Since 2003, Madrid's Vampisoul Records has been a label to treasure for all those in search of the cool. The vibrant Spanish label has developed a colorful roster of eclectic music, unearthing once-lost Peruvian psych, Brazilian rock, Harlem boogaloo, Detroit soul, Afrobeat, lounge, salsa and much, much more. Releases are enhanced by deluxe, stylish packaging -- on both CD and vinyl formats -- offering extensive liner notes and rare photos. Vampisoul remains absolutely essential for soul, funk and rare groove fans in search of more of the old gold.
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LP
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VAMPI 278LP
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$28.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 5/19/2023
This LP introduces the Peruvian-Cuban singer and composer Króffer Jiménez, leader of Poppy y sus Pirañas, who recorded Quiero... in 1969 for MAG. The group prepared the album, consisting of twelve songs specially created for the record: ten original compositions and two cover versions. Quintets such as Compay Quinto, Pedro Miguel y sus Maracaibos, and Los Totos were the stars of the Peruvian tropical scene at that time, winning over listeners with their powerful rhythm section and fast-paced melodies. In contrast, the dozen guarachas and cumbias on Quiero... are slower and more relaxed, where the elegant intonation displays Króffer's Cuban roots, with the Pirañas contributing during the more festive moments. The cumbia "Mala mujer" and the guarachas "Amar en el mar" and "El sortilegio" were ahead of their time, as the singing style adopted would only become fashionable from 1971 onwards. There are also much more rhythmic tracks such as "Fiesta en el callejón", "La tamalera", "Ritmo en furor", and "Quiero", which include folkloric references and touches of humor, as a foretaste of the direction Króffer would take in his future work. Two cover versions round off the album: "Elvira no se vira", from the late '50s repertoire of Cuba's Los Guaracheros del Oriente; and "La plañidera", a poetic ballad describing the role of women who specialize in crying at funerals. Although other songs from these sessions came out as singles, MAG did not release this LP until 1972, when Dinsa was beginning to have hits with Poppy y sus Pirañas, whose line-up included a number of top musicians from the tropical world. Perhaps this period of applause and awards on another label, contributed to the fact that MAG's Quiero... went almost unnoticed in 1972. An oversight that we hope to begin to remedy with this first reissue of the LP. 180 gram vinyl.
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7"
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VAMPI 45094EP
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$13.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 5/19/2023
If Bach can go Moog, so can cumbia! This surprisingly funky novelty tune has one of those break-beat intros that loop makers drool for and is hardly recognizable from its original '60s version by Los Falcons (worth checking out for its dark syncopated beauty). The weird synth noodles and chipmunk chorus vocals only add to the "what the?" factor (in a good way!) Lyrics sketch a night time party on the beach with drink and dance, with the smell of sea salt, the beat of the drums, and the rustle of swaying palm leaves providing a natural stimulant for the proceedings. The B-side of Cumbias en Moog's sole 45 is equally brilliant. Like the A side, this gem is a radically updated costeño classic, with crazy synth noodles, scratchy guitar looping and odd vocals (this time wordless, sounding like a Mellotron). The only thing wrong is it's too short! Hats off to Fruko and Fuentes for letting this experiment in Afro-modernization happen.
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LP
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VAMPI 276LP
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$28.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 5/12/2023
First time reissue of the awesome Latin jazz-funk self-titled LP from Venezuelan band La Retreta Mayor, founded and led by guitarist Alex Rodríguez, originally released in 1976 on Discomoda. Rodríguez is a classical and jazz trained guitarist who in the early days of his career would join some of the best orchestras in Venezuela, including Aldemaro Romero's Onda Nueva. He put together this brief project: La Retreta Mayor, which only released this one album. La Retreta Mayor was a short-lived ten-piece band with the addition of numerous guest musicians, totaling 29 members, that created a jazz-funk and fusion gem considered a reference in Venezuelan music history. The group unfortunately disbanded right after the recording and did not play live or record any more music together. The album contains quite a few heaters for the dance floor like "Zambo" and "Líquido Elemento", blazing with the rich brass section and percussion, not to mention the opener "Torta de Pan", reminiscent of recordings of classic US funk bands such as the JBs. Rodríguez would follow this album two years later with the now much sought-after LP Búsqueda recorded and produced between the States and Venezuela. 180 gram vinyl.
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2LP
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VAMPI 281LP
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The two-volume collection Fruko Power is not an homage, career overview, greatest hits or "best of" collection showcasing the evolution of Fruko (Julio Ernesto Estrada Rincón), the Renaissance man of Colombian tropical music. Instead, this compilation series shines a light on a lesser-known side of the bassist and band leader's work during the early 1970s with Fruko y Sus Tesos, reissuing in physical form many of his rare or hard to find salsa 45s as well as a few deep album cuts from the first half decade of his career, assembled in chronological order. There are interesting cover versions as well as originals, some of which never appeared on an LP. All of Fruko's classic vocalists are represented, from early collaborators Humberto "Huango" Muriel and Edulfamid "Píper Pimienta" Díaz to golden-era stars Joe Arroyo and Wilson "Saoko" Manyoma. Fruko Power is less for the newcomer and more for the serious salsa collector, DJ, and dancer who may have a few of the maestro's albums or hits but wants to dig deeper and have all these obscure rarities in one place. However, it also serves as an excellent compendium of powerful Latin dance tracks by Fruko y Sus Tesos that have stood the test of time, so even those who do not know much of his work will be sure to feel the power of Fruko. Includes insert with photos and liner notes by DJ Bongohead (of Peace & Rhythm).
