The Drive "Africa Bossa"

Mix Carimbeat

Mix Fiebre Tropi

Jazz with a soul groove for the 60's dancers !

Jazz Dancers Got Soul

Live FM radio show hosted weekly on fridays by my friend Gilles Bourgarel on Paris France Radio Aligre FM 93.1. Interviewing myself while the regular host is away dancing samba, pretending I'm a Paris based Brazilian singer interested in knowing Greg de Villanova's intimate details, have fun (if you speak French of course) ! 

Brasil Alto Astral * Gilles Bourgarel radio Aligre show 30.01.2015

Put on your 60's outfit and get on the dancefloor ! Hard hittin' jass spank to move your azzes. Combining big band Argentinian jazz, 60's Brazilian bossa nova & electric funky fusion from US of A ! 

Featuring Jorge Anders, Eliana & Booker Pitman, Charles Tolliver, Henry Franklin, Primo, Luiz Carlos VInhas...

Jass Your Azz

Finally ! Here is the 10 minutes sampler to my brand new Afrobeat/Afrofunk/Afrofusion and Tropical dancefloor compilation for ORIKI MUSIC record label, AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE FEBRUARY 2017 on double vinyl LP, CD & digital download.

AKWABA ABIDJAN SAMPLER

1h de radio avec l'émission Brasil Alto Astral où je remplaçais le titulaire Gilles Bourgarel sur Aligre FM. Musique et parlote autour du samba jazz et de la bossa nova avec mon invité et ami, le producteur culturel et musicien brésilien parisien Carlos Acciari

Brasil Alto Astral radio show with Carlos Acciari

Mix Brazil @ Afrobrasiliana

Bunny Wailer Back to school

Mix tropical @ Bamalama

Mix tropical @ Calefeçao Tropicaos

Oriki Music was founded in Paris, France, in 2005.

Since then, the label has paid tribute to African music modernity, boldness & creativity and emphasized the major contributions to universal beauty of African music masters of the 1970’s.

More informations here :
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-night-at-club-baobab/id268361475

From 1970 to 1979, Orchestra Baobab cheered up the Baobab night club located in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa.

Orchestra Baobab’s music stands as the soundtrack of that period, known as the Senghor years, in reference to Senegal’s former president.  For most of local elites & a many tourists danced threw all the seventies to Issa Cissokho’s saxophone, Barthélemy Atisso’s guitar, Medoune Diallo, Balla Sidibe & Thione Seck’s voices.

Gifted with a very unique sound personality, Orchestra Baobab revolutionized Senegalese popular music by leaving behind afro-cuban influences for good.

The musicians developed a hybrid music fed by diola, toucouleur, serere, Portuguese creole and malinke saps.

Orchestra Baobab’s trademark has since been a « polymorphic groove » that blends together sweetness & swing, groove & salsa. Quite exotic to foreign ears, that groove sounds most familiar to lovers of African & African American music, an astonishing dance music with a surprising originality, spellbinding if you let yourself rock to it without thinking.  

The dance music recorded by Balake, which borrows from Manding, Dioula or Mossi rhythms to US funk & blues threw Congolese soukous, deeply reflects Burkina Faso’s crossroad’s culture.


Buy the album

Orchestra Baobab - A Night at Club Baobab [Album sampler]

Oriki Music was founded in Paris, France, in 2005.

Since then, the label has paid tribute to African music modernity, boldness & creativity and emphasized the major contributions to universal beauty of African music masters of the 1970’s.

More informations here :
http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/senor-eclectico/id283729676

By the end of the 1970’s, Amadou Balake was the only artist from Burkina Faso, West Africa, to get some kind of recognition out of his country.

The singer & percusionnist travelled Africa, Europe & the United States as very few African artists did by then. Balake sung & recorded everything, from Ouagadougou, capital of his native country, to New York studios, from Manding rhythms threw soukous, salsa, funk & afrobeat. 

