Mr Bongo proudly presents, ‘AFIM’, the second solo album by one of Brazil’s most exciting new talents, Zé Ibarra. You may be familiar with the hypnotic, entrancing tones of Ibarra’s vocals through his work with the Latin Grammy award-winning, four-piece, Bala Desejo and the band Dônica. He has also toured with the musical titan, Milton Nascimento, performing guitar and vocals, which is quite the honour and a testament to Ibarra's craft. As a solo artist, he has performed headline solo shows in Japan, Portugal and the US, as well as recently completing a support tour with the great, Seu Jorge. 

‘AFIM’ is comprised of eight tracks, featuring his own compositions as well as cover versions of tracks by contemporaries and friends, Sophia Chablau, Tom Veloso, and Dora Morelenbaum. It combines elements of MPB, jazz, pop and progressive rock in a bold, authoritative style. The album represents the intersection between different facets of the artist, from the stripped-down, intimate, guitar singer-songwriter, to dense arrangements with sweeping strings sections. Writing this album allowed Ibarra "to explore sides of myself that had not yet been organized in an album: a certain darkness, a more cinematic musicality, a desire for new soundscapes.”

The album features the single, 'Transe', a song with an instantly comforting tone reminiscent of classic Brazilian songs of the past (think Caetano Veloso). It is built on a rhythmic guitar that supports dynamic sound layers, opening space for Ibarra's intense interpretation. Cinematic atmospheres that lend an air of mystery come courtesy of string arrangements by Jaques Morelenbaum.

His unique cover version of Sophia Chablau's 'Segredo' is equally compelling, taking Sophia's punky-indie original in a different direction and making it feel like his own. 'Essa Confusão', a song celebrating the intensity of love and co-written by Dora Morelenbaum, is steered into epic, 70's AOR, singer-songwriter territory with wind arrangements by Ibarra, Jorge Continentino and strings by Jaques Morelenbaum.

The album is the result of the collaboration of experienced musicians and long-time partners of Ibarra. Fellow Bala Desejo and Dônica member Lucas Nunes co-produced the album. The core band featured on the record consists of Lucas Nunes on organs, Alberto Continentino on bass, Daniel Conceição and Thomas Harres on drums and percussion, Rodrigo Pacato on additional percussion, Chico Lira on Fender Rhodes and Guilherme Lírio on guitar.

The overall feel of the record is archetypically quintessential without slipping into retro mode. It is a stunning album from one of the finest musicians of his generation. A true star of Brazil’s blooming contemporary scene.

Released on Mr. Bongo (ROW) and Coala Music(Brazil).


Transe

Something On Your Mind - Karen Dalton 
This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies 
The Sound Of Silence - The Sound Symposium 
These Days - Ian Matthews 
Right Away - Vetiver 
Games People Play - Joe South 
Why Should I Have To Worry? - Michael Hurley 
Mr. Bojangles - Jerry Jeff Walker 
I’ll Be Here In The Morning - Townes Van Zandt 
Josie - Donovan 
Listen, Listen - Sandy Denny 
Book Song - Fairport Convention 
Hey You(Looking At The Moon) - Graham Nash 
Are You Leaving For The Country - Karen Dalton 



Archivalesque #14 :: Why Should I Have To Worry?

Tommy Duncan – Dance, Dance, Dance 
Desmond Dekker – Beautiful and Dangerous 
Frances Gall - Pense a Moi 
The Isley Brothers – Your Old Lady 
Mike Melvoin - One (Is The Loneliest Number) 
The Pozo Seco Singers - Spanish Harlem Incident 
Ronnie Von - Pobre De Amor 
The Tamlins - Eighteen With a Bullet 
Les Surfs - Clac Tapes 
Jimmy Powell - I Can Go Down

Recent Songs #110 :: One (Is The Loneliest Number)

Rare Salsa and Guaguanco from Panama, Guadaloupe, Congo, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru, Costa Rica y mas! Selected from Discodelic 45rpm archive. original press only.

CON TODOS LOS HIERROS! International Guaguanco by Discodelic (Tour mix #1)

Since releasing her debut project at age 15, the Chicago-bred singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist BONZIE has reached an extraordinary level of success for an independent musician, including earning abundant critical acclaim from the likes of The New York Times and NPR. 

Check out their mix on Mixcloud, Soundcloud and Spotify!

