Los Dementes - Descarga a la Ray (Venezuela, 1966)

(Prodanza - LP 1240).

First LP from Ray Perez with Los Dementes, playing in Caracas from the mid 60s. I found this Venezuelan version in Colombia. Los Dementes used the word "salsa" as a music style before it became widely used in New York, and this LP includes boogaloo, guaguanco, pachanga, and salsa. Despite the rough mix, "Descarga a la Ray" is totally crazy, also very innovative at this period comparing to famous local bands such as Billo and his Caracas Boys... 

The Montagu Three - Love Alone (Calypso from Bahamas, 1961)

(Bahamian Rhythms LTD - BR 37-S).

At the turn of 1960 Cuba became closed to American tourists, which contributed to develop mass tourism (and financial facilities) in several other caribbean islands. Nassau being just in front of Miami, it became one hot spot full of fancy hotels proposing "local" music to foreigners...

Dangerous trips to Angola by Muzzicaltrips (Semba, merengue, kizomba selection from Angola 70s)

Muzzicaltrips taking part of various musical projects including radioshows, I'd like to share some "dangerous trips" or "viagens perigosas" in Angola realised recently for Radio Capsao. A special musical selection based on dusty records, archives from golden era from this country culturally influenced by portuguese colonists, by other lusophone colonies, by Cuba and the Caribbean, and for sure by specific african musical  heritage. Wars and instability during the 60s to 80s also influenced a unique musical production : semba, merengue, kizomba, but also political music and struggle songs (or propaganda songs, depending on point of view), reflecting a wide spread imperialist oppression feeling.

Manolo Guardia - Negro en sol menor (Candomble inspired jazz from Uruguay, 1960s)

(Fermata 3F0128).

Candomble beleives and culture, originated from african voduns and musically based on drums, are widespread in Brazil, but also traveled south down to Uruguay, where exist also expressions of this religion.

Successful meeting of jazz and candomble rhythms is not so common, so I hope you enjoy this track from Manolo Guardia, uruguayan pianist both interested in jazz and tango, and who experimented unique afrolatinjazz fusion during the 60s.

MIX /// Jazz & Palmwine vol. 1

A colored and jazzy trip with afro, latin and caribbean flavors.

Les Docteurs du Rythme - Haiti Goes Latin (Creole mambo, 60s)

(ANSONIA SALP 1538).

Michel Desgrottes (1923-1993) worked with Guy Durosier in Hotel Rivera orchestra in the 50s. This 60s LP is based on french popular themes brought back by producer Jean Huc and played in a haitian latin style. But Michel Desgrottes' own composition "Ce Pas Fot Moin" (meaning "it's not my fault") is an irresistible jazzy mambo sung in Creole.

Cuba VII Congreso de la Union Internacional de Arquitectos (1963)

In 1963, the 7th Congress of UIA (Union Internacional de Arquitectos) released a special LP for the event, presenting diversity of cuban music. 

Musical testimony of cuban government's activism in many cultural fields, impulsed from the early 60s, this congress organized in parallel a music festival (on cathedral's place, which inspired many designs), and released several LPs, including this compilation. I guess one motivation of the production was that every architect attending the congress could go back in his country with some sample of cuban music. The early 60s were a transition period for cuban musical scene, after decades of tremendous activity. Styles presented go here from cha cha cha, bolero and waltz (classy), to guaracha or rumba (more popular), but no cuban jazz is included.

Bola de Nieve - Chivo Que Rompe Tambo (Cuba, 1960)

(Sonotone SLP8).

Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernandez (1911-1971), received his surname Bola de Nieve (Snowball) by cuban singer Rita Montaner. He's a really atypical singer and pianist in cuban musical scene, active from the 30s, then famous internationally, to the 60s he spent back in Cuba.

MIX /// Tropical Roundtrip Selection (from Colombia to Africa)

(Muzzicaltrips TRT019).

A real tropical roundrip, beginning in colombia with classy 60s cumbia, guiro y guaracha, merecumbe, maracumba, currulao, afrocolombian...
A selection warmly advised to people still convinced that all latin music is more or less salsa... Actually we begin with few examples of the countless styles having emerged in Colombian regions, as merecumbe, being a blend of merengue+cumbia initially popularized in the 50s by Pacho Galan, and here played by Lucho Bermudez.

