Review: Stevie Wonder's 'Pastime Paradise' has thus far been less recognised as an original soul wonderwork, and more so as a sample by American rapper Coolio on the derivative 'Gangster's Paradise'. Though still having been covered by many artists over the years, Major Keys records highlights this enduring 1981 cover of Wonder's 'Paradise' by Latin percussionist Ray Barretto as among their favourites, if not their absolute favourite. Now the label reissue the gem, flaunting its up-to-date, nigh timeless feel; it's the opposite of a miracle that this has never before been released on a 12" single record, despite the fact that it is a favourite on the floors of jazz and soul rooms the world over. It also flips it with Barretto's own 'La Cuna' and 'Mambotango', taken from the same 1981 LP.
Review: An intriguing song is 'Aftershower Funk', the Latin American musician Joe Bataan's curt salsa single from 1974. Fresh, cologned, groomed, and with towel firmly wrapped round hair, Bataan's largely instrumental track is about as lightfooted as the sprightly young man he was, then at 34 years old. With heavy tin drum and cowbell clangings peppered throughout, a toe-tapping mood is sure to beset the listener. B-sider 'Fin' continues the mood, uniting percussion with piano, brass, whistle and rhythm guitar; a much fuller exercise in triumphant finality.
Review: UK mambo kinds Orchestra Mambo International share their second single for ATA Records, both on digital and vinyl formats once more. After a dazzling debut single for the label back in May 2024, 'Balia Mi Cha Cha' is a funky cha cha number driven forth by the songwriting of bandleader and trombonist Jonny Enright, backed up by vibraphone from John Settle and lead vocals from Venezuelan singer Carlos "Pachanga" PeNa. The B-side, meanwhile, is a mambo instrumental entitled 'Bajo Con Vibes' ('Bass With Vibes'), which riffs on the double metonymy of the word "vibes" and plays up to a fantastically warm bass sound, providing a proper aural rung onto which central part of the track the listener may latch themselves and become thus enthralled.
Review: It has now been three years since Matasuna Records unveiled a scorching Latin 45 showcasing two tracks by Venezuelan ensemble Phirpo y sus Caribes, led by Porfi Jimenez. Now, Matasuna is reissuing two more cuts from their sole album, Parrilla Caliente, this time on a 7" vinyl - a debut for these tracks in this format. The original 1972 album, a scarce collector's gem on Philips, holds official licensing from Jimenez's family. On the A-side, 'Y Esa Pava Que?' ignites with Latin funk fervour and is driven by robust drums, potent horns, and groovy, psychedelic keys and guitars. The B-side features 'Pa' Los Rumbero,' a vibrant rendition of Tito Puente's classic, showcasing Jimenez and his band's exceptional musicianship.
Review: This collaboration between Nelson Angelo and Joyce on Nelson Angelo e Joyce brings a radiant blend of Brazilian folk and jazz-inflected arrangements, where lush acoustic guitars meet cool, swirling percussion. The pair's harmonies are effortlessly seamless, carrying a sense of intimacy and warmth throughout. While the sound may occasionally veer into serene, almost pastoral territory, there's an undercurrent of depth, especially in the more syncopated rhythms and spontaneous melodic shifts.
Review: The indestructible Ray Barretto demonstrated superb skills on this record back in 1973. His band were at the forefront of the new Afro-Cuban musical movement that was emerging and became known as salsa. His composer skills were well known after he wrote 'Cocinando' and his band were also much loved in the live area though Johnny Rodriguez on bongo and cencerro, bassist Dave Perez, pianist Louis Cruz, along with trumpeter Rene Lopez and vocalist Adalberto Santiago all left him soon after. HIs Indestructible album is his most remarkable, with a constant sense of flow to the rhythms from front to back.
Review: Joe Bataan's 1968 sophomore album Riot! is considered a cornerstone of Latin soul and the record that truly cemented his reputation as the genre's king. Backed by the dynamic Latin Swingers band, Bataan masterfully blends Afro-Cuban rhythms, soul and funk with his signature streetwise flair. Tracks like 'It's a Good Feeling' and the title song capture the energy and emotion of late-1960s urban life while reflecting both personal and societal struggles. Its infectious grooves, raw vocal delivery and tight instrumentation mean that this one remains a timeless classic that continues to resonate across the generations.
El Panquelero (feat Modero Madera - bonus track) (4:23)
Review: Ruben Blades is a singer but also a former Minister of Tourism of Panama, actor, activist and composer. He is a master of Latin jazz and for this album On Fotografias he reunites with the exceptional Roberto Delgado to continue a partnership that has defined his recent work. The Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning ensemble masterfully navigates an array of styles and bring fresh energy to eight of Blades' compositions. Their virtuosity shines through rich arrangements which are a colourful and sunny mix of salsa, jazz, and tropical rhythms with seamless precision. Blades' storytelling remains as compelling as ever as his lyrics are infused with nostalgia, social commentary and poetic depth.
