Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Blue Moon Party!!!


(paradoxically?) New Year's Day is going to be a 'Blue Moon' Night (geeks: this is a once-every-19 years-event!). Special music is required!
Here is my selection of party music fit for a Blue Moon New Year: hard-hitting Afro-Cuban with enough pumping timba to trigger an avalanche; a ton of sweaty latin funk to melt you down, pulsating cumbia, plena, bomba, guaguanco and m'balax to trigger your senses; and lots of kinky salsa dura to make your hands work in sync with your hips -including a few XXX-rated numbers! Grab your partner and hit the dancefloor! Enjoy: parties that good only happen once in a blue moon!

1. Ungawa / Louie Ramírez / Ali Baba
2. Fever / La Lupe / Reina De La Cancion Latina
3. Marcia Baila / Ernesto Tito Puentes / Victoria
4. Timba Con Moña / David Calzado & La Charanga Habanera / Soy Cubano, Soy Popular
5. Toma La Ola / El Zorro / Volando
6. Llévame con tu babalao / Maraca / Soy Yo
7. Dos Jueves / Orchesta Tabaco Y Ron / Paquete Salsera
8. Sukulenta / Grupo Fantasma / Movimiento Popular
9. Nampalal Sa Dom / Super Cayor De Dakar / Sopente
10. Bang Bang / Coke / Na Na
11. El Yo-Yo / Wayne Gorbea's Salsa Picante / Saboreando... Salsa Dura En El Bronx!
12. Goza La Vida / Manny Oquendo Y Libre / Libre
13. Corazon Enamorado / Nico Gomez And His Orchestra / Nico Gomez And His Orchestra
14. Azucar Mami / Cal Tjader / Primo
15. Donde / Bronx River Parkway / San Sebastian 152
16. Yo No Bailo Con Juana / Cortijo y Kako y sus tambores / Ritmos Y Cantos Callejeros
17. Asi Se Baila / kako, totico y el trabuco / La Maquina Y El Motor
18. Sabor De Cumbia / Sonando / El Montuno
19. L'Oranguta / Pepe & The Bottle Blondes / Latenight Betty
20. Cachita / Ska Cubano / Ay Caramba!
21. Pud-Da-Din / Joe Cuba Sextette / Bustin' Out
22. Jungle Fever / The Chakachas / Jungle Fever
23. Latino / Deep Throat / Deep Throat Anthology
24. Move Your Hand / La Clave / La Clave
25. I Wanna Know / Francisco Aguabella / Hitting Hard
26. Rice And Beans Theme / Rice & Beans Orchestra / Rice & Beans Orchestra
27. You're Fine / Alex Wilson / Salsa Con Soul
28. Special Girl / Joe Bataan / Latin Funk Brother
29. Fat-Back / Mongo Santamaría / Warner Jazz
30. Mucha Muchacha / Esquivel / Whatchamacallit!

If your neighbours complain, raise the volume!


Reminder: best itunes / ipod / iphone preferences: crossfade set to max, soundcheck switched on

Sunday, December 20, 2009

merry xmas 09 @ the jazfro club!

Guaguanco OR reggaeton? Apple pie OR chocolate cake? I'll have a bit of both, thank you! It's all delicious! Look at my beautiful cake!

This year's xmas mix is club-oriented with tons of acid jazz, latin funk, Brazilian grooves, boogaloo, and strong dj influences with the usual cosmopolitan mix -this time with a strong Havana-to-London axis. Jazfro's feeling about Xmas 09: stuff the turkey and hit the dancefloor!