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LP
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VAMPI 279LP
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First time vinyl reissue of this awesome Latin jazz-funk gem by Venezuelan guitarist Alex Rodríguez -- originally self-released in 1978. Rodríguez is a classical and jazz trained guitarist who in the early days of his career joined some of the best orchestras in Venezuela, including Aldemaro Romero's Onda Nueva. He put together a brief project, La Retreta Mayor, in 1976 which only released one album and would later move to New York where he had the opportunity to record his own songs with renowned musicians of the city at that time, like Víctor Paz, Charlie Camalliari, Sam Burtis, Mario Bauza, Guillermo Edgil, Bernard Purdie, Jorge Dalto, among others. It took him a little more than a year writing the songs and preparing the material for Búsqueda but in 1978 Alex Rodríguez would return to New York City. Jorge Dalto had spoken with Dennis Davis (drums), Stanley Banks (bass) who played together with George Benson, and Víctor Paz contacted Alex with Ronnie Cuber (saxes), an excellent saxophonist, who later recorded "Cumana" on his own album The Eleventh Day Of Aquarius. Before going to the recording studios they did a rehearsal to review the music, and the next day Dalto, Banks, Davis, Cuber, and Alex Rodríguez were recording in the CBS studio on 52nd street in Manhattan. The production and mixing of the album were finished in Caracas, at Sono 2000 studios, with the participation of excellent Venezuelan musicians such as Nené Quintero, Lucio Caminiti, Edgar Saume, Carlos Acosta, Alberto Naranjo, Rolando Briceño, Leo and Frank Quintero, among others. The resulting album contains quite a few heaters for the dancefloor, like "El Mercado", and tight, keys and guitar punctuated fusion jams! (just check the groovy opener "Cumana".) Búsqueda was then self-released and distributed in tiny quantities, becoming over the years a very sought-after collectors' item, probably one of the most obscure albums from Venezuela. It now gets reissued on vinyl for the first time, including notes by Alex Rodríguez. 180 gram vinyl.
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7"
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VAMPI 45092C-EP
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Splatter vinyl. Back in 2004, Vampisoul played a role in the return to recording of the legendary Joe Bataan, which fully materialized in the acclaimed album Call My Name, written and produced by Daniel Collás (The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Incarnations). Now, the song that marked the return of Joe Bataan finally makes it into a 7" single for the first time. "This whole project grew out of a song called 'Cycles of You', which I had written around 2000-2001 with the guitarist and bassist of my band at the time, Easy. The chord progression and vocal melody really reminded me of Bataan, and it occurred to me that it wouldn't be impossible to get him into the studio to do a guest vocal if we ever recorded it. I had met Bataan a few years before at a small, family-reunion style show at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in my neighborhood, where he not only still sounded great, but was also gracious and easy to talk to. By the time we got around to recording with Easy, the band was about to break up but we still had the studio booked. We all agreed that we didn't want to continue as a band, but at the same time, it would be a shame to never record what we had been working on. Around this time Bataan was playing out again, so I went to the show to see him and find out if he'd be interested in doing some vocals with us. He was agreeable, so we decided to turn it into a Joe Bataan session and do 'Cycles of You' . . . The rhythm section was a band called TransLove Airways that I formed in 2002. We got really tight and developed a great sound that was, to me, equal parts Heart, Shocking Blue, Brian Auger, and Rare Earth. To this core group I added pieces from a few other local bands: The Middle Initials, who are a great Temptations/Main Ingredient-style vocal group, and members of an incredible Latin band called Grupo Latin Vibe, who were responsible for almost all the percussion. There was also some fine trombone playing by Aaron Johnson of Antibalas and great flute work by Neal Sugarman and my cousin Sonny . . . The 'Call My Name' sessions took place when Daptone had just moved to Bushwick, its classic location..." --Daniel Collás, producer of "Call My Name".
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LP
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VAMPI 280LP
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First time reissue. Aníbal "Sensación" Velásquez is one of Colombia's most innovative and prolific Costeño musicians, known as "El Mago del Acordeón" and "El Rey de La Guaracha". Velásquez grew up hearing Cuban music as well as the local rhythms of his region, and this led him to tinker with and transform the beats and melodies of the regional music encountered in his home city of Barranquilla during the 1950s and '60s. By 1960, after being a sideman in several groups, Velásquez formed his own conjunto with his elder brother Juan, a talented musician in his own right, and his younger sibling José. Aníbal Velásquez En Tremenda Salsa is a perfect example of the musician's wanderlust and restless creative spirit. A pioneer of the adventuresome mixing of rhythms, genres, and styles that was happening at the time in Barranquilla and the rest of coastal Colombia, in retrospect one can say that Velásquez was quite daring in combining the music and instrumentation of his native country with other Caribbean forms. In 1968, when he made this album, very few Colombians were attempting to record an accordion-led session of descarga, guaracha, boogaloo, guajira, guaguancó, and mambo, and for that Velásquez should be recognized as a forerunner of various other records by Lisandro Meza y su Combo, Los Corraleros de Majagual, Los Caporales del Magdalena, and Chico Cervantes y su Conjunto Internacional. The album kicks off with an intense and mesmerizing descarga featuring the guaguancó bass line, hot Cuban style piano and a heavy timbales solo, reminding one of the Tico-Alegre or Fania All-Stars jam session records. And yet, the accordion and caja are there throughout the tune, giving it plenty of "sabor colombiano" and distancing it from the New York or Havana sound. It bears repeating that for this album Velásquez and Fuentes added a crucial ingredient in salsa, the piano. Overall, the feeling on the album is of the loose, improvised jam session implied in the genre term descarga. Although En Tremenda Salsa is just one of many such records that Velásquez cut with his Cuban and Puerto Rican influences writ large on his sleeve, it is perhaps his most consistent and well-recorded, certainly only one of a few of his featuring prominent piano played in a salsa style, and this is why it is a highly sought after record by collectors in the know. Remastered from the original tapes, with original artwork intact. Includes two bonus tracks. 180 gram vinyl.