Review: Brooklyn Sounds' legendary 1972 album epitomises raw Nuyorican salsa dura with powerful trombones, unconventional piano and electrifying percussion all colliding in a scintillating fashion. This reissue of the band's sophomore release includes rare photos and liner notes and displays a confident, mature sound honed through live gigs, Blending barrio grit with Caribbean rhythm, tracks like the anthemic 'Libre Soy' and 'Ha Llegado el Momento' feature a nod to 'Moliendo Cafe' and have become dancefloor classics. Though their career was short-lived, Brooklyn Sounds' music gained global acclaim and saw them cementing their place in salsa history as pioneers of the independent 1970s New York scene.
Review: Candido Y Su Movimiento's cult favourite album Palos De Fuego album is a rhythmic journey through the vibrant landscapes of Afro-Cuban jazz and Latin music that was first released in the 1970s. It superbly showcases the virtuosity of Candido Camero, a percussion maestro often hailed as the "Father of Modern Conga Drumming" as the album pulsates with infectious beats, intricate rhythms, and soulful melodies, all of which embody the essence of Afro-Cuban traditions while embracing contemporary influences. As a testament to Candido's enduring impact on the genre, Palos De Fuego stands tall and is a timeless exploration of percussive brilliance that continues to captivate and inspire Latin jazz lovers worldwide.
Review: Central, the "salsa band closest to the club scene" based in Tokyo, follows up former consecutive singles hits ('Samurai, 'Pastime Paradise') with the new full-length album in which they're housed, Flor De Roble. With a core primetime salsa cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Pastime Paradise' leading the charge, we've then a string of originals here, from 'Flor De 1.1 Rb.' and 'Samurai'. Also included are Carabali's 'Was I Surprised' and Crazy Ken Band's infamous soul masterpiece 'Towel', both again adorned in a bold salsa arrangement. An honorific 25th Anniversary album, though it is new.
Review: The celebration of this series continues with a reissue of the second installment of the legendary Christmas salsa album. Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe returned here to bring the unique sounds that made Volume I a Latin music classic. For this one, Colon and Lavoe were joined by renowned cuatro player Yomo Toro and legendary percussionists Milton Cardona and Jose Mangual Jr. Together, they crafted salsa versions of beloved Puerto Rican Christmas songs while mixing traditional musica jibara with Cuban guaguanco, son montuno and African-American jazz. It delivers on all fronts with vibrant, festive blends that bring real Puerto Rican authenticity to salsa fans worldwide.
Review: Imagine a Latin reboot of "Back to the Future" starring Arsenio Rodriguez as the mad scientist and Eblis Alvarez (Meridian Brothers) as his time-travelling student. This album serves as the perfect imaginary soundtrack for that unmade film. Following the success of his debut solo album Mentallogenic, Alex Figueira returns with a more collaborative approach, crafting the second album of his expansive project, Conjunto Papa Upa. Embracing soul, funk, jazz, psychedelia, and electronics, Fruta Madura ("Ripe Fruit") navigates diverse tempos and rhythms, offering a refreshing blend amidst electronic-dominated tropical music. Figueira's distinctive production shines, showcasing his eclectic vision in a genre-defying journey through African, American and Caribbean traditions. With witty, mature themes and spirited compositions, this album promises to be a future classic in tropical psychedelic music.
Review: Craft Recordings get back on their curatorially expert business with this serious new reissue from Fania All Stars, the long out-of-print Latin-Soul-Rock. This eight-track gem from the 70s salsa ultragroup (literally; FAS consisted of over 25 members at the height of its fame), released via their own label in 1974, documents the moment at which over 40,000 salsa punters visited New York's Yankee Stadium to catch a glimpse of their talents, alongside a myriad of other Latin greats. Fania All Stars threw a curveball, however, by not only playing pure salsa but blending it with styles like funk and soul, thus sticking out from the crowd and adding a spicier punch. We welcome this record, out via Craft Latino, with alacrity, as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of this 'wow' moment, which deserves to be documented even if solely for its powers of FAS' fusional imagination.
Review: Heavenly Sweetness has always dealt in music for the soul that is drawn from the worlds of funk, soul and jazz. This new collection of such tunes is another testament to that with a heavily international and world bent. Oodles of Latin, hip hop and Afro vibes pervade the tunes by Guts aka Fabrice Franck Henri alongside a whole host of collaborators. He's a super prolific talent who has put out some ten albums in just over a decade and Estrellas is one of his best. It comes on six sides of delicious wax and takes you on a trip to sunny climates from Cuba to Brazil.
