Back catalogue: International

Review: Mr Bongo present a staunch retro vision of Cuban-born violinist Alfredo De La Fe, one of whose sonographic creams was the debut salsa-and-more fusion album, Alfredo. Based between New York and Colombia, Alfredo worked with many of the greats in Latin music, including Eddie Palmieri, Willie Colon and Roberto Roena, as well as disco and soul icons Sylvester and Aquarian Dream. For a debut solo record, Alfredo is a real charm offensive, and a valiant experiment at that, mixing Latin dancefloor crunches with De La Fe's own, unusually additive violin, placed centre stage as he solos. The record - a favourite of legendary New York club The Paradise Garage - tonally shifts past the halfway mark, eschewing the A-side's chroma-jazzy clavier discombobulations for an early four-to-the-floor, daresay proto deep house excursion, 'Hot To Trot'.

Review: This forthcoming album, features 21 previously unreleased tracks by Paco de Lucia and his brother Pepe. Dating back to 1959 and 1960, these recordings provide a rare glimpse into the early musical endeavors of the duo, aged 11 and 13 respectively at the time. The tapes, restored using AI technology from a vintage Grundig TK46 tape recorder, capture the essence of the brothers' talent and passion for flamenco. Pepe de Lucia expressed astonishment at revisiting the recordings, reflecting on the joyous memories they evoke. Pepito y Paquito promises to be a poignant homage to the enduring legacy of Paco de Lucia and his brother, marking a significant milestone in the history of flamenco music.

Review: Deep Forest's third studio album, Comparsa, released in December 1997, presents a vibrant blend of world music and electronic elements, with a strong emphasis on Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Now available on translucent green vinyl, this album showcases the group's signature fusion of global sounds, featuring contributions from musicians across Cuba, Belize, Mexico, and Madagascar. Comparsa's 13 tracks are a journey through diverse musical landscapes, with highlights like 'Noonday Sun' and 'Tres Marias' highlight the album's dynamic energy. The group's founders, Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez, craft lush soundscapes that are rich in texture, combining whispered vocals with rhythmic beats and vibrant instrumentation. Tracks like 'Madazulu' and 'Radio Belize' illustrate the duo's skill in blending traditional sounds with modern electronic production, creating a sound that is both innovative and accessible. Comparsa remains a well-produced and exhilarating listening experience, perfect for those seeking a musical escape to far-off lands. Now on translucent green vinyl, the album's rich textures and global rhythms are given new life, making it a noteworthy addition to any collection.

Review: The forthcoming reissue of Toumani Diabate's 1988 debut album, presented on 180-gram vinyl, offers a timely opportunity to revisit a seminal work in the kora master's discography. This album stands as a landmark in African music, being the first international release to feature solo kora performances without vocal accompaniment. Diabate's intricate playing on tracks like 'Kaira' and 'Jarabi' showcases the expressive range of the 21-string West African harp, weaving complex melodies that are both meditative and captivating. This reissue not only preserves the original's purity but also reaffirms its enduring influence on world music.

Review: This is a special ivory white vinyl version of Zani Diabate's Super Djata Band is another essential release from Numero Group. The band was a leading force in Mali's music scene during the 1980s when they blended Wasulu hunter music, griot praises, Senufo dances, Fula and Mandingo tunes with Western psychedelia, blues, and Afrobeat. Their 1982 album captures Diabate's virtuosity and is a showcase of his mastery of the guitar through eight compelling tracks. The resulting album is a gold standard in world music that confirms Diabate's place among the legendary West African guitarists and illustrates his unique ability to fuse diverse musical traditions.

Review: Manu Dibango knew how to work a crowd. By the time he hit the stage at Marseille's Theatre La Criee in December 1982, he had long mastered the art of turning a gig into a full-blown celebration. This was the man who took makossa global, who made 'Soul Makossa' an international sensation a decade prior and who could pivot between jazz, funk and African rhythms like it was nothing. The recording, unearthed from the INA archives, captures him in peak form, leading an eight-piece band through a set that refuses to sit still. 'Africa Boogie' is all clipped guitars, tight horns and a bassline that struts like it owns the place. 'Ashiko Oumba' turns the groove alluringly, locking into intricate polyrhythms before erupting into pure brass-fuelled joy. Then there's 'Waka Juju', sprawling across three parts, moving from simmering tension to full-throttle release with the kind of control only Dibango could pull off. He's conducting, shaping the music in real-time, every solo a conversation, every break a setup for the next explosion of sound. Four decades later, the set still feels alive. It's there in the call-and-response with the crowd, the sweat-soaked momentum of a band that knows it's on fire. Dibango, effortlessly cool at the centre of it all, proves once again why his music never ages.

Review: Back in 2018, Sticky Buttons dipped into the vast back catalogue of Nigerian synth-funk supremo Dizzy K Falola and served up Sweet Music, a superb double-vinyl retrospective of his hard-to-find work. As the title makes clear, this is the inevitable sequel - a similarly impressive collection largely made up of tracks first showcased on the artist's final three albums of the 1980s. The music on show is colourful, attractive and effortlessly soulful, with Falola expanding his trademark Afro-boogie and Afro-synth sound via references to US r&b, soca and synth-pop. Highlights include, but are in no way limited to, the superb 'Afrikan Jamboree', Afro-electro gem 'Traffic Jammer', the stuttering excellence of 'Bad Boy' and the percussion-rich 'Dance Africa'.