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LP
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VAMPI 273LP
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First time vinyl reissue. Originally released in 1976.
"The human voice is more than just a musical instrument; it is ally to the thought. Vocal art is one of the most beautiful forms of musical expression and an endless resource. It's a shame that so few devote themselves to it in our popular music. I would therefore like to congratulate Aquarius and Continental for the release of this LP and may it be received by all with the same affection and attention than those who dedicated themselves to making it" --Paulinho Tapajos.
These notes, originally printed on the back cover of this 1976 beauty, are a perfect introduction to the vocal harmonies and arrangements and excellent guitar work that are masterfully combined creating a joyful journey that features the undisputed talent of Raymundo Bittencourt, Octávio Burnier, and Paulo Moura. An amazing bit of Brazilian samba funk that also touches on MPB, bossa nova, jazz... This sought-after gem opens with the beautiful version of Burnier & Cartier's "Só Tem Lugar Prá Você" (one of the two B&C versions included on this album, with a pitched-down "Europanema" sparkling on the B-side), building up a mellow, airy vibe that stays throughout the entire album.
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LP
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VAMPI 209LP
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Reissue, first reissue on vinyl. ¡Así es... Con salsa!, by Colombia's Alfredo Gutiérrez y Los Caporales del Magdalena, is a legendary collector's album, yet still undeservedly obscure. It's an experimental mash-up of seemingly disparate genres from different origins that on paper would seem to be at cross purposes. Yet at the same time the release is a masterpiece of raw pan-Latin fusion from the dawn of Colombian salsa that holds its own as a bonafide heavy duty pioneering record of the genre. Probably the most shocking musical element is Alfredo Gutiérrez's fiery accordion, an unexpected instrument in the idiom of salsa, as it's usually associated with the tropical music of Gutiérrez's Caribbean home region of Sucre. Gutiérrez has always been a provocateur which has earned him the richly deserved sobriquet, "El Rebelde Del Acordeón" (the rebel of the accordion). Gutiérrez started Los Caporales in 1968 as a rival to Discos Fuentes supergroup Los Corraleros de Majagual, and the band had made three popular albums prior to ¡Así es... Con salsa!, yet most of the repertoire on those records consisted of typical Colombian tropical and coastal rhythms and genres, none were devoted to salsa. From the start, Gutiérrez lays down a salsa manifesto when the album kicks off with "Guadelupe no va", a four-minute workout with pile-driving force that demonstrates the uncompromising power of this 14-piece orchestra. Gutiérrez was given the green light by Codiscos A&R head Humberto Moreno to dedicate an album to New York style salsa, giving more prominence to the voice and compositions of Lucho Pérez, a proven expert in Cuban genres and one of many vocalists in the band. Several tunes on the record are remakes of older compositions by Lucho Pérez from his early tenure with Discos Fuentes group La Sonora Dinamita, the new versions are much more raw and menacing, as if put through a Bronx filter. The band was made up of Codiscos' regular stable of ace studio musicians from Medellín for the recording date. The album was both a success and also not abnormal in its mixing of salsa and costeño Colombian sounds, as there were several other similar hybrid records by other artists at the time. Both the desperation of the lyrics (about not being able to afford anything) and Lucho Pérez's forceful delivery leave an indelible impression of street-wise authenticity, which is backed up by the fact that both band members grew up poor. Includes three tracks from other Caporales albums. Includes insert with liner notes.
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7"
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VAMPI 45093EP
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Coco Lagos would play the conga drums for artists who passed through Lima, accompanying Pérez Prado, Oréfiche, and Chano Scotty, among others. In the late '50s, he started working as a regular musician in the recently founded record company MAG, alongside musicians such as Ñiko Estrada, Mario Allison, Lucho Macedo... He would record two albums for MAG, always accompanied by the pianist Alfredo Linares, with whom he shared the credits for the musical arrangements. The outstanding "Guajira Boogaloo" is taken from Lagos's second album -- and was also released as a separate single -- and has become a much in-demand DJ favorite. On the flipside, Los Destellos deliver their killer "Guajira Sicodélica". Los Destellos truly defined the sound of Peruvian cumbia with the incorporation of diverse influences and the use of electric guitars.