Review: Japanese jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa's blistering 'Uganda (Dawn Of Rock)' makes a piognant claim as to the origins of rock n' roll, blending traditional African drumming workouts with the futuristic tropes belonging to psychedelic rock and fourth world music. Consisting of just four movements ranging from formless to the watery and rhythmic, its recording lies in the basis of just one legendary drummer, but in all its sonics sounds as though an enormous ensemble were behind it. A well-sought J-psych rarity.
Review: Renowned DJ and selector MURO is a Jedi-level compiler and this new collection of his delves into Victor's extensive archives to spotlight a world of Japanese jazz, fusion and AOR. It take sin plenty of internationally known names like Yasuko Agawa on the sunset sounds of 'L.A. Night', Sadistics who offers the more psyched out guitar leans of 'On the Seashore', Yuji Ohno's neo-Balaeric bliss-out 'The Dawn of Seychells' and Hiroshi Fukumura's soul soothing Ry Ayres-style melodies on 'White Clouds.' These are luxurious sounds and timeless tracks with MURO's signature funky perspective making this a brillaint choice for brighter, warmer days.
Review: BBE, known for its groundbreaking J-Jazz and J-Jazz Masterclass series, now shines a light on an inerasable gem in Japan's national discography: the debut LP Rainbow Love by Orquesta Del Sol, the country's first authentic salsa band. Salsa's roots in Japan trace back to the post-WWII era, with groups like Tokyo Cuban Boys, but it was the 1977 Fania All-Stars tour that initiated wider interest. Percussionist Masahito "Pecker" Hashida, influenced by New York's salsa scene, formed Orquesta Del Sol on his return. Their debut, put out in 1981, blends compositions in Japanese, Spanish, and English, while working in a cover of Noro Morales' 'Rumbambola'. Produced by Shuichi "Ponta" Murakami, the album's bold sound was a product of Japan's studio scene and the band's connection to the Nuyorican salsa style. This reissue includes seven bonus tracks from the band's later years, remastered for a new generation.
Review: The unearthing of Orquesta La Solvencia's sole album epitomises El Palmas label's mission to preserve Venezuela's salsa heritage by reviving the bold, authentic music that laid the foundations of the genre. Originally released by Corpodisco in 1980, this record featured guaguanco, guaracha, son, and merengue, pre-dating the definitive salsa label. According to Felipe Diaz, La Solvencia's lead singer, numerous orchestras of this kind thrived in Venezuela to entertain communities during patron saint festivities. La Solvencia's irresistible grooves, coupled with lyrics portraying everyday life, endeared them to the Venezuelan salsa aficionados, and us.
Review: El Palmas Music is on a mission to shine a light on a short-lived but brilliant band, Ray Perez y El Grupo Casabe. It was active from 1974 until 1975 and is often said to be the last great group in which Ray Peres was involved. He came to it from big success with Los Dementes and Los Kenya which had placed him at the forefront of the salsa movement. He continued to experiment and lead the genre forth front with this new group as this compilation shows. Big drums, bigger horns and driving rhythm make each track a fiery workout with plenty of vocals from the likes of Rodrigo Perdomo and Rafael Morillo.
Review: A formerly impossible to find second album by Nicaraguan band Poder De Alma, first released in 1975. A cool mix of Latin funk, jazz, salsa and psychedelic grooves, this one includes some of the group's most sought-after tracks like 'Bacanal' 76,' 'Mimo' or the antiracist statement 'La Conga de las Dos Razas.' After recording their first LP in Guatemala, the Nica supergroup travelled to Costa Rica to register their second album; this time, the recording studio and equipment available to them (including a Mini-Moog) were an improvement compared to their prior project and the band saw a new line-up. The result was a powerful album which is now one of the holy grails of Latin funk worldwide.
Review: Coming just after this seminal recording celebrated its 50th anniversary, Craft Recordings presents a carefully handled reissue of Tito Puente's Para Los Rumberos. Puente remains one of the all time greats of Afro-Cuban percussion, and he recorded this definitive set in New York in 1972, whipping through mambo, guaracha and cha-cha-cha with his trademark explosive drumming front and centre and backed up by some sharp-shooting players. Cut all-analogue from the original tapes and pressed in audiophile quality, this is a much-deserved revisit to one of the most iconic recordings in Puente's accomplished career.
Review: This is the sole recording of a fleeting guitar sextet from Caracas, Venezuela. Led by Moises "Ajoporro" Daubetire, who later founded the renowned Grupo Mango, it marks his debut in the record market. Released amidst the waning boogaloo craze of the late 60s, the LP initially garnered little attention. Yet, it has since become a coveted collector's item. Its simply arranged tracks exude charm, with standout performances like the lively guaracha 'Ahorita No' and the rhythmic guaguanco 'Rico Guaguanco.' Despite its initial obscurity, this record remains a gem, beckoning listeners to explore its musical treasures.
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