The dance music recorded by Balake which borrows from Manding, Dioula or Mossi rhythms to US funk & blues threw Congolese soukous, deeply reflects Burkina Faso’s croosroad’s culture.

Amadou Balake - Señor Eclectico [Album sampler]

Oriki Music was founded in Paris, France, in 2005.

Since then, the label has paid tribute to African music modernity, boldness & creativity and emphasized the major contributions to universal beauty of African music masters of the 1970’s.

Oriki Music also releases contemporaneous avant-garde Afro Brazilian music such as Burro Morto’s psychadelic afrobeat.

More informations here :
http://itunes.apple.com/be/album/varadouro/id336498913

Burro Morto is a four pieces band based in the Northeastern city of João Pessoa, Parayba. Their influences range from 70’s US funk & Nigerian Afrobeat to vintage Brazilian progressive and psych (Os Mutantes, Lula Cortês…) and a hint of regional Brazilian rhythms such as frevo or forro. Instruments include vintage organs such as microkorg or minimoog, guitar, bass, percussion, drums & flute.

I was partying at an amazing live music show in São Paulo early december 2008. Chillin’ after a working day, enjoying the night with my friend Andy Okoroafor, thanks to Mari Bergel’s invitation. Pedro Brito was there, hangin’ out with us. If someone is responsible for Oriki releasing this 12 inches, it’s Pedro without a doubt. He emailed me a few days after the party, and sent a link to Burro Morto’s myspace page saying I would surely enjoy this unique fusion between afrobeat, psychedelia & North Eastern Brazilian regional beats n’ soundz. 

Burro Morto - Varadouro [Album sampler]

Oriki Music was founded in Paris, France, in 2005.

Since then, the label has paid tribute to African music modernity, boldness & creativity and emphasized the major contributions to universal beauty of African music masters of the 1970’s.

More informations here : 
http://itunes.apple.com/be/album/allo-bamako-malian-dance-music/id525405737

Between 1978 & 1979, the Rail Band orchestra left Bamako, capital city of Mali, for a tour in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa.

This was an inspired move from their former manager Burkinabe Mady Sanfo, as this trip would be the starting point of international careers for artists such as Mory Kanté (Rail Band’s lead singer since Salif Keita’s departure in 1972), Cheikh Tidiane Seck (piano & organ), band leader Tidiani Koné (saxophone & trumpet) or Djelimady Tounkara (lead guitar). It also gave a new breath to the 10 year old Rail Band orchestra.

The late seventies and early eighties were the beginning of an era for Mali’s most proeminent group. The recordings evidence the new leader’s talent, who gave the group a new breath for quite a long time. While Djelimady proved how skilled accomplished and creative he was as a guitar virtuoso or an inventive leader. He is the proeminent influence behind those Rail Band’s recordings which are quite singular compared to the group’s remaining discography. 


Djelimady Tounkara - Allo Bamako [Album sampler]

Oriki Music was founded in Paris, France, in 2005.

Since then, the label has paid tribute to African music modernity, boldness & creativity and emphasized the major contributions to universal beauty of African music masters of the 1970’s.

More informations here :
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/clash-mandingue/id283718118

Thanks to their audacity, guitarist Kante Manfila & Malian flutist/trumpet player Sorry Bamba managed to create much of an original sound by melting together Manding inspirations & Western influences.

Kante Manfila & Sorry Bamba chose latin rhythms to update their modern Manding music. And though they used an old formula developed by African artists since the 50’s, they differed from their predecessors & competitors by playing up to date latin rhythms or less commercial styles than the ones commonly heard in West Africa.


Kante Manfila and Sorry Bamba - Clash Mandingue [Album sampler]

Oriki Music was founded in Paris, France, in 2005.

Since then, the label has paid tribute to African music modernity, boldness & creativity and emphasized the major contributions to universal beauty of African music masters of the 1970’s.

