MUSICROUGHGUIDES

THE ROUGH GUIDE to

Latin Rare GrooveVolume 2

On this second volume of The Rough Guide To Latin Rare Groove, we’ve gone deeper to unearth even more treats for collectors of obscure, funky, tropical dance music. While taking the ‘rare groove’ genre too seriously can get you accused of snobbery or being a nerd, there is something to be said for the thrill of discovery and sharing something new, especially if it’s old and made of vinyl (even better if it was never originally released to begin with). So proceed without shame, dear digger.

Just because ‘rare groove’ owes its name to the 1980s London club scene, where it was used to describe obscure soul, funk and jazz, doesn’t mean the movement is just some passing fad or even entirely new to Latin music fans – quite the contrary. (It has also come back with a vengeance in the African, Turkish, and Brazilian categories.) There is a long tradition of ‘super-fandom’ and intrepid scholarly connoisseurship in Latin music, same as with any other genre. Especially in the world of old-school salsa, boogaloo and Latin funk, fanatic aficionados from Cali, Colombia, to Ponce, Puerto Rico – in Spanish referred to as melómanos or salsómanos – have been trying to out-stump each other with their precious, esoteric finds for decades. The current astronomical prices paid at record fairs and online auctions attest to the rabid collecting tastes of these über-fans who often hail from as far away as Japan or Sweden. So unlike the original phenomenon that was largely Euro-centric, Latin rare groove has its fair share of Spanish speaking adherents and is really a pan-cultural concern. And just as with traditional rare groove culture, musicians and DJ-producers have fostered a scene where,

thankfully, it’s cool to be retro again in Latin music. This compilation has both examples – old and new; sometimes it’s even hard to tell them apart, so ‘authenticity’ is a subjective criterion best left at the door.

As with our first volume, the gems here represent the multi-national and multi-genre approach within the Latin rare groove culture itself. Purposefully starting off with The New Mastersounds, a proper British rare groove funk group that could as easily be from 1968 as from today, we travel deeper to an obscure hard-driving Latin soul number from Nuyorican duo Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz, released in 1966 on the cult label Fonseca. This overlooked classic in the making is followed by a slew of South American scorchers from the 1960s and early 1970s from Venezuela’s Los Kenya and Nelson Y Sus Estrellas, plus Papo Y Su Combo, Carlos Hayre and Los Belking’s from Peru. Next up, some contemporary Afro-Venezuelan grooves in a surf-psych jungle style from Amsterdam’s Conjunto Papa Upa, succeeded by New York’s Peliroja, channeling Eddie Palmieri’s Harlem River Drive (the ultimate Latin rare groove album). This is followed by the real discovery here, Conjunto Alayon, an obscure 1970s NYC salsa orchestra that sadly never made it – or even finished its debut album. Now, 35 years later, it is finally seeing the light of day. The fiery trombone solo is by a young Jimmy Bosch. We finish out the collection with five current artists channeling old school aesthetics, best known among them being Quantic.

More music, videos & comprehensive notes: www.worldmusic.net/latinraregroove2

01 THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS The Tin Drum (Feat. Sam Bell) from the album THIS IS WHAT WE DO (ONRCD003) (Eddie Roberts/Simon Allen/Robert Birch/Pete Shand/Sam Bell) pub Big World Publishing. Licensed from Big World Publishing.

02 RICARDO RAY & BOBBY CRUZ El Cencerro Shingaling from the album RICARDO RAY INTRODUCES BOBBY CRUZ: A GO-GO (trad) Copyright Control. Licensed from Richie Viera.

03 LOS KENYA Un Clavel, Una Tarjeta Y Un Lapiz from the album ESTAMOS EN ALGO - LOS KENYA VOL. II (DCM 665) (Ramon “Ray” Perez) Copyright Control. Licensed from Discomoda.

04 PAPO Y SU COMBO Papo Boogaloo from the album CANTA: PACHITO NALMY (trad) Copyright Control. Licensed from Xendra Music S.R.L.

05 CARLOS HAYRE Y SU ORQUESTA Mi Chica Se Vuelve Loca from the album RITMO AL ROJO VIVO (trad) Copyright Control. Licensed from Xendra Music S.R.L.

06 NELSON Y SUS ESTRELLAS Fantasia Latina (Guaguanco) from the album SABOR SABOR SABOR CON NELSON (LP 6187) (Nelson Gonzalez) Copyright Control. Licensed from El Palacio De La Musica.

07 LOS BELKING’S Sabata (45 Version) from the single SABATA (Raul Harrera) Copyright Control. Licensed from Xendra Music S.R.L.

08 CONJUNTO PAPA UPA Camuri Chico from the EP VINTAGE VOUDOU / CAMURI CHICO (MWS-006) (Alex Figueroa) pub Alex Figueroa. Licensed from Music With Soul.

