Raúl Monsalve y Los Forajidos return to Olindo Records with an explosive blend of indigenous Afro-Venezuelan rhythms, muscular spiritual jazz, future-funk, afrobeat and psychedelia on their new album ‘SOL’, an already singular band stretching themselves into masterpiece territory. With a distinctly different rhythmic heritage to many other Caribbean and Latin American countries, Raúl’s ethnomusicologist ear is as important as his brilliance as a composer and multi-instrumentalist. Inviting a top tier list of guests that includes Nick ‘Emanative’ Woodmansey, the great Congolese guitarist Kiala Nzavotunga, Tony Allen’s last musical director Yann Jankielewicz and Heliocentrics’ Malcolm Catto to collaborate with his multinational outfit, they manage to convey the complex heritage of Venezuela’s coastal regions with a contemporary, well-travelled energy. A mix of original songs are joined by startlingly new interpretations of numbers by Fela Kuti and John Coltrane, their ambition matched by their talents. Read / Listen.
Read MoreViva el Sábado: Peruvian disco pop hits (1978-1989) (Buh Records)
Luis Alvarado from Buh Records has dug deeper than most to find this treasure trove of obscure Peruvian disco and disco-adjacent wobblers from 1978-89. Some are raw and untamed, some are as shiny as the 80s demanded but all are fun and funky! Read / Listen.
Read MoreLuzmila Carpio 'Inti Watana: El Retorno del Sol' (ZZK) - a review
The great Bolivian Andean singer, producer and activist Luzmila Carpio hasn’t released a new album in a decade (she has made over 25 though!) but she is now back with a beautiful collaboration with Argentinian folktronica producer Leonardo Martinelli that is both charming and deeply emotional in equal measure. Luzmila’s voice has lost none of its power or childlike wonder and her songs of ritual, communion and ceremony merge seamlessly with Martinelli’s soundscapes. A triumph. Read / Listen
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