More informations here : 
http://www.diasporarecords.com/item/1/0-181001-0-1-0/113567880/liberdade-grande-lua-cheia-estrada-velha.html

Hailing from Salvador da Bahia, North East Brazil, Liberdade was an ephemerous studio group of 9 musicians, all born and raised in the Afro Brazilian city of Salvador.

All of them knew each other, had eventually played together, or did so regularly. But none of them ever really had the opportunity to record instrumental music for a producer.

When I came up with the idea of doing a short recording session inspired in 70’s funk & afro funk, all musicians fell in love with the project and two of them, bassist André Luba & guitarist Marcio Pereira, decided to work on original compositions.

The result is here, a raw, infectious, syncopated afro funk track & an easier to dance to catchy samba soul  / disco funk floor tune.

Buy the vinyl

Liberdade - Grande Lua Cheia / Estrada velha [Album sampler]

Oriki Music was founded in Paris, France, in 2005.

Since then, the label has paid tribute to African music modernity, boldness & creativity and emphasized the major contributions to universal beauty of African music masters of the 1970’s.

More informations here. 

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/keleya/id281556364


Moussa Doumbia was a saxophonist, arranger, author/composer who used African American funk as his main inspiration during the 1970’s.

Living in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa, the Malian artist recorded an audacious music for a restricted public, with the help of two French American producers based there, Cathy & Albert Loudes.

His discography was as hard to get as was his story to tell. But his work definitely deserves full aknowledgment and respect, not just because he was an original powerful saxophonist, but also because he never gave up on expressing himself the way he wanted, melting cultures together in an original modern way.

Moussa Doumbia - Keleya [ Album sampler]

I deejayed twice as a guest at Turning Point, Toronto, Canada, a monthly night hosted by A Man Called Warwick. It's still my most fulfilling experience as a deejay when it comes to spinning old Tropical music. 

Warwick has managed to get such an open minded crowd there you wouldn't believe, and the sound system was just amazing, dancehall kinda thing, with a tall 12 feet pile of speakers. You could play any badly recorded vinyl, it would sound just great. 

This mix was recorded live, it's the warm up part, deeeeeep !!! Enjoy !

Mix tropical @ Turning Point Toronto

Avenida Brasil, a bi monthly Brazilian music oriented night with an average 1000 people attending, is credited to be the biggest Brazilian party in Europe !

Here's a mini mix I did in june 2011 to promote the AVENIDA BRASIL party where I was deejaying on June 18th 2011. 

Mini Mix Avenida Brasil

Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade

Message multilingue / mensagem multilingua / multilingual message / mensaje multilengua 

Português :

Achava que eram poucos os Brasileiros interessados em musicas latinas até minha ultima viagem ao Brasil, voltei a Paris pensando em fazer algo criativo e divertido em cima desse tema Brasil e Latinos. 

Tenho esses discos brasileiros antigos com galera tocando ritmos latinos, e esses discos latinos antigos de musicos tocando ritmos brasileiros ou temas brasileiros em ritmo latino. Juntei e deu nisso, dois mixes, Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade.

Os mixes vão pros Alessandro Padovano, Fred Lesmainsnoires Blogspot, Pita Uchoa, Mauricio Fleury, Peba Tropikal, e pros amantes das musicas latinas e brasileiras, com uma mençao especial pro Marcello MBgroove que, pelo jeito, saca do assunto, e um carinho atencioso pra mina da turma, Gabriela Ribeiro aka Macumbia Buena. 

Last but not least, pros Alfredobello Djtudo e Edson Carvalho, que seriam bem capazes de matar o blindfold test no que cabe as seleções brazucas aqui inseridas. Um abraço !

Français :

Peu de Brésiliens s’intéressent aux rythmes latinos, c’est du moins ce que je pensais jusqu’à mon dernier voyage au Brésil, dont je suis revenu avec l’envie de faire un petit truc créatif et amusant autour de ce thème Brésil et Latinos. 

