Check out this free tune from Ocote Soul Sounds "Primavera" due out on ESL Recordings on May 31st.

"Ocote Soul Sounds" is a project by Grammy Award winner Adrian Quesada and Tony Award winner Martin Perna. Their fourth collaboration, "Taurus," features vocal collaborations with fellow ESL Music regulars Natalia Clavier, Sitalil, Verny Varela and Chico Mann. The record was produced by Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation, and has been featured on the radio through Distiller Promotions. 

Ocote Soul Sounds - Primavera

Originally recorded in 1979 in Paris but only released independently in Brazil in 1981, Fernando Falcão´s "Curimão" was released on the "Memória Das Aguas" album. Originally a much sought after record, it was re-released by Selva Discos in 2019.

Its mastermind, Fernando Falcão, left Brasil in 1968 during the peak of military dictatorship and moved to France, where he lived in exile for 15 years. There, after working in music, acting, and sculpting, he involved himself in Jérôme Savary's legendary Grand Magic Circus, where he met his first wife, Valérie Kling. It was from this relationship that a partnership began between the musician and his father-in-law, the artist François-Xavier Lalanne, who guided Falcão in the process of inventing sound sculptures such as the balauê – a horizontal version of the berimbau string instrument whose sound was influenced by a water stream (since there was a hose soaking parts of the balauê wet during the performances). Much of this exploration and experimentation resulted in the album "Memória das Águas", from which "Curimão" stems from.

A long time fan of Fernando Falcão´s music, Daniel Haaksman now enhanced „Curimão“ with heavy bass and turned this rare groove into a club friendly DJ track. It´s #1 in the "More Black Atlantica Edits" series which will kick off on Man Recordings in Janaury. It´s predecessor, "Black Atlantica Edits" was released on BBE records early 2020.

More Black Atlantica Edits

Curimão

Fernando Falcão "Curimão" (Daniel Haaksman Edit)

02 - Nairobi Matata Jazz - Mapenzi Hayana Daktari (Frankie Francis Edit)

Guffo&DannyBrown - SummerTimeAnthem2o2o!x ((EddieKing'sTune))

Dzihan & Kamien - Stiff Jazz

Soundway's at it again! This time with a brand new album from South London's Huw Bennet under his newly established Susso alias. The New Keira LP features music which is inspired by (and directly samples) the magnificent sounds of the Mandinka people, which he recorded during a recent trip to Gambia.

The tracks are composed entirely from original source material, field recordings and Huw’s talents as a multi-instrumentalist; performing tuned percussion from the region including the Mandinka Balafon, Kutiringding drum, as well as drawing on his skill as a professional upright / electric bassist. One of the tracks which best exemplifies his contemporary electronic sound, whilst still paying homage to a traditional Gambian aesthetic has to be Ansumana. It's definitely been a shop favourite ever since the good guys at Soundway sent it over and we can't wait to get our hands on this beautiful release when it arrives next month. Reserve your copy now ahead of the official release next month: j.mp/KeiraLP

Keira

BUY VINYL

Phonica Premieres: Susso - Ansumana [SOUNDWAY]

Taarab doublesider killer! Harambe with it's insane R&B groove riff, flip it and you have the crazy liverpool track. Originally from mid 60s aimed for the growing tourism in Mombasa and it's regions. Both tracks officially licensed on our inhouse label. Comes in tasty Afro7 sleeve with original label design. Head over to afro7.net READ THE FULL STORY and get your copy today!

Harambe / Liverpool

Mac & Party Harambe / Liverpool - New Afro7 single!

‘Leave, If not I will kill you’

In early 1978, Vincent Ahehehinnou left the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou without explanation. He had been one of their principal vocalist since 1968 and had helped transform them from a hard-charging nightclub band into a musical powerhouse and Africa-wide sensation. By the end of 1977, after an explosive performance at the pan-African arts and culture festival (Festac77) in Lagos, the band had reached the very pinnacle of their success.

For nearly forty years, the reasons behind Vincent’s sudden departure have remained a mystery. Until now.

In an interview included with Analog Africa’s new reissue of Best Woman – Vincent’s first post-Poly-Rythmo album, which has been out-of-print for close to four decades and nearly impossible to find outside West Africa – the great singer finally breaks his silence. He didn’t leave … he was pushed.

Poly-Rythmo were already popular in their native Benin but, in the aftermath of Festac ’77, the band were poised for break-out success throughout Africa. One of the people who stood to benefit most was the band’s manager Adissa Seidou, whose label Albarika Store had released most of the band’s recordings. However Adissa’s vision for Poly-Rythmo didn’t always line up with that of the musicians and, more often than not, it was Vincent who spoke up for the band.

