previously unreleased on 7'.Moussa Doumbia - SambaMalia born Moussa Doumbia and was a prolific saxophonist, composer and arranger, who lived in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.He fused African and Funk rhythms in his own unique style, comparable to the likes of Fela Kuti, Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou and Ebo Taylor. Moussa's voice is strongly reminiscent of the almighty James Brown. Similarly to Fela and The Shrine, Moussa played at 'Boule Noire', a club in the cosmopolitan area of his town, Treichville. Every night they would play their own styles for hours to rich businessmen and locals.'Samba' is taken from his 1980 LP 'Lassissi Presente Moussa Doumbia' released on Sacodis. Extremely hard to find.

A. Ayaléw Mèsfin ft. Black Lion Band - Ghedawou

Ethiopian dance floor Funk rarity originally released on Kaifa 7' (KF 31) in 1976. Hand claps, guitar lines and call and response lead vocals punctuate the driving bass line and understated drum groove.

Mesfin played primarily at the Lumumba Club in Addis Ababa's red light district and released many 45's and cassettes during the mid seventies.

He worked very closely with the Black Lion Band (or Tequr Ambessa Orchestra)


AA. Mulatu Astatke ft. Feqadu Amdé-Mesqel - Asmarina

Laid back, drum-heavy, Ethipian jazz taken from the legendary Ethio Jazz' LP on Amha (AELP 90). Typifies the sound of the country and the period, truly classic stuff.

Mulatu will be touring heavily in 2016, which we are very much looking forward to.

Brazil 45, number 36


Claudia - Garra

Rich, sweet, orchestral bossa nova/MPB from the excellent Claudia, another of our favourite artists and featured several times in this series. Taken from her 'Você, Claúdia, Você' LP released in 1971 by Odeon Brazil.


Os Tres Morais - Freio Dynamico

Uptempo, cinematic, vocal MPB/Jazz with muted trumpets, pinging bass guitar strings and even a little bit of fuzz for good measure! Os Tres Morais we're two brothers and a sister; Jane Vincentina, Sidney and Roberto do Espírito Santo. They formed in 1963.

'Freio Dynamico' is taken from the groups self-titled LP on Odeon 1971.

Edson Frederico double featuring tracks from his sought after and VERY pricey 'Edson Frederico E A Transa' LP.

'Tava Mas Nao Tava' is a psychedelic boogie-samba fusion with 4/4 drums and traditional rhythms alternating throughout.

'Bobeira' is a jazzy samba-MPB workout, with bubbling rhodes, layered backing vocals, horns, percussion and whistles.

Previously unreleased on 7'.

The strange and majestic musical beast that is Africadelic was Dibango’s follow-up to Soul Makossa, but it was initially released on Louis Delacour’s library music label, Mondiaphone, before “Soul Makossa” became an international phenomenon. As a
Mondiaphone release, it was aimed at television and film producers seeking atmospheric background music, so the original titles are simply “Theme No 1,” “Theme No 2,” etc, with corresponding rhythmic notations such as “3/4 Africain,” “Afro Beat 12/8” and “Medium Soul Beat,” though once “Soul Makossa” hit the stratosphere, subsequent reissues bore actual song titles. In any case, the album is simply wonderful, a driving mix of Afro soul, funk and jazz, with an undercurrent of Latin percussion throughout, given further shades by rock guitar and soul organ, as heard on “African Battle” and the title track; opener “Soul Fiesta” builds
dramatic percussive tension before Dibango drops a killer vibraphone riff, while “African Carnival” makes the most of the full horn section, Dibango’s sax soloing giving room for complex polyrhythmic percussion breaks. “Oriental Sunset” has beautiful vibraphone from
Dibango too, as well as a thrilling flute melody, “Monkey Beat” and “Wa Wa” are funky soul struts and “Percussion Storm” has the band marching off into the African sunset as Dibango unleashes another killer vibraphone melody. Listening back to the album now, it is hard to believe that the whole shebang was written in a couple of days and committed to tape within the space of a week, but that is all more testimony to the greatness of Manu Dibango, one of African music’s true pioneers. Play loud and often for best effect!

'Assiyo Bellema' - Mulatu goes afro-latin, plus steel drums
courtesy of Frank Holder. Assiyo Bellema was recorded during
Mulatu's time in London, during which he met Frank, along with
many others including Tubby Hayes and Joe Harriott.


'Hasabe' was originally released on Amha in 1969. Soaring
Ethiopian vocals and horns create a classic Ethiopian sound.

Teshome Meteku was leader of Soul Ekos Band - they lived
together! - and were very active in Addis in the 1960's.

Acid Jazz proudly presents: Orchestre Les Volcans Du Benin - Vol. 1!

Originally released in 1980 on the Albarika label, 'Orchestre Les Volcans Du Benin Vol. 1' has long been a holy-grail LP for Afro-Cuban music aficionados.

It now sees its first official reissue through Acid Jazz and is available for the first time with four infections tracks, including 'Oya Ka Jojo': Latin dancefloor dynamite, and a DJ must-have.

Remastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery, further igniting these killer recordings.

Hailing from Ghana, The Apagya Showband was formed by the legendary Ebo Taylor and Ambolley after they left 'Uhuru Dance Band'. The group produced only a couple of singles.