09 PELIROJA Ciudad De Nadie from the album INJUSTICIA (02028621684CD) (Jacob Plasse/Mike Eckroth/Jainardo Batista) Copyright Control. Licensed from Chulo Records.

10 CONJUNTO ALAYON FEAT. JIMMY BOSCH Ha Llegado La Hora PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (David Alayon) pub Sunflower Entertainment Co., Inc. Licensed from Sunflower Entertainment Co., Inc.

11 AILLACARA 2743 FEAT. R ROUX PROBEL Para La Libertad originally released as a 7” SINGLE FOR ELECTRIC COWBELL RECORDS (Orlando Diaz Corvalan) Copyright Control. Licensed from Orlando Diaz Corvalan.

12 QUANTIC Descarga Cuántica Feat. Fruko & Michi Sarmiento from the album MAGNETICA (TRUCD/LP286) (William Holland) pub Full Thought Publishing. Licensed from Tru Thoughts Ltd.

13 JUNGLE FIRE Tokuta (Kid Gusto Remix) from the single TOKUTA (Steve Scott Haney (BMI)/Alberto Jose Lopez (BMI)/Joseph Phillip Reina (ASCAP)/Michael Patrick Duffy (ASCAP)/Samual Halterman (ASCAP)/Judson James McDaniel (ASCAP)/Samuel Edward Robles (ASCAP)/Miguel Angel Ramirez (BMI)/Otto Granillo (BMI)/Sean Ryan Billings (SESAC)) pub Steve Haney Music (BMI)/Ifawehinmi Music (BMI)/Limbless Robot Publishing (ASCAP)/3 Foot Ninja Music (SESAC). Licensed from Belú Music.

14 SYSTEMA SOLAR Yo Voy Ganao from the album LA REVANCHA DEL BURRO (music J.C. Pellegrino/A. Acosta/W. Hernández/D. Broderick, words J. Primera/A. Acosta/W. Hernández/J.C. Pellegrino) pub Sambumbia Publishing. Licensed from Sambumbia Publishing.

15 RENE LOPEZ Steal Your Love from the album PAINT THE MOON GOLD (Rene Lopez) pub Mr. Foo Music (BMI). Licensed from Rene Lopez.

Series produced by Phil Stanton. Compiled by Pablo E Yglesias, Peace & Rhythm. Mastered by Laurence Cedar. Coordinated by Brad Haynes. Sleeve notes by Pablo E Yglesias. Design by Brad Haynes. Front cover by Pablo E Yglesias, Peace & Rhythm.

With thanks to John Duhigg and all at Rough Guides, Sandra Alayón-Stanton, Neil Record, Dominic Raymond-Barker and all at World Music Network. Produced by World Music Network in association with Rough Guides. The World Music Network name and logo are

registered trademarks of World Music Network UK Ltd.

RGNET1324CDThis compilation ® & © World Music Network 2014. Made in the EU.

LC 11067

FOR PROMOTIONALUSE ONLY

This Rough Guide offers another treasure chest of golden nuggets from the Latin Rare Groove mother lode. Glittering delights range from Ray Pérez’s Venezuelan combo Los Kenya to the retro-funk sounds of The New Mastersounds and a previously unreleased gem by NYC salsa orchestra Conjunto Alayon featuring a young Jimmy Bosch.

01 The New Mastersounds The Tin Drum (Feat. Sam Bell) 03:3102 Ricardo Ray & Bobby Cruz El Cencerro Shingaling 05:2203 Los Kenya Un Clavel, Una Tarjeta Y Un Lapiz 04:0604 Papo Y Su Combo Papo Boogaloo 03:1505 Carlos Hayre Y Su Orquesta Mi Chica Se Vuelve Loca 02:4706 Nelson Y Sus Estrellas Fantasia Latina (Guaguanco) 03:1207 Los Belking’s Sabata (45 Version) 02:4408 Conjunto Papa Upa Camuri Chico 03:3009 Peliroja Ciudad De Nadie 04:1210 Conjunto Alayon Feat. Jimmy Bosch Ha Llegado La Hora 06:0411 Aillacara 2743 Feat. R Roux Probel Para La Libertad 04:0212 Quantic Descarga Cuántica (Feat. Fruko & Michi Sarmiento) 04:1013 Jungle Fire Tokuta (Kid Gusto Remix) 05:4214 Systema Solar Yo Voy Ganao 05:2315 Rene Lopez Steal Your Love 03:34 Total Playing Time: 62:07

Visit www.worldmusic.net/latinraregroove2 for comprehensive notes, videos and more music.

Compiled by Pablo E Yglesias