Forgotten Treasure: Ray Barretto “Que Viva La Musica” (1972)
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project as their intro music. Puerto Rico’s 1972 Island wide Basketball champions, Colegio San Antonio in Isabela, had “Que Viva La Musica“. My father was the starting point guard that year. Decades years latter when I was a …
Forgotten Treasure: Willie Colón “Guaracha” (1974)
In the world of Latin music, Fania Records reigns supreme. The brainchild of Johnny Pacheco, who is credited with coining the term Salsa to describe his rendition of the Afro-Cuban sound, La Fania holds some of the most priceless moments in music history under its belt. Among many accomplishments, his …
Future Classic: Gilles Peterson Presents: Sonzeira “Tam Tam Tam Reimagined”
Tam Tam Tam Reimagined is the second album to come from Gilles Peterson’s Sonzeira project. Overseen by the legendary DJ and record collector, this second album picks up where the first one left off. Where Brasil Bam Bam Bam brought together the all-stars of Brazilian music, this album focuses on …
Go on a trip “De Praia A Luanda” – The Incredible Afro Luso Sound
Its not everyday that you discover a totally new musical genre. It like me you didn’t know what Semba is, then let tropical DJ La Mano Peluda be your tour guide. He will take you on a ride from the Cabo Verde coast all the way to the capital of Angola Luanda. The portuguese …
Forgotten Treasure: Los Yorks’ “Cielo” (1967)
As a Latin-American Uruguayan girl, contributing to a North America-based website, I feel the need to re-discover and share with you some music from my surroundings. A few miles (2000) away from where I live is a country called Peru. You may instantly think about bright strong colours, markets, people chatting loudly, …
Forgotten Treasure: Cortijo & His Time Machine “Y Su Maquina Del Tiempo” (1973)
Music is the greatest time and space traveler so when the snow and cold of New York has me needing to be somewhere warmer, I always turn to Cortijo. Rafael Cortijo’ career spanned over 50 years and countless genres. The beauty of Cortijo was his ability to balance the traditional …
Future Classic: Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band “Love Like This”
Bacao Rhythm & Steel BandLast summer I went to check out Roy Ayers do a small intimate performance on a rooftop in Brooklyn. Sounds sexier than it was considering the rain and countless amounts of cornballs who somehow happened to show up. Following the performance we were treated to Rich …
Future Classic: Daymé Arocena “One Takes” (Brownswood Recordings)
via Brownswood: The One Takes EP finds Daymé Arocena bouncing around ideas with label boss Gilles Peterson to put her unique spin on five different covers. Re-imagining cuts ranging from Italian obscurities to US house heroes, the sessions (as you might guess from the title) were about taking down whichever …
Future Classic: ÌFÉ “House Of Love”
I have been a fan of Otura Mun for some years now. Back when he went by DJ Nature and was a member of Cultura Profetica I always appreciated his contributions and vibe, which fused a Hip-Hop aesthetic to the roots reggae flavors. A few years later he did a …
Forgotten Treasure: Dax Pacem “La Tumba” (Sociedad Records)
The third installment of Sociedad‘s Dura Series is another perfect representation of the heavy and elite flavors of New York City salsa. From the signature sound of the band to the backstory of the label they were on, Dax Pacem embodies the golden era of salsa. Their legendary stage battles …
Mix of the Day: Angela Vargas aka DJ Firecracker
Sometimes a mix just catches your attention and you delve into it right away. Sometimes a DJ pops onto the scene and seems to have carved out their niche before they even showed up. This is the case with Toronto’s Angela Vargas aka DJ Firecracker and her self titled mix. …
Motor City Drum Ensemble remixes Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band
via Brownswood: “The latest chapter in the long standing relationship between Gilles Peterson and the music of Cuba sees him explore the roots of rumba through a project comprising three parts: a feature length documentary, a collection of remixes and a free sample pack. Produced in collaboration with rum maker …