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LP
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VAMPI 277LP
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Ra! Rai!, released in 1969, was the fourth and final album of Venezuelan piano player, composer, arranger, and vocalist Ray "Rai" Pérez's original configuration of Los Kenya. The oddly titled record is undeservedly obscure except to the most avid collectors and historians of Venezuelan salsa. It marks the end of the second period where the upstart pianist was making his mark on the scene and restlessly searching for a formula that would lead to both creative and commercial success. The late 1960s was a very busy time when Pérez was juggling several different studio bands: Los Dementes, Los Calvos, and Los Kenya. The singer Dimas Pedroza, who had left rival orchestra Federico Y Su Combo Latino to join Ray Pérez in early 1969, did not stay long with Los Kenya, due to some personal differences with the band leader. With a co-lead singer missing to support Carlín Rodríguez in Los Kenya, the band's new conga player, Julián Orta, recommended a young, non-professional friend of his, 22-year-old Edmundo Vega Francia. Pérez treats you to a rather eclectic and slightly odd mix of genres, influences, and arrangements, making this one of his more eccentric and interesting efforts. 1960s California "sunshine pop" rock, calypso, soul and jazz are all added to the pot of salsa cooked up by "El Loco Ray" and his band on Ra! Rai! Throughout the record the dual trumpet section keeps things bright and jumpy, in the style of La Sonora Matancera and Ricardo Ray. Pérez utilized this approach to differentiate from the heavier trombone sound of Los Dementes. Always searching for different sounds on the keyboard, Pérez brings in classical and blues-inflected piano licks as well as traditional Cuban guajeos, much like his two major influences on the instrument, Eddie Palmieri and Ricardo Ray. Luckily for salsa fanatics, the record contains some fabulous dancefloor bangers in that genre. In addition, the highly syncopated track "Mi Sonsito" brings in the Cuban son montuno, dedicated to the salseros of Francia's barrio and performed in a rapid tempo. Overall, from the pop numbers to the salsa tunes, the sound is similar to that of the Colombia-based Venezuelan expatriates Nelson Y Sus Estrellas. While it may not be one of his most well-known albums, Ra! Rai! deserves to be, not only for its strong salsa dura anthems but also for its brave, quirky eclecticism and youthful, rebellious spirit, all of which are reflections of Ray Pérez's unique genius. Restored and remastered from the original tapes. Fully licensed from the maestro himself, with its original Pyraphon artwork intact.
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LP
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VAMPI 274LP
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First time reissue. Originally release in 1982. This Chico Lessa album is one of the milestones of independent production in Brazil and one of the greatest achievements of MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) ever that deserves wider recognition, and shines with a depth that makes it an instant classic. The arrangements on the beautiful "Choveu" and "Me Pega, Me Larga" can easily bring names like Arthur Verocai to your mind. No wonder the album features some of Brazil's leading musicians, arrangers, and composers of all time: Wagner Tiso, Mauricio Maestro, Robertinho Silva, Pascoal Meirelles... The songs on this album sound so fresh they could have been recorded today while also retaining the feel of the best post-Tropicalia work of '70s Brazil. It has become a much sought-after album in recent times after being rediscovered by top collectors worldwide. For those into Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Arthur Verocai... 180 gram vinyl.
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LP
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VAMPI 220-2LP
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One of the "holy grails" of 1960s Cuban music was not recorded, produced or released in Havana or New York; in fact it was made in Lima, Peru under interesting if somewhat unexpected circumstances. Pianist Alfredo "Alfredito" Valdés Jr. (1941-2016), one of the most important figures in Latin music, came from an illustrious musical family in Cuba. In 1956, he emigrated to New York with his family, making him one of the forerunners of Cuban-based salsa music in the US. Three years later at age 18 Alfredito joined Arsenio Rodríguez and his conjunto; then in 1961 Ray Barretto recruited him for his Charanga La Moderna. Alfredito then become substitute pianist for Machito and His Afro-Cubans for a tour that would take him to Colombia and Peru for a number of engagements in the winter of 1964 and into the new year. While in Lima, several problems arose with the Argentine businessman and tour promoter Mauricio Támara who took the Machito gang to the Peruvian capital but forfeited their pay and left them stranded and penniless to fend for themselves in December of 1964. Machito's brother-in-law and musical director Mario Bauzá had to travel to New York to get money for the return of the entire company; meantime the rest of the musicians had not even enough to eat. They ended up being stranded for a total of three months. It is from this embarrassing and depressing turn of events that the enterprising Alfredito Valdés Jr. was able to spin musical gold in his newfound Peruvian home. Thankfully, sound engineer and proprietor of Discos MAG Miguel Ángel Guerrero made him a deal for some recording sessions, which eventually produced two albums, the first of which was Gozando! Alfredito played multiple roles on the date: arranger, pianist, percussionist, singer, and director. Gozando! has more than simply Cuban and Nuyorican genres like pachanga, mambo, descarga, guaracha, and bolero; there is also a fantastic cover of the Colombian cumbia classic "Tabaquera". Overall, the swinging MAG sessions sound like a long-lost record by Cachao and Tito Puente if they led an orchestra with Charlie Palmieri on piano and Tito Rodríguez on vocals (and played pachangas like Machito's Afro-Cubans "with flute to boot"). Ultimately, the Afro-Cubans were able to pay their bills and return to the United States in February, 1965. Though the Al Valdez y su Conjunto sessions for MAG may have been enjoyed by a few South American and Mexican aficionados at the time, the scarcity and obscurity of the releases insured that they would become "legendary lost records" rarely heard until recently, when the MAG vaults were opened and the reissues started to flow.