Les vieux titres brésiliens en rythme de mambo et autres sont rares, même chose pour les morceaux latinos joués en rythme brésilien ou reprenant des thèmes brésiliens en rythme salsa. 

J’en ai fait deux petits mixes, Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade dédiés à  Alessandro Padovano, Fred Lesmainsnoires Blogspot, Pita Uchoa, Mauricio Fleury, Peba Tropikal, et aux amants des musiques latines et brésiliennes, avec une mention spéciale pour Marcello MBgroove, qui maîtrise bien le sujet, et une tendresse particulière pour la nana de la bande, Gabriela Ribeiro, plus connue comme Macumbia Buena. 

Last but not least, pour les Alfredobello Djtudo et Edson Carvalho, qui seraient bien capables d’identifer les titres brésiliens du mix si on faisait un blindfold test. Um abraço !

Español :

Pensaba que eran pocos los Brasileños interesados en musicas latinas hasta mi ultima viagen a Brasil, de donde regrese pensando hacer algo criativo y divertido sobre este tema Brasil y Latinos.

Tengo estos discos brasileños antiguos con gente tocando ritmos latinos, asi como discos latinos antiguos de musicos tocando ritmos brasileños o temas brasileños en ritmo latino. Los reuni y aqui estan, dos mixes Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade dedicados para los Alessandro Padovano, Fred Lesmainsnoires Blogspot, Pita Uchoa, Mauricio Fleury, Peba Tropikal, e para los amantes de musicas latinas y brasileñas, con una mencion especial para Marcello MBgroove que, de paso, entiende del tema, y un afeto atento para la chica del grupo, Gabriela Ribeiro, mejor conocida como Macumbia Buena. 

Last but not least, para los Alfredobello Djtudo y Edson Carvalho, que bien serian capazes de identificar las canciones brasileñas si hicieramos un blindfold test. Un abrazo !

English : 

I thought there were not so many Brazilians interested in latin music but realized how wrong I was during my latest stay in Brazil. I came back to Paris and wanted to do something creative and fun on that Brazil and Latinos theme. 

Got these old Brazilian records with people playing latin rhythms and those old latin records by musicians playing Brazilian rhythms or Brazilian themes over a latin beat : put them altogether and here’s what you get, two mixes, Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade.

These are specially dedicated to the Alessandro Padovano, Fred Lesmainsnoires Blogspot, Pita Uchoa, Mauricio Fleury, Peba Tropikal, André Eloi, and to all lovers of Latin and Brazilian music, with a special shout out to Marcello MBgroove, who apparently really digs the subject, and a special affection to the only lady in the group, Gabriela Ribeiro, aka Macumba Buena. 

Last but not least, to the Alfredobello Djtudo and Edson Carvalho, as they might be able to quote the Brazilian tunes ifever we do a blindfold test. Take care y’all !
 


Mix Portunhol Love affair

Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade

Message multilingue / mensagem multilingua / multilingual message / mensaje multilengua

Português :

Achava que eram poucos os Brasileiros interessados em musicas latinas até minha ultima viagem ao Brasil, voltei a Paris pensando em fazer algo criativo e divertido em cima desse tema Brasil e Latinos.

Tenho esses discos brasileiros antigos com galera tocando ritmos latinos, e esses discos latinos antigos de musicos tocando ritmos brasileiros ou temas brasileiros em ritmo latino. Juntei e deu nisso, dois mixes, Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade.

Os mixes vão pros Alessandro Padovano, Fred Lesmainsnoires Blogspot, Pita Uchoa, Mauricio Fleury, Peba Tropikal, e pros amantes das musicas latinas e brasileiras, com uma mençao especial pro Marcello MBgroove que, pelo jeito, saca do assunto, e um carinho atencioso pra mina da turma, Gabriela Ribeiro aka Macumbia Buena.

Last but not least, pros Alfredobello Djtudo e Edson Carvalho, que seriam bem capazes de matar o blindfold test no que cabe as seleções brazucas aqui inseridas. Um abraço !

