Hot Tips

[Tom McPhillips]

the one's in the picture aren't, but we've had a pair just like them, brother and sister for seventeen years who have tyrannized our lives... Unfortunately Willow, the elder brother didn't make it through this year, but Jasmine, who's a crotchety old lady is screaming at me to be fed (though I just fed her) and let her into the bedroom (the door's open) right at this moment...

[Jamie Renton]

Sublime Frequencies' unpromisingly titled but extremely groovesome new double vinyl LP Pakistan: Folk and Pop Instrumenals 1966 - 1976 currently holds pride of place on my turntable. Imagine if your favourite twangy surf guitar combo were the house band at the coolest curry house in creation ...

[taiyo no otosan]

Sublime Frequencies' unpromisingly titled but extremely groovesome new double vinyl LP Pakistan: Folk and Pop Instrumenals 1966 - 1976 currently holds pride of place on my turntable. Imagine if your favourite twangy surf guitar combo were the house band at the coolest curry house in creation ...

Very groovy indeed. Vaguely reminiscent of those Roots of Chicha comps in its cheesiness. Even the names are spot on: The Mods, The Bugs, The Panthers, The Fore Thoughts. Incredible now to think even one of these bands ever existed in Pakistan, let alone so many.

[Jamie Renton]

Yes, I was reminded of the Roots of Chicha compilations too, a couple of the tracks even have something close to a cumbia rhythm.

[taiyo no otosan]

Jamie, Howard, Jon E. .....have you heard this yet? It looks FABULOUS to me....still stuck in Colombia mode, despite the ridiculously inappropriate weather here.



More info and some sample tracks here. Soundway, of course.

http://www.soundwayrecords.com/catalogue/cartagena.html

[Jonathan E.]

I caught word of it a day or two ago — and AM WAITING! Feb 28 is the release date, isn't it?

[Jaybird]

And Cumbia fans will also be interested in this latest prog on AfroPop Worldwide. Haven`t had a chance to listen yet but it looks great.


http://www.afropop.org/multi/feature/ID/963/

[Jonathan E.]

And another comp, budget and double CD, for the Colombian aficionados among us is this



Rebelión Tropical — The Very Best Of Fruko & Joe Arroyo on Nascente

Not super, super fresh timewise (out for a couple of months or so) and you're likely to already have a number of the cuts but nicely put together with somewhat more detailed notes than you often get with Nascente releases, although far from Soundway or Analog Africa standards, of course. And more on the salsa tip plus a variety of other Latin styles — and joeson — than the cumbia, but I'm not complaining.

Here's a review by Robin Denselow in the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jan/06/fruko-joe-arroyo-rebelion-tropical-review

[Jonathan E.]

Soundway are working the Colombian (and Caribbean) angle pretty hard. Just got word of this series of four limited edition vinyl 7":

http://www.soundwayrecords.com/articles/new-releases-special-edition-singles.html



Absolutely no guarantee from me as to their eventual charms, but I will admit to a certain twinge of desire stirring deep within my little heart . . .

[Jamie Renton]

I just heard a couple of tracks from the forthcoming album by Errol Linton's Blues Vibe (featuring Adam of this parish) & was absolutely blown away, one reminded me of Olu Dara! Hopefully they'll be doing a gig at Darbucka when it's released.

On a completely different (ahem) "tip", I'm just listening to Los Chicharrons' CD Roots of Life (Tummy Touch) which mixes West African funk, Afrobeat, a bit of a latin influence, all very urban & funky & very very good.

[Adam Blake]

I just heard a couple of tracks from the forthcoming album by Errol Linton's Blues Vibe (featuring Adam of this parish) & was absolutely blown away, one reminded me of Olu Dara! Hopefully they'll be doing a gig at Darbucka when it's released.

Thank you, Jamie, that's very nice that you like it so much. Unfortunately, a release date is still not forthcoming. Errol doesn't want to have to put it out himself - no budget for promotion - but it may come to that pretty soon.

[Jamie Renton]

Jamie, Howard, Jon E. .....have you heard this yet? It looks FABULOUS to me....still stuck in Colombia mode, despite the ridiculously inappropriate weather here.



More info and some sample tracks here. Soundway, of course.

http://www.soundwayrecords.com/catalogue/cartagena.html

On 1st listen it sounds just like I hoped it would! I'll be reviewing it for fRoots.

[howard male]

Yep, excellent compilation – it’s been a while (as far as I’m aware) since there’s been a collection of classic vintage cumbia – and all tracks are previously unreleased outside Colombia.

[Jonathan E.]

Cheapo 3-CD comp Beginner's Guide to Cumbia out last year on Nascente had a "Classic Cumbia" disc. Honestly, I can't remember how strong that one was (and it was not all Colombian), but the "Contemporary Cumbia" disc I listened to earlier this week and it was HOT! Compiler was DJ Bongohead.

[AndyM]

DJ Bongohead

Possibly not his real name.