1. Vodou Hoodoo Babalu / Los Hombres Calientes / Vol. 4: Vodou Dance
2. Yoruba Soy / Pedro Martinez / Slave To Africa
3. Más Pan / Quantic & His Combo Bárbaro / Tradition In Transition
4. Julietta (Nautz 20:20 edit) / Afronaut Y Amigos featuring Oreja / Presentan Hecho En Casa Pt 1
5. Siente Mi Ritmo / The Revolution featuring Norman Cook / Revolution
6. El Aguafiesta / The Spam Allstars / Introducing
7. Hip Teens (Don't Wear Blue Jeans) / Lex Eazy & The Mambo Club / Performs Unique 1Hundred
8. Hush / Gerardo Frisina / The Latin Kick
9. It's Alright, I Feel It! / Nuyorican Soul / Nuyorican Soul
10. La Perla Del Son / Gilles Peterson's Havana Cultura featuring Wichy De Vedado & Tony Rodriguez / Havana Cultura - New Cuba Sound [Disc 2]
11. Quem Quizer Encontrar Amor / Rubens Bassini E Os 11 Magníficos / Ritmo Fantástico
12. Batucada Surgiu / Ceasar's Salad / The Latin Beat
13. Carioquinha / The Hi-Fly Orchestra / Mambo Atomico
14. Impulso / Nicola Conte / Other Directions
15. Bandolero / Novalima / Afro
16. Mini Congo / El Super Mini Combo / Nacional
17. Rampa Rampa / Orchestre Yaya Mas / Africa Boogaloo: The Latinization Of West Africa
18. Café / Interactivo / Goza Pepillo
19. Essence Of Life / Benitez And Nebula / Night Life - Essence Of Life
20. Mestizo / Joe Bataan With Los Fulanos / King of Latin Soul
21. De Eso Nada Monada / Ray Fernandez & His Musical Court / Cookie Crumbs - The Greatest Hits
22. A Koko / Willie Bobo / Lost and Found
23. 70's / Roberto Fonseca / Elengo
24. (I'll Be A) Happy Man / The Latin Blues Band Featuring Luis Aviles / Take A Trip Pussycat
25. Pamoja Watu / Los Africanos / Los Africanos
26. Ya No Puedo / Grupo Fantasma / Movimiento Popular
27. Los Rumberos De La Habana Y Matanzas / Snowboy / Para Puente
28. Muchacha / Manteca / Tremendo Boogaloo
29. Jonny's Bugalu / Grupo X / X-Posure

Celebrate the spirit of the festive season: invite your neighbours for some home cooking and a latin boogie!


Merry christmas to all!

Monday, August 17, 2009


Latin lounge: Havana Blue


A selection of latin lounge tunes for late nights -sensual music to suit the northern hemisphere indian summer as well as the Australian spring! Mix a mojito, relax, and enjoy!


1. Oran Oran (Homage To Maurice “Papi” El Medioni) / Roberto Rodriguez / Timba Talmud (10:08)
2. La Bien Pagá / Bebo & Cigala / Lágrimas Negras (8:58)
3. Light In The Sky / Omar Sosa / Afreecanos (6:55)
4. Delta / Bobby Vince Paunetto & The CTM Band With Guests / Commit To Memory (6:58)
5. Mai Kinshasa / José Mangual Sr. / Buyú (7:04)
6. Midnight Sun / Ray Mantilla / Good Vibrations (7:00)
7. Freddie Freeloader / Conrad Herwig / Another Kind Of Blue: The Latin Side Of Miles Davis (10:00)
8. Kúbanskur Dans / Tómas R. Einarsson / Havana (6:20)
9. Plena Organization / Positive Catastrophe / Garabatos Volume One (6:29)
10. Senor Blue-Mbuka Enoka / Patato / The Legend of Cuban Percussion (8:16)
11. Tumba Randy / Anthony Blea Y Su Charanga / Virgen De La Caridad (7:39)
12. Shady Lady / Grupo Esperanza / Bread & Butter (7:55)
13. Yo No Tengo Pena / Mark Dimond / Brujeria (6:11)
14. Summertime / Jose Conde Y Ola Fresca / Revolucion (6:29)
15. Cha Cha Para Ti / Johnny Blas / Indestructible Spirit (6:16)
16. Foreclosure (Ejecucion De Una Hipoteca) / Jimmy Bosch / ¡A Millon! (13:00)

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/268409788/latin_lounge_august_09.zip

conga party

Another great selection of classic conga-driven latin jazz to celebrate the arrival of my new conga set! Each and every tune features (at least) one master conga drummer, from Chano Pozo to Anga. Jazz / Latin / Funk. Respect for the masters. Enjoy! 