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LP
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VAMPI 272LP
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First time reissue. Originally released in 1966. First solo LP by the talented Peruvian artist Betico Salas, lead trumpet player of the great Sonora de Lucho Macedo, one of the best ensembles playing Cuban repertoires in the early '60s. Alfredo Linares on piano and sonero vocals by Benny del Solar stand out on this album. Benny del Solar sings lead vocals on the cumbia of Argentine origin "Nos Vamos A Casar"; the Colombian "Lo Que Pasa Es Que La Banda Está Borracha", a continental hit since the early sixties; the guaracha "A Los Muchachos De Belén", by Puerto Rican musician Tito Rodríguez; the guaracha "Ritmo Del Amor"; the elegant Cuban guaguancó "Así Namá", also well known for Tito Rodríguez's rendition; and the cumbia "Qué Le Digo A Mi Mujer". Singer, César Gonzales, who would have an extensive career in Peruvian tropical music, sang lead vocals in the guaguancó by the Sonora Matancera "Lindo Omelenko" and the bolero "El Árbol", a hit for the singer Roberto Ledesma, also recorded that same year by Peruvians Carmita Jiménez, Anamelba, Raul del Mar, and Lucho Macedo himself, who decided to sing for his new record label. The mythical singer Johnny Arce, years later known as Mr. Macondo, also appears on the album on the two guarachas: "La Renga", a composition by Esther Forero, known as "La novia de Barranquilla"; and "Yo Soy Candela", a composition by the Colombian Ray Rodríguez. Finally, "La Chola" is a cumbia by Peruvian composer Tomás Benítez; and "Mambo Jazz" is a version of the descarga "Yayi's Instant Mambo", an innovative instrumental track performed by Puerto Rican Willie Rosario, who recorded it in the United States at the start of 1966 with his own orchestra. Betico Salas would later release two more albums and become a legendary trumpet player in Peruvian musical history.
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LP
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VAMPI 271LP
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First time reissue. From a young age, La Perla, Callao-born guitarist Oswaldo "Mita" Barreto was a fan of Cuban artists like Celina y Reutilio and Los Compadres, whose records were a staple in the port city homes. He soon learned to distinguish the sound of the Cuban tres on these records (the chordophone from rural areas of Cuba). At the age of 18, he had already mastered the instrument, although he had never seen a Cuban musician play one live until that point. At the beginning of 1969 (according to the record company's archives), his fame led him to record his first 45 RPM singles for the MAG label, which were compiled in an LP by the end of the year entitled Arecibo, after a song dedicated to the Puerto Rican city of the same name. For these recordings he was accompanied by a group of musician friends, all linked to the tropical music scene in Callao, Peru. The album opens with two Cuban guarachas from the 1950s: "Mango Mangüé" by El Gran Fellove, whose compositions were popularized across the Americas thanks to the voice of Celia Cruz and the Sonora Matancera; and "El Yoyo" by Antonio Sánchez Reyes, another international hit performed by Cortijo y su Combo. Both songs were recorded by Mita in May 1969. The album also includes four songs from the repertoire of Puerto Rican musician Joe Cuba: "Arecibo", "No Coman Cuento", "Oriza Oco", and "Con Mi Mambo", where Mita replaced the sound of the vibraphone with the Cuban tres, an innovation that gave the group its distinctive sound. Three songs by Oswaldo Barreto "Mita" were also included on the album: the memorable "Mita Descarga", the incredibly fast "Descarga En Botella Y Güiro" ("del Perú a Puerto Rico cantamos") and the intimate "No Aguanto Más", all with inspired plucking by the tres player from La Perla. The release of the LP at the end of 1969, established Mita's career, and he continued to record on MAG and other labels in the following years, although he never released another album.
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LP
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VAMPI 275LP
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First time reissue. Originally released in 1971. One of pianist Ray Pérez's rarest releases and his first on his own label Pyraphon, They Do It was also his final collaboration with Perucho Torcat, a talented sonero who died tragically young in NYC the following year. The record sports an impressively diverse array of rhythms and genres, including the popular Cuban, Puerto Rican, and New York sounds that the young Venezuelan salsa groups excelled in at the time (guaguancó, bolero son, son montuno, and Latin soul/boogaloo). Other Caribbean modes like calypso (the coast of Venezuela is very near Trinidad and Tobago), pambiche (a slow form of Dominican merengue developed for tourists), and even traditional Venezuelan merengue (a completely different rhythm from the Dominican genre of the same name) appear on the album. Full of classic dancefloor burners, the album has been lovingly restored, mastered from the original tapes, fully licensed, with its original artwork intact, preserving the legacy of this great Venezuelan music for today's generation of salsa dura lovers everywhere. Recommended by DJ Bongohead of Peace & Rhythm.
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7"
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VAMPI 45092EP
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Back in 2004, Vampisoul played a role in the return to recording of the legendary Joe Bataan, which fully materialized in the acclaimed album Call My Name, written and produced by Daniel Collás (The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Incarnations). Now, the song that marked the return of Joe Bataan finally makes it into a 7" single for the first time. "This whole project grew out of a song called 'Cycles of You', which I had written around 2000-2001 with the guitarist and bassist of my band at the time, Easy. The chord progression and vocal melody really reminded me of Bataan, and it occurred to me that it wouldn't be impossible to get him into the studio to do a guest vocal if we ever recorded it. I had met Bataan a few years before at a small, family-reunion style show at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in my neighborhood, where he not only still sounded great, but was also gracious and easy to talk to. By the time we got around to recording with Easy, the band was about to break up but we still had the studio booked. We all agreed that we didn't want to continue as a band, but at the same time, it would be a shame to never record what we had been working on. Around this time Bataan was playing out again, so I went to the show to see him and find out if he'd be interested in doing some vocals with us. He was agreeable, so we decided to turn it into a Joe Bataan session and do 'Cycles of You' . . . The rhythm section was a band called TransLove Airways that I formed in 2002. We got really tight and developed a great sound that was, to me, equal parts Heart, Shocking Blue, Brian Auger, and Rare Earth. To this core group I added pieces from a few other local bands: The Middle Initials, who are a great Temptations/Main Ingredient-style vocal group, and members of an incredible Latin band called Grupo Latin Vibe, who were responsible for almost all the percussion. There was also some fine trombone playing by Aaron Johnson of Antibalas and great flute work by Neal Sugarman and my cousin Sonny . . . The 'Call My Name' sessions took place when Daptone had just moved to Bushwick, its classic location..." --Daniel Collás, producer of "Call My Name".