'Tamfo' is a joyous, uptempo Afro-funk groover, laced with horns and highlife guitar lines.

'Mumude' is a fast paced, drum and percussion-heavy, folklore-based song from 1974. Originally released on Essiebons 7'.

A complete album masterpiece in every sense of the word, considered by many people to be one of the greatest ever made, regardless of genre.
Recorded at Studio Somil, Rio De Janeiro in 1972, the album was produced, arranged, directed by the self-taught, Arthur Verocai.

Previously he had worked on many records in various capacities, with artists including Jorge Ben, Ivan Lins and Celia, but this album gave him the chance to do his thing in it’s most pure form.

The 29 minute masterpiece, perfect in it’s arrangement and fusion of sonics, epitomises the sound of Brazil at the time; strings, guitars, pianos, break beats, bass lines, synthesizers, vocals from the wonderful Célia, Carlos Dafe and Oberdan (Banda Black Rio), plus percussion from Pedro Santos and Paulo Moura on sax. Bossa nova, samba, jazz, MPB, psychedelics and funk sit side by side effortlessly.

The album transcends the genre of Brazilian music, and infact all genres. Highlighted in part by the number of artists that have sampled from it; MF Doom, Ludacris & Common, Little Brother, Jneiro Jarel aka Dr Who Dat?, Dibiase and Action Bronson amongst others.

The original Continental version of the album now fetch around $2000. Our definitive re-issue is an exact replica of the gatefold original LP and the source master is taken from the Continental tapes, re-mastered in 2012 under Arthur’s supervision.

FIRST-EVER VINYL RELEASE OF LANDMARK ZIAD RAHBANI ALBUM RECORDED IN 1985 AND ONLY RELEASED ON CASSETTE AND CD IN 1991. MIXING FUNK, JAZZ, BOOGIE, IT IS RELEASED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON VINYL WITH REMASTERED AUDIO AND NEW LINER NOTES BY LEBANESE DJ AND CURATOR ERNESTO CHAHOUD

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of Ziad Rahbani's cult classic "Houdou Nisbi," one of his most praised albums, released on the sought-after Lebanese label Relax-in. This release is an event as the album, recorded in 1984-85 at Rahbani's By-Pass studio, was only released in 1991 on cassette and CD and missed out on the vinyl format. Mixing arabic music with Funk, Jazz, Boogie and a touch of Brazilian music, it is considered a classic among Oriental groove fans, DJs and collectors around the world. Curated by Lebanese DJ and Journalist Ernesto Chahoud, the album is making its vinyl debut with original cassette artwork, audio remastered by Colorsound Studio in Paris and also a 2 page insert with a new introduction by Chahoud in English/French.
Ziad Rahbani is one of the giants of Arabic music and a cultural icon in the Middle East. The musician, pianist and producer is also a celebrated playwright and a political activist. Coming out of an illustrious artistic dynasty (his father, famous composer and musician Assi Rahbani, was in The Rahbani Brothers and his mother is the legendary Lebanese Diva, Fairuz), Ziad Rahbani released a string of key albums in the 70s that have since become cult among DJs and collectors.

Heavily influenced by Western music, Rahbani brought these influences to traditional Arabic music early one. 1978 saw the release of two key Rahbani albums, the Disco 12-inch ‘Abu Ali,’ one of the most sought-after Arabic albums on the international DJ scene and ‘Bennesbeh Labokra... Chou?’ also featured in many diggers' want-list.

Serving as musical director to his mother Fairuz, he produced some of her best albums including 'Maarifti Feek' recorded in 1984 at his Beirut studio, By Pass, bringing his blend of modern influences to her traditional sound. At the very same time, Rahbani started recording his own album at By Pass with the cream of Lebanese musicians including saxophonist Tewfic Farroukh, Guitarist Paul Dawani and percussionist Emile Boustani.

Bringing Funk, Boogie, Jazz Funk fusion and Brazilian music to the mix, Rahbani created a landmark album, 'Houdou Nisbi' now considered one of the best jazz funk albums from the Middle East. Featuring such cult tracks as 'Rouh Khabbir', a remake of the Crusaders' 'Soul Shadow' sung by Rahbani himself, the Modern Soul of 'Bisaraha' and the Brazilian flavoured 'For Sure', the album is both effortlessly groovy and steeped in Oriental music. Held as "one of Lebanon's best kept Musical treasures' by Ernesto Chahoud in his notes, the album is a certified Rahbani cult classic.

"Houdou Nisbi," which means "relatively calm", an expression used by news anchors on Lebanese TV to describe the mood during cease-fire in the civil war that went on between 1975 and 1990 - has been remastered for vinyl from the original masters by David Hachour at Coloursound Studio in Paris. The cassette artwork has faithfully been reproduced for vinyl release with an iconic woman supposedly going to party with her high-heel shoes during cease-fire in a war-battered beirut (an agit-prop cover in line with the political stances of Rahbani, a self proclaimed non-religious leftist). Wewantsounds is delighted to bring the first-ever vinyl release of this iconic album to the world, an event for all Middle Eastern music vinyl collectors and 80s funk & boogie lovers.

Barabajagal is the seventh studio album, eighth album overall and most fascinatingly the third of our re-issue programme from British singer-songwriter extraordinaire Donovan. It was released in 1969 and again features production duties by Mickie Most.