Review: Principe continue to rep the realest of Lisbon's dance culture with this sophomore adventure from long-standing resident and batida beatsmith Lycox. Often lending vocals to the tracks himself, he continues to build on that warm, relentless signature of his: Gutsy sample hooks wrapped up in traditional Latin instruments and motifs then blasted with gritty ghetto attitude. The results pummel and massage in equal measure... From the relentless kuduro turbo of 'Pedale Ku El' to the contemplative swells and graces of hypnotic tracks such as 'Guetto Love' and 'Energia', the whole range is rolled out right here in a way that flips between ghetto dreams and global reality. Ferociously fine.

Review: This debut album is sure to prove a solo breakthrough for DJ Narciso. It taps into Lisbon's rich reserves of kuduro and puts a devastatingly fresh new spin on the sound in the wake of pioneers like Nidia, N Fox and P. Adrix. Narciso pushes drill-adjacent rhythms and tresillo syncopations here and creates a unique European counterpart to Havana's wild sense of rhythm that is, at its core, deeply rooted in West African traditions. Tracks like 'Ziu Ziu (Reprise)' and 'Cabelinho' explore quirky textures and unpredictable grooves while 'Vai Estragar a Camera' echoes early Nazar's cantankerous vibe and '5 Do Jo' and 'Jogo' deliver heavy basslines and experimental sounds that cement Narciso's distinctive style in Lisbon's unique landscape.

Review: Dogo du Togo & The Alagaa Beat Band bring a unique sound to West African music that blends psychedelic rock, traditional Togolese rhythms, voodoo-inspired melodies and infectious dance grooves. Led by Dogo, who dubs their style 'Alagaa Trance,' the band's music weaves hypnotic layers and vibrant beats that are both captivating and energising. Their much-anticipated album, Avoude, captures this powerful fusion and is set for release in November on the We Are Busy Bodies label and promises to transport you into a new world with its mix of cultural depth and rhythmic intensity.

Review: A pivotal figure in the early 1970s MPB scene, Salvador was not only a highly regarded sessionist and composer but also a band leader. His 1971 album is a vibrant mix of bossa nova, samba, funk, and carioca styles, infused with raw energy. Original copies of this influential fourth album often fetch around $200 due to its eclectic range. From the lively opener 'Uma Vida' to the Beatles-esque narrative of 'O Rio' and the orchestral boogaloo of 'Number One', the album showcases Salvador at the height of his fusionist creativity and musical prowess.

Review: Som, Sangue e Raca remains a cornerstone in Brazilian music. The classic album epitomises Dom Salvador e Abolicao's fusion of samba, soul, rock, jazz, forro, and baiao. Their influential sound heavily impacted Banda Black Rio and that is just one of the reasons why this classic album is celebrated. It is also a great summer listen with its warm and infectious melodies and diverse musicality all of which means it's a must-cop for lovers of international sounds. Even better is the fact that Som, Sangue e Raca now comes in a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent red vinyl.

Review: We are thrilled to announce the European release of a record by one of our Brazilian musical heroes, a king of tropical groove across all eras. This highly limited edition comes in a unique sleeve, making it a killer record and absolutely essential. Great albums often lead to great shows, but with Donato Eletrico, the reverse is true. This album began to take shape after a 2014 performance at Sesc Pinheiros in Sao Paulo, Brazil. During this show, the artist finally presented the iconic album "Quem e Quem" live, more than 40 years after its initial release. For this significant event, Donato collaborated with young Sao Paulo musicians who had been working with him on a new project. Together, they recreated the original groove-laden atmosphere of Quem e Quem, centered around Joao's electric piano. The success of this performance made it clear that this collaboration had the potential for more. The result is Donato Eletrico, a vibrant collection of tracks that hark back to the distinctive sound Donato explored in the 70s.

Review: For its 50th release, Awesome Tapes From Africa proudly reissues Nahawa Doumbia's Vol. 2, originally released in 1982 and unavailable outside Mali until now. This recording captures the early artistry of one of Mali's most iconic voices, featuring Doumbia's powerful vocals accompanied solely by her partner N'gou Bagayoko on acoustic guitar. Painstakingly remastered from the original LP by audio engineer Jessica Thompson, Vol. 2 brings a new clarity to the intimate yet commanding sound. This reissue exemplifies ATFA's mission of expanding artists' reach and offers fans a rare glimpse into the roots of Doumbia's enduring legacy in African music.

Review: This wonderful album (with equally wonderful artwork) presents a rich, percussive experience that highlights Cuban-born Modesto Duran's significant influence on Latin music and this version is on nice translucent red wax which conveys the heat the music. Duran was a protege of mambo pioneer Perez Prado and his distinctive percussion work graced numerous 1950s hits by artists like Esquivel, Belafonte, Eartha Kitt, and Lena Horne. On his 1960 solo debut, Duran brought together top conga players Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Juan Cheda to craft a cinematic fusion of Afro-Cuban, cha-cha, and exotic jazz styles.

Review: Ballake Sissoko and Derek Gripper's collaborative album is a magical exploration of musical synergy and virtuosity. Recorded in just three hours, the album captures the spontaneous magic that arises when two masters of their craft come together. Sissoko's mastery of the kora, rooted in the traditions of West Africa, melds seamlessly with Gripper's classical guitar expertise, creating a captivating fusion of sound. Their musical dialogue transcends boundaries, with each artist pushing the other to new heights of creativity and expression. Gripper's reverence for Sissoko's skill as an interpreter of timbre is palpable, while Sissoko acknowledges Gripper's curiosity and openness as essential to their collaboration. This album a trip through ancient and contemporary realms, where the resonances of the Manding empire blend with the textures of the guitar to create something truly unique and special.