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LP
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VAMPI 245LP
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Desumanos' fresh mixture of guitar driven melodies is as evocative as it is playful. This instrumental project is made up of a dream-team of Brazilian producers and musicians. Kassin, on bass, was member of The +2's band and co-produced Gilles Peterson's Brazilian project Sonzeira, featuring legendary artists such as Elza Soares, Naná Vasconcelos, Wilson Das Neves... While Liminha, on guitar, is a former member of Os Mutantes. His signature sound is heavily influenced by classic instrumental surf music, but tropical rhythms are also dropped in the mix. The band is completed with Felipe and Manoel Cordeiro (on guitar), one of the lambada originators, and Stephane San Juan (drums), currently playing with David Byrne. Across the track list of this Desumanos debut album, you can find a unique combination of musical styles that are all filtered through the sieve of instrumental surf music without losing their roots anchored in tropical sounds such as cumbia, African rhythms and, of course, popular genres from Brazil such as forró or lambada. Ten original songs in which the guitar is the undisputed protagonist and the tropical atmosphere emanates through each note.
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VAMPI 268LP
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First time reissue, originally released in 1968. The musician Roberto Enrique "Tito" Chicoma forged one of the most solid and constant career paths in Peruvian music. In 1959, at the age of 23, Tito moved to Lima, where he soon joined ensembles such as the Koki Palacios and Armando Boza orchestras, which took him abroad for the first time on tour. A recognized musician in his own right, Tito would later decide to form his own orchestra, which was soon hired by América Televisión, starring on programs such as El Show de Juan Silva, where he accompanied international artists that visited Lima. In 1966, Tito made his first record under his own name on the MAG label, performing two cumbias by the Colombian group Los Teen Agers. The praise the single received led to the recording of his first LP, El Ritmo de Moda, where he continued to compile Colombian songs. At the end of 1967, he dedicated his new LP project to recording two fashionable rhythms at the time: Cumbias y Boogaloos. The Colombian cumbia became popular in Peru from 1964 onwards, when local orchestras like those of Andrés de Colbert, Mario Cavagnaro, Eulogio Molina, and Lucho Macedo recorded cumbia hits, then the genre soared when groups like Los Pacharacos and Los Demonios del Mantaro mixed it with Andean music. Boogaloo in Peru was popularized chiefly by the record label MAG, which kept its listeners up to date with developments in tropical music in New York, releasing and distributing records by Alegre Records and recording versions of hit songs such as "El Pito" and "Mamblues" with local musicians. The recording sessions for Cumbias y Boogaloos began in December 1967, when Tito released one of his first compositions: "Dale U". He also recorded the instrumental track "La Cigüeña" and "Plaza de Toros", two compositions by the Venezuelan artist Hugo Blanco. After a trip to Buenos Aires in 1968, he recorded two more songs, both from the Alegre Records single: "Mr. Trumpet Man" and "El Diri-Bop" by Puerto Rican musicians Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz. Then, during May, Tito recorded a couple of songs by the Venezuelan guitarist Orlando Peñaranda Moros and his group Orlando y su Combo: "Pata Pata Pelada" and "A Que Tú No Sabes". The former was inspired by Miriam Makeba's 1967 global hit "Pata Pata". The sessions were complemented by recording "La Cebolla", a composition by the Colombian songwriter Graciela Arango de Tobón, and the Amazonian waltz "La Contamanina" recorded with a cumbia beat. By September 1968, the LP was released and received extensive airplay on the radio, especially the cumbias. An obscure tropical gem loaded with dancefloor tunes.
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VAMPI 265LP
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Many music fans will remember Jimmy Salcedo due to his wonderful work as arranger and producer with the duo Elia and Elizabeth in the early '70s. Their delicate songwriting acquired, after his treatment, a special tropical aroma that even included the funk influences received by Salcedo at that time. He released with his band, La Onda Tres, a few LPs and singles that had a limited distribution, mainly in Colombia only. This anthology comprises a selection of songs that celebrate Salcedo's sound signature: a base of coastal funk with vocals and melodic bubblegum-bomb arrangements and hints of light psychedelia. Many of the compiled songs became popular radio hits in Colombia that Jimmy Salcedo and La Onda Tres recorded and arranged at the Zeida studios in Medellín. These recordings include Latin-jazz tracks ("Mira") with stunning percussion solos, songs recorded under a heavy Caribbean-soul influence ("¡Qué linda es Colombia!: and "Lo mismo de siempre") "Maranguango", an irresistible mix of Afro-Latin percussion and catchy tropical harmonies spiced-up with Moog keyboard sounds, fuzz and wah-wah guitars and even touches of Hammond, in a psychedelic funk style, an exhilarating Moog driven instrumental with a heavy Afro-funk rhythm ("Moogambo") and revisited Latin classics ("Moliendo Café"). Jimmy Salcedo's big popularity in Colombia is due however to his long career as TV presenter at El Show de Jimmy, running for over 20 years, where he would also perform with his band and act as a comedian. His life was tragically cut short and died in 1992, when he was only 48, due to health issues. This compilation celebrates his superb musical legacy and makes most of these songs available again for the first time. Includes and insert with notes and rare photos.
