African Voodoo

Manu Dibango - African Voodoo PSI PSI-3036 (1972)

It is almost impossible to find a fitting description for a musician such as Manu Dibango who has made such an enormous contribution to African music as a whole. He is a saxophonist, nicknamed 'The lion of Cameroon'.

Originally trained in classical piano, his musical career began in Brussels and Paris in the 1950s. 1960 finds him in Congo as a member of African Jazz led by Joseph Kabasele (Le Grand Kalle)! He formed his own band in Cameroon in 1963, moving to Paris in 1965. His international breakthrough came in 1972 with Soul Makossa.

Manu Dibango is extraordinarily versatile, having played almost every style of music you care to mention: soul, reggae, jazz, blues and even this rare French library album on PSI. Forget what you know about the man for this one, considered by some as not only one of his finest albums but one of the strongest unreleased library LPs ever recorded. There's real strength in depth with many stand out tracks blurring the boundaries between Afro-Latin jazz, funk and fusion - a wonderful eclectic listen from start to finish.

1) Groovy Flute
2) Soul Saxes Meeting
3) African Pop Session
4) Walking To Waza
5) Out Of Score
6) Ba-Kuba
7) Zoom 2000
8) Aphrodite Shake
9) Wilderness
10) Jungle Riders
11) Iron Wood
12) Coconut

Central Do Brasil

Ronie & Central Do Brasil -S/T Tapecar LP-X.27 1975

Ronie Mesquita is most known for his stint as the replacement drummer of Bossa Tres, the group led by the great Luis Carlos Vinhas. Tempted by the lures of the bossa nova boom in America, and partly to escape the newly installed, US funded military regime, he along with many of his contemporaries went abroad to ply their trade. Playing in groups such as Gemini 5 & Bossa Rio (Sergio Mendes' b-group), he toured religiously covering the US, Mexico and Japan.

Returning home in the early 70's, he was at a crossroad. The demand for trios were at an all time low, safe dinner music was out. The underground was bubbling, with Tropicalia amongst the hottest of topics with his fellow musicians. The extensive travel partaken by said musicians had opened their eyes to many genres of music, and in turn seeped into their creative output.

Feeling ready to step out from the shadows of a decade long sideman, he returned home to assemble a crew of rotating musicans called Central Do Brasil. This lp being the 2nd release of his frontman career after the immortal "Bresil 72" of the the same year. It has elements of his samba jazz drumming roots, but peppered with a contemporary hint of soul with vocal arrangements by Octavio & Sonia Burnier of Burnier & Cartier fame.

Featuring: Ronie Mesquita (drums/percussion); Jorjão (electric piano); Decio Cardoso (bass);Zé Carlos (flute,tenor sax); Octavio Burnier (guitar); Jayme Luiz, Loawa Braz (vocals); Sonia Burnier, Raymundo Bittencourt (chorus); Chacau (Percussion)

1) Remelexo
2) Atoa, Atoa
3) Albatroz
4) Você Não Ser
5) Falsa Baiana
6) Visgo De Jaca
7) Somente O Samba
8) Madeira De Lei
9) Deus Te Acompanhe
10) Essa Maré

Big Parada

Formiga e Sua Orquestra - Big Parada Elenco ME-59 (1970)

Lots of cool Brasilian funkiness courtesy the legendary trombonista Formiga. One of the harder Elenco pressings to find, this LP features covers of the day done to a backdrop of blaring horns, organ, electric guitar and fat drums. Enjoy...

1) Pout-Pourri: I'm A Man - Looky, Looky
2) Teletema
3) Spinning Wheel
4) Chi Non Lavora Non Fa l'Amore
5) Pout-Pourri: Superstar - I've Been Hurt - My Pledge Of Love
6) Pout-Pourri: Smile A Little Smile For Me - Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday - Everybody's Takin'
7) Hey Jude
8) Midnight Cowboy
9) Sugar Sugar
10) Pout-Pourri: Maquiagem - Take It Easy My Brother Charles - Pena Verde - Cara A Cara