Aqui Los Bravos – The Best Of Michi Sarmiento Y Su Combo Bravo 1967 to 1977

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

SOUNDWAY

LIFTED FROM DUSTYGROOVE

Cult Cargo – Salsa Boricua De Chicago

"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.

Lifted from Dusty Groove
Viva! Numero Group

K FRIMPONG RE-ISSUED ON WAX!

Very funky + very psychedelic Ghanian highife master K Frimpong had a couple of the hottest cuts on the Ghana Soundz complilations. His picture even graces the cover of volume 2. So the headz should be rejoicing that someone finally got around to re-issuing an entire LP. The album, from 1977, has Frimpong backed by his Cubano Fiestas, which is the same as his Vis-a-Vis group. Ill brew of highlife, funk and soul with space-y psych touches via some seriously cosmic electric keys. Totally essential. Save yourself a few hundred bucks, too. Of course the original would be nice too though....