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VAMPI 270LP
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Reissue, originally released in 1974. Heavy-duty Colombian salsa group The Latin Brothers were formed in 1974 by the Discos Fuentes A&R team as a sibling band of Fruko Y Sus Tesos in order to provide the local market with a trombone-heavy ensemble in the mode of the popular Nuyorican Willie Colón orchestra. The band was led by Julio "Fruko" Estrada on bass, featuring basically the same musicians as Los Tesos, minus the trumpets and highlighting the cutthroat trombone work of Gustavo "La Pantera" García. At the time, Fruko's Tesos were going through a transition and his talented former lead vocalist, Píper Pimienta, left to sing lead in The Latin Brothers while Joe Arroyo and Wilson "Saoko" Manyoma took over vocal duties in Los Tesos. El Picotero was The Latin Brothers' debut album and remains to this day a favorite of salsa dura fans the world over. The album established The Latin Brothers as a bona fide contender in the crowded field of trombone-centric salsa bands taking over the airwaves and dance floors around Latin America. With this bold and brassy record, The Latin Brothers would inspire future Colombian salsa orchestras as well as helping establish Medellín as a center of salsa almost as famous as Cali. The song selection on the album also spotlights where the band is coming from as a salsa manifesto of sorts, lyrically covering various topics such as paying homage to the people, patron saints and music of Puerto Rico and Cuba, as well as praising the DJs (picoteros) and radio hosts (locutores) who play the guaguancó rhythm of salsa, and of course the typical themes of problems with women and heavy partying that come with most male-centric Latin dance tunes of the era. This lovingly restored reissue adds the Píper Pimienta penned "Echa Pa'lante Camará" as a great bonus track with its heavy dance rhythms and oddball Mellotron solo. 180 gram vinyl.
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2LP
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VAMPI 183LP
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It's been a few years, but Vampisoul is back with the next installment of Colombian tropical bangers from the deep vaults of Discos Fuentes. The term Afrosound denotes an always exciting, sometimes surprising soundtrack chronicling the embrace, development, dissemination, and commercialization of the country's rich Afro-Coastal musical heritage over more than four decades. It is the proud sound of African-rooted culture translated, transformed, and transmitted through the commercial enterprise of Discos Fuentes, and this third collection offers an even more diverse and chronologically wide-ranging array of tracks than the previous two volumes, with an even stronger focus on the music's folkloric origins. The unifying factor this time is the same: African roots or influences and the period of experimentation, self-expression, upheaval, rebellion, and rebirth in the industry, nurtured by the label and its stable of musicians, song-writers, producers, and engineers. Although this volume does not list Fruko Y Sus Tesos in the track-by-track credits, the presence of Julio Ernesto Estrada Rincón can be felt throughout, with the first half setting the stage for his artistic birth, schooling and eventual emergence at the label, and the second half featuring bands that he was an integral part of or had a hand in creating, producing, and composing for. And with that said, Vampisoul dedicate this collection to Fruko: long may he reign as "The King of Afrosound". This incredible stream of black gold adorned and enriched the public airways of Cali, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Baranquilla, to become a symbol of pride and part of Colombia's collective identity. Afrosound Vol. 3 comprises an outstanding selection of 26 hard-to find-tracks, many reissued for the first time, covering a wide array of Afro-rooted genres, with a stronger focus on the music's folkloric origins than in previous volumes, featuring recordings by the likes of Michi Sarmiento, Wganda Kenya, The Latin Brothers, Los Corraleros De Majagual, Peregoyo... Includes an extended booklet with notes by compiler Pablo Yglesias aka DJ Bongohead. Also features Pepe Velásquez y Su Arpa Paraguaya, Pedro Salcedo Y Su Orquesta, Pedro Laza Y Sus Pelayeros, Los Alegres Diablos, Juan Piña Y Sus Muchachos, Pello Torres Y Sus Diablos Del Ritmo, Los Satélites, Julio Erazo Y Su Conjunto, Ariza y Su Combo, Pedro Jairo Garcés Y Su Guitarra Estereofonica, Los Claves, Los Super Star De Colombia, Peregoyo Y Su Combo Vacaná, La Carnaval Swing, El Sexteto Miramar, Toño Y Su Combo, Juancho Vargas Al Órgano, El Super Combo Los Diamantes, César Pompeyo Y Su Sonora, La Integración, Dimensión Caribe De Pedro Conde, Michi Y Sus Bravos, and Afrosound.
