When it comes to blending traditional instruments from across the world with dancefloor friendly music that sounds nothing like the cliché, Hamza Rahimtula is no stranger and the repertoire that he has is a standing testament of his sonic genius. The ‘Banjara Series’ of albums documents his journey of traversing through global waveforms and after releasing ‘Turkey’ and ‘Mali’, Rahimtula brings in flavours from ‘Spain and South America’, regions and people he has had long time associations with.  

On one hand, he spent his formative college years surrounded by friends from Latin America where he had the opportunity to experience the rich and lively culture surrounding dance and music, especially traditional Latin music; and life changed for him when he first experienced Latin House more than a decade ago. Then on the other hand, he has spent considerable time travelling through Spain over the last 15 years experiencing not only the Spanish country side but also Flamenco music and musicians. Then there is his long term association with Miami based House music label, Dutchie Music, through whom he got to work on remixes that featured real instruments instead of samples. 

Over the years, Hamza has worked with the likes of Juan Mejia and J&M Brothers that has only taken his interest of Latin inspired dancefloor music further. On this release, Rahimtula’s remix of Sazon (Juan Mejia) as well as the Banjara Series Edit of J&M Brothers’ Sabrosura features sultry trumpets and guitar riffs complimented with an ethereal groove that is functional, fantastic, and effective enough to work any dancefloor. 

The compilation kicks off with ‘Los Invisibles’, which drips of summertime flavors & musical notes inspired by the Latin sunshine. The track is playful, combining vocal stabs, organic rhythms & notes of the piano for a perfect opener. ‘Latina’ is playful, energetic & extremely bouncy with a funk-driven bassline powering the track, joining familiar accompanying instruments & elements, making this a secret recipe for dance debauchery. 

With ‘Ritmo Del Amor’, Hamza delivers a soulful yet classically constructed house music tune that has moments of emotional suspension & sections of addictive rhythms. Cleverly layered percussions meet squelches of acid, uplifting vocals & gorgeous guitar strums, making for a proper dancefloor package. Juan Mejia teams up with Hamza once more on ‘Black Sugar’, a quirky track that’s fun & feisty that’s sure to transport anyone on an imaginary trip through the Spanish coastline. ‘Discotello’ brings us in to the second half of the compilation with those nu-disco feels that is intricately curated & masterfully executed.

Loopy Juice follow suit with ‘Namaste Rio’, collaborating with Hamza for and delivering a dubby, daytime destroyer that’s minimal, powerful & definitely rowdy. ‘Gitano’ once again helps one draw an aural picture, with effusive vocals & beautiful melodies. ‘Sky Song’, the final offering in this installment is an ode to the beautiful culture that has graced the world with its musical culture for centuries and is the perfect end to this series.

All in all, through ‘Spain and South America’, Rahimtula is able to offer his interpretation of Spanish and Latin American soundscapes that have made an impact on House music. In his own words, “As someone who has only had the opportunity to experience the regions, people, and culture, my view is an objective one and that of an outsider but I’ve always had an innate desire to pay homage to these amazing and rich in culture parts of the world. ”

Hamza Rahimtula’s ‘Banjara Series, Spain and South America’ releases via Wind Horse Records and will be available exclusively on Beatport and major streaming platforms on September 17th, 2021. The album can be pre-ordered on Beatport from September 10th, 2021.

Hamza Rahimtula - Banjara Series, Spain & South America LP

Hamza Rahimtula - Sky Song (Banjara Edit)

Hamza Rahimtula - Gitano (Banjara Edit)

Hamza Rahimtula, Loopy Juice - Namaste Rio (Original Mix)

J&M Brothers - Sabrosura (Hamza Rahimtula Banjara Edit)

Hamza Rahimtula- Discotello (Original Mix)

Juan Mejia  - Black Sugar (Hamza Rahimtula Banjara Edit)

Hamza Rahimtula - Ritmo Del Amor (Original Mix)

Hamza Rahimtula - Latina (Original Mix)

Juan Mejia - Sazon (Hamza Rahimtula Remix)

Hamza Rahimtula - Los Invisibles (Original Mix)

As World Beats Mature, it is truly and indelibly becoming an international phenomenon. Born out of warehouses in Chicago and New York, then cultivated in the clubs of London and Europe, house music culture has spread around the world with a determined influence. Thus the time has come for an important World Beats music scene to spring out of India, led by a striking young talent named Hamza and his exceptional Wind Horse Records label.

Wind Horse Records was formed in New Delhi in August 2009, earning the distinction of India's first house music label. Wind Horse was devised by prominent Indian DJ and producer Hamza. He dominated the label's artist roster so far with impressive releases that seamlessly meld house music rhythms, traditional instrumentation from Indian and other world musics, and admirably high production standards.

Wind Horse Records was formed in New Delhi in August 2009, earning the distinction of India's first World Beats music label. Wind Horse was devised by prominent Indian DJ and producer Hamza. Many of Wind Horse's releases feature Hamza collaborating with important talent such as Harmonic Choir founder David Hykes, well known Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi, and Yungchen Lhamo, a Tibetan singer who has recorded for Peter Gabriel's Real World imprint. In fact, collaboration and the merging of tradition with contemporary dance music can be seen as Wind Horse's mission, and yields exciting and unique results. 

Wind Horse's future includes increased interaction with musicians from 'the west,' as the label includes renowned remixers and artists from the electronic music world. Wind Horse's next step includes remixers such as Tom Middleton, Michael Mayer, Ricky Ryan, and Kosmas Epsilon tackling its exotic sound. The label also will continue to showcase the music of its region's up-and-coming producers, including new discoveries Kartech, from New Delhi.

The label's primary focus remains to expose the pool of talent from India and 'the east' to global dance music citizens. Wind Horse has been largely successful thus far, earning accolades from fans like Riva Starr, Dubfire, Peter Kruder, Roger Sanchez, John Digweed, Lauren Garnier, and Sander Klienenberg. Wind Horse's reach looks to continue to expand as Hamza and Vipul Angirish increasingly play gigs and festivals around the world. Wind Horse is also forming a live 'sound system' act which includes Hamza, Indian percussionist Latif Khan, Latin percussionist Manu Idhra, and a promising mix of dancers, visual artists, and globally based guest musicians. Wind Horse will also be exposing its sound to the world through the WHR Podcast Series, featuring two mixes each month from Wind Horse DJs and friends of the label.

The Wind Horse style and concept has worldwide reach, blasting its international vibe out of club systems and home stereos in nearby as well as far-flung cities. With its ambitious plans the label is sure to increase its profile, delighting house music heads, world music aficionados, and lovers of exotic electronic music with an abundance of top notch releases. Keep and eye and an ear on Wind Horse Records and its tight knit family of artists ‚ exciting and surprising things are soon to come.

For Demos & Licensing: hamza@windhorserecords.com

Hamza Rahimtula - Banjara Series, Spain & South America LP

WIND HORSE RECORDS