Colombian dancefloor stormers from Michi Sarmiento Y Su Combo Bravo – stellar guaguancos, descargas and cumbias from the late 60s and the heart of the 70s – compiled with the utmost love by Roberto Gyemant, Quantic and Miles Cleret! Soundway's forays into Colombian music to date – the Cartagena and Colombia compilations have been impeccable – and this more focused set, devoted to the work of Sarmiento & combo is just as wonderful. There's a rawness and an intensity to the performances that generates intense heat throughout. Amazing stuff released outside of South America for the first time! 16 tracks on 2LPs
Leave it to Joe Breezy to send over pictures of African records we covet, but will probably never find. Really no idea what these sound like, but the art is waaaay groovy.
Two new tracks from AC Clube, aka me and a friend. First up is Brazil Mouth, which welds a Candeia beat to baile funk. Staying in the same groove, Fogo bumps in the valley of the cheap beats.
Saturday, April 23rd The Shrine will be throwing down! Chicago Afrobeat Project begins its spring/summer residency with the first of three shows. To sweeten the deal, DJ ?uestlove will rock the 1s and 2s after the show. Doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm. Want more?! How 'bout ten bucks before 11pm. Yes, yes ya'll. Shrine style!
"Third coast salsa from the late 70s – wonderful recordings from the orquestras of Carlos Ruiz and his Ebirac label – great stuff made by singers and players in Chicago's Puerto Rican community of the period, and they sound incredible all these years later! Chicago salsa, unlike more nationally popular styles, was rooted in the city's rich Puerto Rican community, with material adapted from traditionals and done with less pan-Caribbean derived sounds than the Cuban-rooted salseros of NYC and Miami. As fondly remembered as the players of the Chicago salsa scene are by the older Puerto Rican community who remember, records by Orquestas La Justicia, La Solucion, Juventad Tipica '78, Tipica Leal '79 and others are terribly hard to find. Not only has Numero managed to compile a terrific batch of songs, the sound is impeccable, too!"
Chicago's Numero Group prove once again why they one the premier reissue labels in the world with this volume. They continue to unearth entire chunks of forgotten musical history, shedding new light on long forgotten scenes and artists. Extensive liner notes and photos accompany the grooves giving the listener an incredible snapshot of the time as well as connecting them with the present with interviews from the artists.
Lots of bad news of late it seems. Sorry for the understatement. Certainly most folks are sending prayers and strength to the people of Japan. Understandably, it may have passed under many people's radars, but Melvin Sparks passed away from complications due to diabetes.
The 'Texas Twister' was one hell of a jazz guitar player and appeared on many of the seminal jazz funk/soul jazz albums from the 60s and 70s. He also recorded as a bandleader from the 70s through the aughties. He was seventy-one.
Orlando Julius has been a well known name on the West African music scene all through the 1960s and 70s. His early work was recorded in the Philips studios under the strict supervision of their house producers who were putting an emphasis on a pleasant and swinging sound that was jugging along in a pleasant way, bridging big band highlife music with American soul.
In 1972 and 1973, Orlando Julius and his band The Afrosounders visited the legendary ARC Lagos studio of Ginger Baker and what OJ and the gang put to tape there was an entirely different beast: They recorded and album packed with unadulterated, funky Afrobeat of the heaviest caliber.
The soundtrack to the video above is a shortened version of "Aseni", recorded directly from my original vintage vinyl copy. Only a short edit of one out of six long and epic killer tunes which are all included on this record
For the first time, Orlando and the his band were able to really let loose and showcase their full power with an unfiltered impact. They laid down six epic tracks that from a Funk or Afrobeat perspective definitely count as Orlando's strongest work but it seemed that Philips were not too happy with this result. They completely botched the distribution of this record and while Orlando's earlier and later work has all been re-issued over the past years, sometimes multiple times and from various international labels, this, his best record has remained under the radar and virtually unknown to the worldwide community of African music lovers. This was until I was sitting in my friend Damian Iwuagwu's house in Lagos back in January of 2010, drinking a cold Star beer and enjoying the evening when he casually handed me this LP and asked "what about this one, I got this the other day and I don't think I've ever seen it before".
Now this record is re-released with its original artwork and extensive liner notes written by Orlando Julius himself, including loads of great vintage photographs.
The night starts out innocently enough—a smattering of couples and numerous posses, equally split between guys and gals, hang out while soulful, throwback hip-hop bumps from the house system. But when Nigerian DJ Dee Money settles into the booth around 11pm, the Shrine’s jam-packed Coup D’Etat Lounge erupts into a raging Afro-reggae party. There are no wallflowers to be found among this decidedly straight, African-American crowd; one glance in the right direction and you could find yourself coupled off for a grind straight out of a Lil Weezy video. Don’t be fooled, though: Getting down is one thing, but a man’s got to work a lot harder than that to get the digits, let alone the girl. Turn up the charm or these ladies will be on to the next one faster than you can say Jay-Z. 2109 S Wabash Ave (312-753-5700). Third Saturday of the month. $20. —Joshua P. Ferguson
NEXT AFRO FUSION IS SAT. FEB 19 (W/ Guest DJ Diesel)