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VAMPI 269LP
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Salsa pianist, vocalist, composer and arranger Ray Pérez, acquired his nickname "Loco" by being a free, independent spirit, an innovator and iconoclast who was initially branded as "crazy" for the freshness and audacity of his sound. Amazingly, he is not that well known in the US, where he spent some time in the late 1960s and salsa was king during the 1970s. Yet he was quite popular in his home country from the beginning, especially amongst the working class of Caracas and Maracaibo, who adopted Cuban music played by New York Puerto Ricans as their own and called it "salsa" years before the term was employed by US labels like Fania as a marketing tool. Pérez is revered in Venezuela, as well as in Mexico and Colombia, and his storied career, which spans seven decades and thousands of concerts, has yielded more than 35 albums recorded by his various bands, including Los Dementes, Los Kenya, and Los Calvos. At the start of 1967 Pérez debuted Los Dementes, with vocalists Claudio Zerpa and Perucho Torcat backed by an ace band featuring only trombones in the brass section. Titled ¡Alerta mundo! Llegaron los 'The Crazy Men' the record was released on the small Venezuelan label Prodansa. Soon after, Prodansa folded and Los Dementes were left without representation or much compensation for their efforts, being paid only in records. In the end of February of that year, Pérez returned to Caracas from a stint in Maracaibo in order to finish his first LP with the well-established and larger Velvet label, entitled Manicomio A Locha. The LP begins appropriately with the boisterous title track, written by the band's conguero Carlos "Nené" Quintero. Torcat describes a jam session in mental institution and introduces the band, with tasty solos by trombonist Rufo García followed by Ray on piano. Already you can hear something was different about Ray and his "Crazy Men" -- a sound as wild and innovative as what was happening in New York with Eddie Palmieri, but with a more unhinged, raw feeling in line with Willie Colón and other younger Nuyorican bands. "Puerto Libre", sung by Torcat, is dedicated to the Venezuelan island of Margarita in the Oriente region, and the independent spirit of its working people. The rhythm changes from guaguancó to guajira and back again but remains danceable all the way through. "3 in 1" is a medley inspired by the popular formula of the mosaicos of Billo's Caracas Boys, seamlessly knitting together several different tempos, rhythms, moods and compositions. The funky "Guajira Con Boogaloo" echoes the sound of young Latin New York, pointing out the connection between Cuban and African American soul music.
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LP
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VAMPI 248LP
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The first LP released by Lima pianist Alfredo Linares under his own name is brimming with tropical hits from the mid-sixties (including a Frank Sinatra classic.) By the time he recorded his version of El Pito in 1966, Alfredo was already an accomplished musician. He studied music in parallel to his schooling, attending the Conservatoire in the afternoons and soon went on to lead Alfredito Linares y su Salsa All Stars, a continuation of the orchestra founded by his father. In 1966 the song El Pito became a hit in the United States, which is why Distribuidora Peruana Sudamericana, associated with MAG, released the single as well as Joe de Cuba's sextet LP. MAG's next step was to suggest Alfredo Linares record the song, which he did in August 1966, with lead vocals by Raul Ducós Domínguez from Chalaco and backing vocals by Tony de Cuba, Benny del Solar and Rolo Bernal. The lyrics include references to the effects of marijuana that Ducós improvised during the recording in just one take. Charlie Palomares plays the vibraphone, accompanied by "Negro" Santos on bass and "Cheverin" Miguel Villanueva on the bongos. It is one of the few songs on the album where there are no trumpets. "Strangers in the Night" topped the Billboard charts in 1966, which was a powerful reason for Manuel Guerrero to suggest including the song. This cover version features brass instruments and the participation of Peruvian crooner Lalo Bisbal. The first of the two guarachas on the album, "Qué Mala Fue Esa Mujer" is a composition by Chivirico Dávila, a globetrotting tropical singer who lived in Lima at different times. While the Peruvian singer Benny del Solar is the lead vocalist on the second, "Sin Tu Querer". The album closes with the boogaloo "Maggie". The record also includes two extraordinary compositions by Linares: "Descarga" and the son montuno "Cadenciosa", where the flute solo was played by Cuban Alberto Castillo, who also performs on the guaguancós "María La O" and "Mi Guaguancó", both recorded a year earlier by the Harlow Orchestra. The album was finally released in the summer of 1967, and "El Pito" and "Strangers in the Night" made it into most of the charts. Critics were quick to praise the new sounds on El Pito, which brought listeners up to date with the tropical sound developments in the United States, to which Linares added touches of jazz. Linares released another LP, on MAG, the following year, in which he continued to explore the sounds of Latin jazz, boogaloo and descarga.
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VAMPI 260LP
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MAG has been, since its foundation in 1953, an essential label in the music scene of Peru, allowing the development of the careers of both tropical artists and musicians of other genres. At the head was Don Manuel Antonio Guerrero, its founder, whose name comes from the acronym of the label itself (M.A.G.). In 2021 MAG was acquired by the Spanish company Distrolux SL, owner of the Munster and Vampisoul record labels, after years of previous collaborations in which some of the most emblematic titles in the catalog were already reissued for the international market: Nils Jazz Ensemble, Sonora Casino, Traffic Sound, Al Valdez, Pax... 14 MAGníficos Bailables is a 14-track compilation that celebrates a new era in the history of the label, now under the Vampisoul umbrella, with a selection of astonishing dance floor-oriented gems. This is also a perfect introduction to MAG, showcasing the amazing musical variety sported by the Peruvian label throughout the years. The comp includes juicy Cuban songs like "Mi Son Combinado", an outstanding original taken from the extremely scarce LP recorded by Cuba's finest Orquesta Revé for MAG in Lima, and the explosive guaracha "Tin Marin" by Los Kintos, a group led by guitarist Pancho Acosta. Also, classic songs such as "Arroz Con Coco" or "Aprieta (Oye Como Va)," and obscure recordings like the stunning "Ritmo Veregua" by Tito Chicoma. MAG will turn 70 in 2023 and is a pivotal label in Peruvian music, mainly focused on tropical rhythms although its extensive catalogue also includes rock, pop and jazz recordings. Also features Los Avileños, Freddy Roland Y Su Orquesta, Silvestre Montez, Mita Y Su Monte Adentro, Poppy Y Sus Pirañas, Al Valdez, Sonora Casino, Germán Neciosup Y Su Orquesta, La Sonora MAG, Ñico Estrada y Su Sonora, Melcochita y Karamanduka.
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