Andre Gibson - Thankful For You 
Bert Jansch - Tinker's Blues 
Taeko Onuki - Sargasso Sea 
Daniel Johnston - A Little Bit of Soap 
Marisa Monte - Vilarejo 
Emzyy, Cenny Ko - WYTM 
Summer Walker - Girls Need Love 
KT Tunstall - Made Of Glass 
Songs: Ohia, Jason Molina - Just Be Simple 
Saho Terao - 愛よ届け 
Robert Wyatt - Shipbuilding 
The Honey Drippers - Impeach the President 
Elizabeth Cotten - Oh babe it ain't no lie 
Jeff Parker - Four Folks 
A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali, Mohit Chauhan - Kun Faya Kun 

L'envie #228 :: BONZIE

Desmond Dekker – It Is Not Easy 
Derrick and Patsy – Let The Good Times Roll 
Claudette Thomas – Roses Are Red My Love 
Derrick Harriott – The Loser 
Mighty Vikings – Love Me Forever 
Della Humphrey – Dream Land 
Blues Busters - Little Vilma 
Jackie Opel - You Send Me 
The Heptones - I Shall Be Released

Rock Steadily #5 :: You Send Me

Benny Latimore - I'm A Believer 
Eldridge Holmes – Until The End 
The Hammond Brothers – 30 Miles of Railroad Track 
Charles & Ivory - My Little Baby 
Ted and Little Johnny Taylor – Cry It Out Baby 
Eddie & Ernie – I’m Going For Myself 
Barbara Lynn - He Ain't Gonna Do Right 
Jackie Shane – In My Tenement

Night Train #5 :: I’m Going For Myself

James Carr – Ring of Fire 
Bold - All I Really Want To Do 
Ferrante & Teicher - Midnight Cowboy 
Terry Melchor - These Days 
Lee Hazlewood – Fire & Rain 
Neil Young – Home, Home On The Range 
Kris Kristofferson – San Francisco Mable Joy 

Take Cover #7 :: These Days

Almost fifteen years since the release of her self-titled debut LP on Mr Bongo, reggae’s orator of love Hollie Cook is returning to the label for Shy Girl, her fifth studio album and her most authentic yet. Woven with tight grooves, beautiful vocals and catchy melodies, Shy Girl hears singer and songwriter Hollie Cook revel in her contemporary lovers rock sound, more confident and open to vulnerability than ever before.
 
A sun-drenched exploration of love in all its guises, Shy Girl tells stories of the magical and the melancholy, the heart-lifting and heart-breaking, across 12 luscious, analogue reggae compositions - the culmination of a soft-hued and instantly recognisable “tropical pop” sound that Cook has made her own.
 
Put together across three years and four cities – from LA and NYC, to Vejer de la Frontera in Spain and Cook’s hometown London – Shy Girl was written with long-time collaborators, The General Roots Band, and features a contribution from legendary dub MC Horseman, who lends his voice to the album’s first single ‘Night Night’.
 
The album opens with the title track ‘Shy Girl’, a buoyant and elastic slice of lovers rock that was written in a moment of spontaneous intuition, and bubbles with a charisma and positivity that Cook radiates. “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 Iove as possible.” It is this honesty which shines throughout, from the chugging deep dub of ‘Frontline’, complete with raking electric guitar lines, to the bittersweet roots ballad ‘We Share Love’, which closes out the album.

It's clear to see that Cook’s songwriting draws on a lifetime of musical influences and inspirations. From her father, Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook’s record collection and touring with post-punk icon Ari Up’s The Slits, to her love for strong female-led pop music and the bassweight of London’s sound system culture. Enamoured with the music of Janet Kay and Phyllis Dillon, Shy Girl represents a homecoming and a coming-of-age for Hollie Cook, distilling and refining a shimmering reggae sound that will capture your heart, as it first captured hers. 


Hollie Cook - Holding On

Razor-N-Tape continues its run of top-notch releases with the return of Megatronic, the UK-born, Lisbon/Dubai-based DJ, producer, songwriter, and activist, for her second outing on the label. With There’s Truth in Gospel, she reimagines the spirit of a modern-day congregation through six soulful house cuts – an ode to unity, joy, and collective celebration. 

The entire EP is out on October 17th, and we're happy to showcase the final cut from the record – Let’s Go To Work.

BUY HERE > https://razor-n-tape.lnk.to/TheresTruthInGospel

Exclusive Premiere: Megatronic Let’s Go To Work ft. Aku (Forthcoming on Razor-N-Tape)

Out now on Mr Bongo
 
http://www.mrbongo.com/products/os-canibais

An incredibly original album of 'Brazilian Nuggets' from the Mocambo/Rozenblit catalogue.

Os Canibais had a meteoric rise to fame starting in 1964 in Rio de Janeiro. The group was originally made up of Aramis (guitar/vocals), Serginho and Max (vocals) and later they brought in Denise Baker (vocals) and Horacio (piano). Originally the group was to be called 'The Drunks' but after careful consideration they chose the much catchier Os Canibais (The Cannibals). They decided on this non-English name to differentiate from the Jovem Guarda TV era: The Fevers, The Jordans, The Clevers and so on…
 
Jonas Silva, A&R at Mocambo, signed them and their first single sold over 100,000 copies and made it into the Top 10. They broke new ground by becoming the first Brazilian pop-rock group to perform with a live orchestra in 1966 on TV in Rio, when the system of playbacks was still in its early days.  They made one more LP under the pseudonym of ?Bango? on Musidisc label, where their psychedelic style was compared to Os Mutantes.
 
The LP features fully reproduced original photographs and artwork, pressed on heavyweight vinyl.  Also available on CD.

Os Canibais - Felizes Juntinhos (Happy Together)

Record label. Record shop. Film label. Since 1989.