Juno Recommends International: November 2022

Review: Spanish reissue label Rocafort present this wonderful slice of highlife from Konkolo Orchestra. It's not exactly clear where, or indeed when, exactly the band came from, but their sound is all you need to worry about. 'Blue G' is a lilting, shuffling message of love and support for future generations, and from the message to the effervescent musicality, it's a no-brainer. On the flip, 'That Good Thing' is an instrumental which spirals outwards on the sweetest keys, joyous brass and dreamy guitar, driven by a pattering drum section to radiate good vibes wherever it's played.

Review: Ernesto Djedje is rightly known as the king of Ziglibithy and has been since not long after he first made his mark back in the 60s. He started out as a guitar player and leader of Ivoiro Star, before eventually going it alone and moving to Paris. He later returned to his native Cote d'Ivoire in 1974 and created his own musical mix of funk, soul, Makossa and disco before dying in odd circumstances in 1983. This Roi Du Ziglibithy, LP was first released in 1997 and now gets reissued on Analog Africa. One of his best-known works, it's a perfect example of his unique fusion sound.

Review: First off, all hail the superb cover art for this one, which somehow manages to convey the same big energy as the music it conceals. That music is by Bogota's La Pambele, and is a first single from their self-titled debut album. It is a fiery and worldly mix of Latin sounds, shuffling samba grooves, big jazz pianos, eccentric horns and steamy vocals that all get you wigging out in style. On the flip, 'Proverbio' sinks into a deeper groove but one still defined by some expressive trumpet work and organic, jumbled drums. Two red hot ones, for sure.

Review: Heavenly Sweetness has always dealt in music for the soul that is drawn from the worlds of funk, soul and jazz. This new collection of such tunes is another testament to that with a heavily international and world bent. Oodles of Latin, hip hop and Afro vibes pervade the tunes by Guts aka Fabrice Franck Henri alongside a whole host of collaborators. He's a super prolific talent who has put out some ten albums in just over a decade and Estrellas is one of his best. It comes on six sides of delicious wax and takes you on a trip to sunny climates from Cuba to Brazil.

Review: Revisionist history is just as important for music as it is for geopolitics or economics, so we're more than happy to recognise this 'Alternative Vision Of Argentinian Music' throughout one of the most important decades in popular music history. Whereas popular thought tended towards Argentina being a hotbed for 'rock nacional' (national rock) music made in the post-dictatorship return to democracy, here Soundway focus on the more extreme ends of the experimental music fringes that cropped, thanks to the newfound freedoms allowed by neoliberal policies. Arthur Russell-esque disco, downtempo battle breaks, avant-garde obscurities - it's all there.

Review: Vampi Soul has dug deep into the vaults of Peru's MAG records to unearth some lush tropical treasure here. These 14 killer cuts are all primed and ready for sunny dance floors as everything from cumbias to descargas, boogaloo to salsa is included. There are classics of the style like Arroz Con Coco' or 'Aprieta (Oye Como Va),' as well as plenty even the most hardened Latin lvoers will not know. The MAG label is 70 next year and has long been pivotal to Peruvian music so now is a perfect time to acquaint, or reacquaint, yourself with it.

Review: Jazzman recently served up a big and freaky old collection of Halloween themed jazz sounds from Greasy Mike. Now the venerated digger and collector opens up his archives once more for another deep dive, this time under the heading of 'Shipwrecked On A Tropical Island.' As such these are Afro-tinged jazz sounds with shimmering steel drums and gently breaking waves. There are Afro-Cuban spinners like Phyllis Branch's 'Babalu' and samba shufflers full of soul. An epic and escapist collection that takes you to another world.

Review: The resurgence of interest in vinyl has brought with it plenty of spotlight for niche acts like Tinariwen. The Mali-based desert blues specialists are now frequently found on the playlist of eclectic Das and NTS radio hosts, and so they should be. This new album is actually an old one - Kel Tinariwen is an early cassette tape recorded in the 90s that has not been released before. It hones in on the political issues of the time and is a raw sound compared to how Tinariwen went on to sound, but still has all the hypnotic guitar lines and call-and-response vocals that make it distinctly them. Add in raw drum machine rhythms and keyboard melodies and you have an alluring and Arab-tinged take on synth-pop that really gets you where it hurts.