Chartreuse and rollin

World Music

Run To Your Mama

Bring Summer

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Doomsday Prepper (Ibibio Sound Machine Remix)

For her fifth studio album, Hollie Cook is returning to Mr Bongo almost fifteen years since the Brighton label released her debut album. Entitled Shy Girl, it’s a sun-drenched exploration of love in all its guises and marks her most authentic body of work to date. The second single from the release is the title track and provides the perfect opener for the album. It’s a buoyant and elastic slice of lovers rock that bubbles with a charisma and positivity that Cook radiates.  

Written and recorded in a moment of spontaneous intuition at Relic Room Studios in NYC, with the finishing touches written in Echo Park, LA, ‘Shy Girl’ is a snapshot into the vision and meaning behind the album as a whole. “I’m not a natural show-off,” Cook explains. “The Shy Girl theme is me. It’s just about being my most vulnerable self and being as true to the music that I love as possible.” 

Across three glorious minutes, shimmering guitars sit atop a groove-heavy, dubby bassline, and organ bubbles, as Hollie effortlessly serenades in her soft-hued tones. A song speaking of letting one’s guard down and opening up to love, it’s a signature example of the ‘tropical pop’ sound that Hollie has made her own.


Shy Girl

It Gets Better (Forever Mix)

Terra

Act Like You Know

Act Like You Know (feat. Andy Platts)

La Ceiba

Solace

Cigar Time

Cigar Time (Live)

The next single taken from Hollie Cook’s forthcoming fifth album, Shy Girl, is a heavenly and distinctive reggae cover of Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, ‘We Share Love’. Further embodying Hollie's dedication to staying true to herself and remaining authentic to her craft, it has the air of a timeless production yet with a contemporary edge. 

Providing the perfect send-off and closing track to Shy Girl, ‘We Share Love’ is a celestial cover of Skip Mahoney & The Casuals 1974 classic. It sees Hollie and the General Roots band flip the soul-infused original into a hazy, sun-soaked roots beauty. Hollie’s dreamy tones are supplemented by a bouncing bassline, tender organs, and lush vocal harmonies from the brilliant Jalen Ngonda. Bathed in emotion and grounded in love and longing, this reggae reinterpretation is an exquisite ethereal ending to the album.


We Share Love

When it comes to Latin soul, Bobby Matos And The Combo Conquistadores 'Tema De Alma Latina', has to be up there as one of the heaviest tracks ever recorded. This much-loved Latin workout has been rocking dancefloors for years with its infectious, driving energy and pulsating rhythms. Released in 1968, the 'My Latin Soul' album on Philips Records now receives a welcome reissue on Mr Bongo. It’s a sheer delight throughout and a premier example of the Nu Yorican sound that was thriving in New York in the ‘60s. 

From a young age, the Bronx, New York-born Latin jazz percussionist Bobby Matos found inspiration through the conga drum masters Mongo Santamaría and Patato Valdez (who he had informal backstage lessons with) and timbales legends Willie Bobo and Tito Puente. Bobby was drawn into New York's club scene and began playing in the vibrant ‘60s beat / bohemian Greenwich Village cafes, followed by stints in a wide range of different venues. These included Bronx dance halls and after-hours clubs in El Barrio, through to the elegance of Carnegie Hall, Central Park concerts, and off-Broadway theatres.

Later relocating to Los Angeles, Bobby played an important role in spreading Latin music far and wide. He became an inspiration to many on the jazz dance and acid jazz scenes in the ‘80s / '90s where his recordings were picked and played, becoming prized collector items amongst DJs. The track 'Tema De Alma Latina' was immortalised as a classic for many, after being featured on the Gilles Peterson’s Street Sounds Jazz Juice 5 compilation in 1987. A captivating listen from start to finish, the album features other treats such as the dynamic album opener ‘Nadie Baila Como Yo’, the blazing flute led 'Mambo Maxims', and the blistering piano shuffler 'Raices'. 

A truly iconic Latin classic whether you’re being reunited with it like an old friend or discovering it as a fresh new find.


Bobby Matos And The Combo Conquistadores - Nadie Baila Como Yo

Fire in the Palmas, Vol. 1

Palmas Vibration

03 - Lagoon Dreams (CBV5)

Escape From Havana

Mentirosa

The Road

Me and My Friends play soulful, poignant music with a beat: a unique blend of Afrobeat grooves with rich harmonies, languidly graceful cello and playfully funky clarinet, all tied together by the hauntingly elegant voice of singer and guitarist Nick Rasle.

Visit us at: www.meandmyfriends.co.uk

"Such interesting influences: English Folk and Afrobeat... beautiful" Cerys Matthews.

"Unusual instrumental forces create a sublime fusion that combines pastoral dreaminess with the heat of reggae, highlife and Afrobeat sounds” - Songlines Magazine.

“A life-affirming sound”, Loose Ends, BBC Radio 4.

Bring Summer

Me and My Friends

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