Français :

Peu de Brésiliens s’intéressent aux rythmes latinos, c’est du moins ce que je pensais jusqu’à mon dernier voyage au Brésil, dont je suis revenu avec l’envie de faire un petit truc créatif et amusant autour de ce thème Brésil et Latinos.

Les vieux titres brésiliens en rythme de mambo et autres sont rares, même chose pour les morceaux latinos joués en rythme brésilien ou reprenant des thèmes brésiliens en rythme salsa.

J’en ai fait deux petits mixes, Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade dédiés à Alessandro Padovano, Fred Lesmainsnoires Blogspot, Pita Uchoa, Mauricio Fleury, Peba Tropikal, et aux amants des musiques latines et brésiliennes, avec une mention spéciale pour Marcello MBgroove, qui maîtrise bien le sujet, et une tendresse particulière pour la nana de la bande, Gabriela Ribeiro, plus connue comme Macumbia Buena.

Last but not least, pour les Alfredobello Djtudo et Edson Carvalho, qui seraient bien capables d’identifer les titres brésiliens du mix si on faisait un blindfold test. Um abraço !

Español :

Pensaba que eran pocos los Brasileños interesados en musicas latinas hasta mi ultima viagen a Brasil, de donde regrese pensando hacer algo criativo y divertido sobre este tema Brasil y Latinos.

Tengo estos discos brasileños antiguos con gente tocando ritmos latinos, asi como discos latinos antiguos de musicos tocando ritmos brasileños o temas brasileños en ritmo latino. Los reuni y aqui estan, dos mixes Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade dedicados para los Alessandro Padovano, Fred Lesmainsnoires Blogspot, Pita Uchoa, Mauricio Fleury, Peba Tropikal, e para los amantes de musicas latinas y brasileñas, con una mencion especial para Marcello MBgroove que, de paso, entiende del tema, y un afeto atento para la chica del grupo, Gabriela Ribeiro, mejor conocida como Macumbia Buena.

Last but not least, para los Alfredobello Djtudo y Edson Carvalho, que bien serian capazes de identificar las canciones brasileñas si hicieramos un blindfold test. Un abrazo !

English :

I thought there were not so many Brazilians interested in latin music but realized how wrong I was during my latest stay in Brazil. I came back to Paris and wanted to do something creative and fun on that Brazil and Latinos theme.

Got these old Brazilian records with people playing latin rhythms and those old latin records by musicians playing Brazilian rhythms or Brazilian themes over a latin beat : put them altogether and here’s what you get, two mixes, Portunhol love affair & Mambossaudade.

These are specially dedicated to the Alessandro Padovano, Fred Lesmainsnoires Blogspot, Pita Uchoa, Mauricio Fleury, Peba Tropikal, André Eloi, and to all lovers of Latin and Brazilian music, with a special shout out to Marcello MBgroove, who apparently really digs the subject, and a special affection to the only lady in the group, Gabriela Ribeiro, aka Macumba Buena.

Last but not least, to the Alfredobello Djtudo and Edson Carvalho, as they might be able to quote the Brazilian tunes ifever we do a blindfold test. Take care y’all ! 

Mix Mambossaudade

Mix Latin Nenita

NSI Moin epi vou

Teaser Tropical NOCHES DE LA GROOVALIZACION, 8 DECEMBRE 2012 

** LA DAME DE CANTON PARIS ** FRANCE

w/ CUCURUCHO & MR TOUBAB

https://www.facebook.com/events/245308762265564/?ref=ts&fref=ts

LINE-UP
*************************************************
CUCURUCHO
http://soundcloud.com/musicasmigratorias
GREG DE VILLANOVA
http://soundcloud.com/greg-de-villanova
MR TOUBAB
www.mixcloud.com/mrtoubab

Ecoutez RADIO GROOVALIZACION
www.groovalizacion.com

Mix Noches de la Groovalizacion

Fat fat beats on Guyna Mukat's wonderfully dancefloor friendly edit "Love me 4 real" ,as released on vinyl 12" Guynamukat 002 

Love me for real

TROPICAL DISCOTEQ CARNIVAL SPECIAL 

12.02.2013 PARIS FRANCE w/ EMILE OMAR, HUGO MENDEZ, DON CAMILO & GREG DE VILLANOVA

Dedicated to the late HENRI GUEDON, we all miss you !