The two men grew increasingly estranged until one day – at the funeral for Adissa’s father no less – Adissa gave Vincent an ultimatum of sorts. In Vincent’s own words: ‘I asked him if there is a way we could sort out our differences to which he replied that the only solution was for me to leave the band, adding, “if not I will kill you”’.

And so Vincent found himself forced out of the band he had helped build. He tried his hand at various business ventures, but soon realised that the pull of music was too strong. On a business trip to Nigeria, Vincent met with Ignace de Souza of Benin’s Black Santiago band, who agreed to arrange Vincent’s songs, assemble musicians, and book a session at the legendary Decca Studios in Lagos. 

With everything in place Vincent returned to Cotonou, gathered together all the money he had saved over the years and set out again for Lagos. But the simple bus journey to Nigeria turned into a nightmarish odyssey of military corruption … and  had it not been for the random kindness of an unknown woman on the bus, this album – along with Vincent’s subsequent solo career – might never have existed. Vincent tells the full story in the liner notes to this LP.

But Vincent did make it to Lagos and the sessions went ahead. The nine-piece band, handpicked by de Souza, learned the songs and set them to tape in the span of only a week … but the results are as timeless and essential as anything to emerge from West Africa in the late 1970s.

Vincent’s afrobeat credentials are in full evidence on opening track ‘Best Woman’ (English) whose driving beat, focussed horns and intricate vocal melody recall the raucous intensity of Poly-Rythmo. But the deep funk of the title track turns out to be only a warm-up for album-highlight ‘Maimouna Cherie’ (French), a moving expression of love and longing which kicks off with a hi-hat and wah-wah guitar workout but shifts gears mid-way into a more concentrated and contemplative groove. 

The funk and afrobeat gems on Best Woman are balanced by songs that draw upon Sato, one of the many Vodoun rhythms of Vincent’s native Benin. Side one concludes with ‘Vi Deka’ (Mina), an epic slow-burner propelled by some of the record’s most soulful vocals, while album closer ‘Wa Do Verite Ton Noumi’ (Fon) all but dares you not to lose yourself in its sublime hypnotic trance.

Ahehehinnou Vincent Vol.1

Get the Record

Best Woman - Vicent Ahehehinnou

All My Relations

Mitote

Tata fatiguée

Anniversaire

Buy / Stream / Order Vinyl LP:

- Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2CAl7pF
- Apple Music: https://apple.co/2VbVgux
- Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2B0mw8o

- Bandcamp (Order "NO VISA" LP): https://bit.ly/3bosBaP
- Juno Record (Order "NO VISA" LP UK / EU): https://bit.ly/2Z0AVcN

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In this era of social distancing, when international travel and dancing together in clubs has been restricted to our daydreams, "Body Yako" delivers the much-needed, vibrant, uplifting sounds of Tropical Africa, directly to your living room dance floor. The 2nd single from Captain Planet's forthcoming album "NO VISA," "Body Yako" (or "Your Body") is a perfect expression of the global collaborative process employed throughout the entire album. Longtime friend and collaborator Thornato provided some guitar licks he recorded from Ghanaian maestro OT Woode (instrumentalist on Ed Sheeran's Grammy Winning album "÷"), then Captain Planet went to work building and arranging the beat, which fuses older elements of West African highlife and Soukous with the more modern aesthetics of current Afrobeat and Afro House. The track was then sent to mutual friends Kongo Elektro down in Cape Town, South Africa, where the vocals (sung in Swahili & French) were laid and sent back to Captain Planet in Los Angeles for more mixing and arranging. The finished song is an instant shot of Summertime vibes, irresistibly danceable and sure to lift the spirits of listeners from California to Cape Town and beyond!

Body Yako (SINGLE)

Captain Planet, Kongo Elektro & Thornato - Body Yako

Man Recordings is a Berlin based record label. Founded in 2005 by DJ and producer @Daniel-Haaksman it  has tirelessly promoted regional electronic music styles from the Southern hemisphere, particularly Brazil, the Carribbean and Africa and their international adaptions. Man Recordings has released various baile funk artists such as Mr.Catra, Deize Tigrona,  Edu K, João Brasil, MC Tha or Mulú, plus some of the first international releases and remixes by artists such as Diplo, Tropkillaz, Crookers, Schlachthofbronx, Bert On Beats plus countless others. Recently, the label has become more focused on the releases and own musical outputs of boss man Daniel Haaksman.

Visit us at www.manrecordings.com

Demo submissions (in private Soundcloud player link only): office-at-manrecordings.com

Fernando Falcão "Curimão" (Daniel Haaksman Edit)

Man Recordings

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