1. Manteca / Dizzy Gillespie / Cubana Be, Cubana Bop (3:04) 
2. A Love Supreme / Angá / Echu Mingua (5:50) 
3. Mantillon / Ray Mantilla / Man-Ti-Ya (7:13) 
4. Mazacote / Mongo Santamaría / Afro Roots (10:36) 
5. Alma Mia / Patato and His Latin Percussion Friends / Authority (7:52) 
6. Nuyorican Groove / Chembo Wilson Corniel / For The Rest Of Your Life (6:37) 
7. Long, Long Summer / Francisco Aguabella / Agua De Cuba (6:46) 
8. Night Walk / Willie Bobo / Bobo Motion (3:08) 
9. El Jamaiquino / Poncho Sanchez / El Mejor (5:43) 
10. Woody'n You / Sabu Martinez And His Jazz-Espagnole / Jazz Espagnole (5:04) 
11. Acid / Ray Barretto / Acid (5:02) 
12. Come On Choo-Choo Train / Candido Camero / Thousand Finger Man (5:11) 
13. Chango Moti Awa / Snowboy / Para Puente (9:09) 
14. Afro Rican / Johnny Blas / Indestructible Spirit (7:14) 
15. Obatala Macho / Milton Cardona / Cambucha (6:11) 
16. Con Tres Tambores Batá / Tata Güines / Manos De Seda (3:16) 
17. Wolenche / Rebeca Mauleon / Descarga En California (4:38) 
18. Ochun / Cuban Roots / Cuban Roots Revisited (7:10) 
19. Descarga En Cueros / Tico All Stars / Descargas Live At The Village Gate Volume II (13:52) 

Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/255022760/conga_party.zip 

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

kingston - havana



This is a long-standing project of mine. Bringing together the music of the two islands had always made sense to me. Even more so in recent years with all the caribbean fusion and 'post-world-music' stuff coming through from both sides of the atlantic. Digging in my own little music vault, I also found some evidence of afro-cuban/jamaican fusion as early as the late 1950s! So here it is: jazfro's selection of latinized reggae, ska-ified afro-cuban jazz, and vice versa. JAZFROSKUBANO rules! As befits an eclectic selection spanning genres, decades, and continents: some of it is weird, some of it is wacky, but it's all wonderful! Enjoy!

 1. Jamaicuba / Mongo Santamaría / Our Man In Havana
 2. Cantaloupe Island / Yeska / Skafrocubanjazz
 3. Jamaica Jump Up / Ray Barretto / Señor 007
 4. Skacha / Ocho Y Media / Sigue!
 5. El Vendedor De Melones / Toño Quirazco / Jamaica Ska
 6. Savito / The Undergrounds / Trojan Calypso Box Set
 7. Probando Nuevos Sabores / Jose Conde Y Ola Fresca / Revolucion
 8. Un Abrazo Tuyo / El Zorro / Volando
 9. Get Up, Stand Up / ¡Cubanismo! / ¡Mucho Gusto!
10. Tabu / Ska Cubano / ¡Ay Caramba!
11. Back To Back / Cándido / Brujerías de Cándido
12. Peligrosa / Grupo Fantasma (feat. El Ragah)/ Movimiento Popular
13. Maruchi / Spook & The Guay / Ocho Rios
14. Llevale Mi Canto / Sergent Garcia / Un Poquito Quema'o
15. La Ola / San Lazaro / Mestizos Urbanos
16. Latin Go Ska / The Skatalites / Greatest Hits
17. A La Bobo / Willie Bobo & His Orchestra / Let's Go Bobo!

get some fresh mint & mix a jug of mojito, invite the neighbours and have a party! PLAY LOUD! SINGALONG!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

back in the lounge



Welcome back to jazfro's latin lounge. Take a seat, order a cool mojito, chill out and enjoy the music.

 1. Ellegua Abierto / Mark Weinstein / Algo Mas
 2. Motherless Child / Herbie Mann / Monday Night At The Village Gate
 3. In This Lonely Place / Papo Vazquez / Vol. 2-At The Point
 4. Angelica / El Indio / Nuevos Horizontes
 5. Lo Time / Afro Bop Alliance / Camino Nuevo
 6. Blue In Green / Conrad Herwig / Another Kind Of Blue
 7. Yo Siempre Oddara / Jane Bunnett / Spirits Of Havana
 8. Buscando Al Curandero / Jazz On The Latin Side All Stars / Tambolero
 9. Carnival Lullaby / Los Hombres Calientes / Vol. 5: Carnival
10. Puerto Padre / Chembo Wilson Corniel / For The Rest Of Your Life
11. Afro Rican / Johnny Blas / Indestructible Spirit
12. C 7 Heaven / Harvie S / Funky Cha
13. Light In The Sky / Omar Sosa / Afreecanos
14. Suite Sandrine, Part III / Michel Camilo / One More Once
15. Delta / Bobby Vince Paunetto & The CTM Band / Commit To Memory
16. The Palmieri Effect / Brian Lynch / Simpático
17. Farewell / Hilario Duran / From The Heart
18. Elegua Dictate / Barney Mcall / Flashbacks