TROPICAL DISCOTEQ 12.02.2013

Funkin' high

more Jazzy trips to Martinique, France, the US, Brazil, Santo Domingo...

Jazzin' abroad

DJ Gigs :

Electro Tropicale w/ Prinsess Jorge @ Le Pigalle (Paris, France)
14.01.2017

DJ Set @ Balneario Universitario w/ DJ Ryan (Havana, Cuba)
19.11.2016

Abel Ferrara "Live @ Salo" w/ Abel Ferrara band @ Salo (Paris, France)
22.10.2016

Avenida Brasil w/ Tom B, Bronco da Cuica, Emile Omar, Soulist @ La Bellevilloise (Paris, France)
17.09.2016

Zanja 607 launching party @ Zanja 607 (Havana, Cuba) 
17.06.2016

Kosmos w/ Ioannis Koukotzilas @ Bord de l'eau (Thessaloniki, Greece)
21.02.2016

Davadur w/ Adamantios Kafetzis @ Tesla (Athens, Greece) 19.02.2016

Direçao Brasil w/ Gramophiles & WAGD @ Café de la presse (Paris, France) 05.02.2016

Canicule tropicale w/ La mano peluda, Philippe Noël @ Inspecteur épingle (Montréal, Canada) 12.12.2015

Greg de Villanova hears the link between American Funk and African pop, between tropical bass and salsa, between disco and dancehall reggae. It’s a dancefloor-packing instinct that has garnered the Paris-based DJ gigs in a dozen countries, including the US, Canada, Brazil, and countries across Africa and Europe. 

De Villanova’s thoughtful yet funky sets show: You can think globally and still bring the party. You can bust through transatlantic genre barriers and mix old and new. “I play brand new tracks, I play decades-old vinyl,” Greg explains. “I travel a lot and buy whatever I can. There is so much music you’ll never find anywhere else, that’s only distributed locally, not online, be it on LP or CD. You can put it all together, you just need to have the knowledge, the sense of history, the ear.”

Genre- and era-hopping comes second nature to de Villanova, who has long had eclectic tastes. Growing up in Paris with a Brazilian father, Greg heard soul, R&B, and classic Brazilian songs from childhood. As a teenager, he sought out obscure hip hop, swapping tapes with friends, and got hooked on the thrill of the hunt. The hip hop of the era turned de Villanova on to other music from America: funk, disco, r&b, soul, house. He chased down samples and found himself stumbling into a musical passion that spanned the Atlantic and club music history.

De Villanova’s debut as a DJ speaks volumes about his roots and his approach. One Friday night in Salvador, Bahia, de Villanova toted a bunch of the records he had recently snatched up, the collection he had already managed to amass in a few short weeks since his arrival in the provincial but creatively inclined Brazilian city. He took them to a friend’s party and spun his first professional DJ set.

That night, he discovered how his many musical loves could come together, in high-energy sets with just the right element of surprise. “I began putting salsa, say, with funk and reggae and afrobeat in Bahia,” Greg recalls. “For the next 3 years, living in Salvador, I was DJing. And every day of the week, I was going through the city, digging for old vinyl in all these experimental styles with small, really local audiences.”

Greg continues to hunt for music around the world, and he continues to push dancefloor tastes in new directions by sneaking unknown styles into his sets. “You try to trick your listeners in a friendly way,” he smiles. “You play a hit song and then you can play a few obscure tracks, so long as they have that good, sexy, light vibe.”

Popular tracks by GREG DE VILLANOVA