Carnaval in Santiago de Cuba (1960s)

(Le Chant du Monde, LDX 4250).

Carnavals tour stops for sure in Cuba, through the release of this LP by french label Le Chant du Monde. Liner notes from the cuban writer Alejo Carpentier remind the historical background of original african and Spanish influences blending in Santiago, the second city founded in Cuba.

Let's learn to play the bongos like Mr. Bongo himself (Latin drum lesson, 60s)

(AVILA RECORDS JC-101).

In order to play an instrument, better to take advices from the masters.

Ritmo Calipso - Winsop (Tropical jazz from Panama, 60s?)

(Ecoll 001).

Another mysterious 7 inch... Found in Colombia but including 2 nice jazzy calypsos sounding like caribbean 60s. It might be a colombian bootleg, as they regularly did with foreign productions, sometimes changing name to avoid any traceability or just because it was unknown. I guess the original track comes from Panama, as Ecoll label released another miscredited 7 inch from De Briano with the Alonso Wilson Quintet (originally on AWB from Panama, check Musica del Alma here).

Pedro Laza y sus Pelayeros - Fandango (and Porro from Colombia, 60s)

(Fuentes LP 0011).

This early LP recorded by Pedro Laza for Fuentes label consists of 2 kind of styles widely played in Colombia: Fandango and Porro. 

Fandango is originally an old spanish ternary rhythm, but being brought early to Colombia, it integrated local influences, african drums, brass bands (bandas papayeras), to become a successful style for record industry in the 50s.

Climaco Sarmiento - Bombo y Maracas (Colombia, 60s)

(Fuentes LP0061).

This heavy record is the second Cimaco Sarmiento released for Fuentes. It includes cumbia, gaita, porro, plena and also palenque, as is tagged the "Bombo y Maracas" hit. Hanging around in Baranquilla bars can reveal great record collections, and even in some small places, attention is paid to play the music with original vinyls...

Eliseo Herrera, Trabalengua and the folkloric group Los Malibus (Colombia, 1960s)

(Fuentes Delujo LP 400168).

Eliseo Herrera (1924) played with various formations including one of the greatest at Fuentes: Los Corraleros de Majagual. He imposed his specific way of singing which became a style called "Trabalengua" (tongue-twisting). You'll recognize directly listening to following tracks, but basically it consists of producing a dense jerky flow, very fast, adding syllables, without any pause for breathing.

MIX /// Muzzicaltrips In Colombia

Colombia is surely one of the most impressive country in Latin American, notably due to importance, diversity and quality of his music. Regionalism and opening to numerous influences being two particularities, listing and studying every styles (and sub-styles) becomes quickly a full time job. 

Lobo y Melon (Afrocuban jazz in Mexico, 60s)

(RCA CAMDEN 102-23106).

Here's a Mexican band created in the late 50s and composed by the drummer Carlos Daniel Navarro Pulido (Lobo) and the singer Luis Angel Silva Nava (Melon). Their first LP (early 60s) is representative of the various caribbean influences in during the 60s (cuban orchestras, US latin jazz, african drums... ), as many musicians from the region were playing in Acapulco or Mexico.

Ahmadou Kourouma - Les Soleils des Independances (1970)

A special post for this record, taking part of a valuable RFI collection focussed on black literature. Ivorian writer Ahmadou Kourouma (+2003) explains his approach and background, particularly on one of his most famous novel published in 1968: The Suns of Independences, which corresponds to this confused post-colonial period where many changes took place but also many disillusions appeared.

Goombay! - Brown Skin Gal (Tropical jazz from Bahamas, 60s)

(DECCA ED 2500).

Many orchestras in the Caribbean where initially playing in fancy hotels, and this so called "Authentic Calypso Beat of the Bahamas" is played by Beacham Coakley's Emerald Beach Hotel Orchestra (the singer is Vincent Martin). Goombay corresponds to the name of a bahamian goatskin-headed drum (different from the jamaican squared drum gumbe), but also corresponds to the style of this music which can be considered as a kind of calypso using this specific drum.

OK Jazz - Brigitta Mwasi Ya Makwela (Rumba, 1964)

(Surboum African Jazz OK 42)

Here's an early OK Jazz 7". Always nice...