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

los afro-antillanos


Guadeloupe! Martinique! Reunion! Revolution!
This is Jazfro's soundtrack to the current (French colonial) crisis - for whatever reason, the news sometimes reach slowly my remote 'island-continent-village' -perhaps it is due to the sharks stalking the shores? In retrospect, Australia day's 'ghetto' selection was even more pertinent than I thought at the time! So here is a follow-up mix, centered on afro-caribbean sounds and featuring classic protest and liberation songs from Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond. 
The selection begins most appropriately with a classic 1970's Martinique protest song from the great Henri Guedon, pioneer of the Franco-Cuban genre. Then a bitter-sweet rendition of a 1960's Puerto-Rican classic by Senegal legend Nicolas Menheim -of Star Band, Super Etoile de Dakar & Africando fame. 'Sopente' is one of my favorite Super Cayor tunes, a dancefloor killer about the 1995 CFA devaluation -Fela Kuti would have approved of that one! The mix then moves on to a classic anti-apartheid uplifting reggae by South Africa's #1, Lucky Dube, and on to Jamaica's The Rulers' rocksteady hit 'Wrong Em'Boyo' -famously covered by The Clash on 'London Calling'. Novalima's 'Chinchivi' is a modern version of a classic Afro-Peruvian blues, followed by an 'on-yer-bike' Haitian anthem by Jephte Guillaume, punctuated by a punchy Manu Chao Franco-Brazilian number. 'Cabral' is one of Orchestra Baobab's most famous liberation / anti-colonialist songs, this one an extended and moody version. Desmond Dekker's classic '007/Shanty Town' -arguably the ultimate James Bond tune- requires no comment: just get your feet on the dancefloor! The 1940's Bedasse 'Depression' tune is a timely reminder of what lies ahead, with a bitter-sweet mento/calypso twist. At this stage I could not resist including 'El Carretero' -perhaps the best ever Cuban blues. The selection closes with the -unintentionally?- ironic 'Bonne Annee' by the Amazones, recorded in 2008 -the legendary Guinean Army female band's second recording in 50 years! Clio is decidedly a most unforgiving mistress: ignore her at your own peril...

  1. Guajira Contestacion / Henri Guedon / Early Latin And Boogaloo Recordings
  2. Borinque Tropical / Nicolas Menheim & Le Super Sabador / Commandante Ché Guevara
  3. Sopente / Super Cayor De Dakar / Sopente
  4. Feel Irie / Lucky Dube / Africa's Reggae King
  5. Wrong Embryo / The Rulers / Trojan Ska Box Set Vol. 1 
  6. Chinchivi / Novalima / Afro
  7. Kanpe (Get Up) / Jephte Guillaume & The Tet Kale Orkestra / Voyage Of Dreams
  8. El Dorado / Manu Chao / Proxima Estacion: Esperanza
  9. Cabral / Orchestra Baobab / Roots & Fruit
10. 007 (Shanty Town) / Desmond Dekker / Trojan Ska Box Set Volume 1
11. Depression / Bedasse with Chin’s Calypso Sextet / Boogu Yagga Gal
12. El Carretero / Guillermo Portabales / World Legends
13. Meilleurs Voeux / Les Amazones De Guinée / Wamato

Music is a weapon, use it judiciously and effectively: PLAY LOUD! EDUCATE YOUR NEIGHBOURS!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Homenage a Charlie Parker



OK, don't get me wrong here. Charlie Parker never truly was an afro-cuban. He merely was a 'fellow traveller'. During Parker's peak years, just when Dizzy Gillespie was provocatively showcasing Chano Pozo and his conga drum at the front of the band, 'Bird' -like many other jazz musicians at the time- got caught in the be-bop/cuban fusion thing. Between 1947 and 1952, mainly produced by Norman Granz, Parker recorded a number of afro-cuban/latin tunes, mostly with Machito and his Orchestra -including the Chico O'Farrill composed first Latin Jazz Suite featured in an earlier Jazfro selection. This was a time when jazz musicians were taking 'fusion' music beyond the confines of Afro-American tradition, before rock and funk were invented. And 'Bird' was right in the mix.
Here are samples of Parker's involvement with the emergence of Afro-Cuban jazz, beginning with Neal Hefti's seminal 'Repetition', and some afro-cuban covers of Parker tunes (though not technically latin, the Art Blakey-led cover of 'Moose the Mooche' sneaks in courtesy of some fiery conga work by the young Ray Barretto amidst the drumming extravaganza).
For a long time, Parker's contribution to Afro-Cuban jazz improvisation has been overlooked, but the recent covers featured in this selection demonstrate that Parker's music lends itself to afro-cuban rhythms, just as well as the more often latinized jazz greats.

 1. Repetition / Charlie Parker / Charlie Parker 1947-1949
 2. Begin The Beguine / Machito & His Orchestra / The Latin Bird
 3. Moose The Mooch / John Santos &  Machete / Tribute To The Masters
 4. Mango Mangue / Charlie Parker / Charlie Parker 1947-1949
 5. Tico, Tico / Charlie Parker / The Latin Bird
 6. My Little Suede Shoes / Grant Green / The Latin Bit
 7. Ah Leu Cha / Jazz On The Latin Side All Stars / Tambolero
 8. Okiedoke Rhumba / Charlie Parker / Charlie Parker 1947-1949
 9. No Noise  / Charlie Parker & Machito & His Orchestra / The Latin Bird
10. Moose The Mooche / Art Blakey / Drums Around The Corner

Monday, January 26, 2009

Songs of the barrio


Happy Australia Day Everyone!
I felt it was topical to have a selection of barrio songs this week. The ghetto is a theme dear to my heart, and now is the right time to remind everyone of what this is all about. So here is a selection of afro-cuban songs about and from the ghetto, mainly Spanish Harlem. It's a selection of afro-cuban tunes with an attitude, politically incorrect in the best sense of the term, from some of the best performers ever: artists with a conscience and talent to boot! Whoever tried to pigeonhole afro-cuban music and culture as a happy-go-lucky / shake-your-booty / summer-party-until-the-end -of-the-night mindless affair was/is soo wrong. As always: ENJOY! DANCE! TAP YOUR FINGERS! MAKE YOUR NEIGHBOURS HAPPY: PLAY LOUD!

1.  El Barrio / Los Hombres Calientes/ Los Hombres Calientes
2.  Harlem River Drive / Harlem River Drive / Harlem River Drive
3.  Do You Feel It? / Joe Cuba Sextet / Bustin' Out
4.  The Ghetto / La Clave / La Clave
5.  El Barrio / Mark Dimond / Brujeria
6.  Yo No Consigo Tu Amor / Chuito & The Latin Uniques / From The Street
7.  Pueblos De Borinquen / Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez / I Like It Like That
8.  Borinquen Tropical / Joe Quijano & His Conjunto Cachana / Rarezas En Una Cesta
9.  Para Puerto Rico Voy / Papo Felix & Ray Rodriguez / Papo Felix Meets Ray Rodriguez
10. Lucy's Spanish Harlem / Louie Ramírez / In The Heart Of Spanish Harlem
11. Tico / Har-You Percussion Group / Har-You Percussion Group
12. Subway Joe / Joe Bataan / Latin Funk Brother
13. El Raton / Fania All-Stars / Latin Soul Rock
14. Cinco En Un Callejero / Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquino / Lo Dice Todo
15. Cucarachita Cucarachion / Roberto Roena / Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound 6
16. Sueltame Ya / Brooklyn Sounds / Brooklyn Sounds!
17. En El Callejón / Patato & Totico / Patato & Totico
18. Fatalikou / Africando / Ketukuba
19. New York Mambo / Johnny Colon / Boogaloo Bluesman
20. Te Estan Buscando / Willie Colón & Rubén Blades / Siembra
21. Kool It (Here Comes The Fuzz) / Jimmy Sabater / El Hijo De Teresa
22. Viva Cepeda / Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band / Crossroads
23. Negro Soy / Kako / Sock It To Me Latino
24. Ol' Man River / Willie Bobo / Uno Dos Tres 1-2-3
25. 110th St And 5th Ave / Tito Puente / Tito Puente and His Concert Orchestra
26. Que Humanidad / Manny Oquendo Y Libre / Libre
27. La Cacharra / Jimmy Bosch / Salsa Dura
28. Gran Dia en el Barrio / The Spanish Harlem Orchestra / Across 110th Street