Sunshine, Cruising

Sunshine, cruising aound 'nostalgic' Mexico we find ourself in Columbia, not really the savest place on the planet but maybe thats why they have such great music, live and enjoy whilst you can...The Cumbia Collection is just great , Joe Arroya would have been a global star if there had been some legally solid musical infrastructure in Colombia or had he not been such a nationalist and there for unwilling to move to the west. Time to cruise towards the Antilles and Trinidad , they transformed their calypso into something more steamy and faster they called it Soul Calypso , not sure what Soul music they thought off then, anyway its called Soca these days and Hot Hot Hot it is..Finally another nice Tropical Extravaganza of salsa and cumbia music for those that look for more depth..

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Los Muchachos - Fiesta
VA - Cumbia Cumbia (Cumbias de Oro)
Joe Arroyo y la Verdad - Rebellion
VA - Soca Train
VA - Tropical Extravaganza

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Los Muchachos - Fiesta (73 ^ 88mb)

I had to think about posting this one, its very 'camp', and yet 35 years ago this music would have taken the average westerner into exotic moods, the mystery and romance of the other world, where the jet set and james bonds' of the world roamed. These days the average westerner can drink his cervaza on the beach at cancun or acapulco the next day if he feels like it. Yes, the world is a lot smaller these days, and with the omnipresence of camera's and the tendency of those manipulating those to bring us the daily misery from those places, a lot of the innocent daydreaming, to which this kind of music catered, has been lost. What remains is parental nostalgia, still there are some nice tracks here and the muchachos still make music, but thats to be expected i guess



01 - La Cucaracha ( 3:04)
02 - Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros( 2:09)
03 - Duerme Mi Nina ( 2:25)
04 - Cielito Lindo ( 2:43)
05 - Subo Subo ( 2:33)
06 - El Pobrecito ( 2:16)
07 - Paso Doble ( 2:07)
08 - Guantanamera ( 3:22)
09 - Clavelitos ( 2:54)
10 - Adellita ( 2:18)
11 - Viva La Feria ( 1:59)
12 - De Domingo A Domingo ( 2:56)
13 - Cuchipe ( 2:06)
14 - La Bamba ( 2:37)

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VA - Cumbia Cumbia (Cumbias de Oro) ( 84 ^ 240mb)

Cumbia is originally a Colombian folk dance and dance music . Cumbia is very popular, widely known in the Latin music mainstream throughout South America, Central America and Mexico, with lots of regional variations and tendencies. The traditional instruments of cumbia were mainly percussion; different types of drums, claves and a güiro, and woodwinds; flutes. Modern cumbia includes instrumental mixing; guitars, accordions, bass guitar, modern flutes and modern deep-toned drums and other percussions.

Cumbia is a variant of the African Guinean cumbe music. Cumbia started in the northern region of Colombia, mainly in or around Cartagena during the period of Spanish colonization. The slaves were later influenced by the sounds of Amerindian instruments from the Koguis and Kuna tribes settled between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Montes de María; like the millo flutes, gaita flutes and güiros. Africans and Amerindians working together as slaves created a mixture from which the gaitero (cumbia interpreter) appeared, around the 1800s, the European guitars and accordions were added later, through Spanish influence. It developped intp a danced courtship ritual rhythmically performed with music played by groups of men and women couples; women playfully waving with their long skirts and holding a candle, while the men danced behind the women, with one hand on his back and the other one holding his hat, putting it on and off and waving it. Men also carried a red type of handkerchief which they either wrapped around their necks, waved in circles in the air or handheld together with women. Until mid-20th century, cumbia was considered a vulgar dance, practiced only by the lower classes. That has changed meanwhile its 'mainstream' , still a good courting dance mind you .

Timbales beat the intro, thick brassy horns and electric guitar state the theme..Rudolfo's cumbia anthem 'La Colegiala' kicks off this collection of cumbia's, Columbia's mostpopular dance craze . 'La Colegiala' was a monsterhit thru out Latin america even spain and France. Cumbia with its regular rousing beat and a 2/4 loping gait is real uplifting music, it disticts itself from the relentless pace of merengue or salsa by the rocksteady bass. This collection covers the different styles of cumbia from the fifties up to now (84). All of them have been big hits all over the latin world, to set some apart is senseless, pick your own. This is a great collection, i'd say one of the best samplers i have in my vaults. "Baile la cumbia hasta la seis de la manana"



01 - Rodolfo y su Tipica RA7 - La Colegiala (3:58)
02 - Gabriel Romero - La Subienda
03 - Armando Hernandez y su Conjunto - La Zenaida (3:45)
04 - Adolfo Echeverria y su Orquesta - Amanciendo
05 - Pedro Laza y su Pelayeros - Navidad Negra
06 - Conjunto Tipico Vallenato - Cumbia Cienaguera
07 - Rodolfo y su Tipica RA7 - Tabaco y Ron
08 - Gabriel Romero - La Piragua
09 - Los Immortales - La Pollera Colora
10 - La Sonora Dinamita - Se me Perdio la Cadenita
11 - Los Warahuaco - El Pescador de Baru
12 - Conjunto Tipico Vallenato - Cumbia Sampuesina

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Joe Arroyo y la Verdad - Rebellion (89 * 441mb)

Arroyo began his musical career at the young age of eight when he sang in a strip joint in his hometown of Cartagena. His first break came after he signed with record label, Discos Fuentes, in 1971, and was overheard by bass player, singer, composer and producer Ernesto Estrada, better known as Frugo, who recruited him for his band. Arroyo continued to work with Frugo for the next decade. Although he nearly died from a drug overdose in the early ' 80s (comatose for 3 months), Arroyo recovered and in 1981 Joe brought together the most talented musicians of the barranquila area to form his own group - La Verdad (the Truth) . Featuring Arroyo's songs and arrangements the band was an immediate succes . La Verdads eclectic arrangments and fusing of different Caribean and Latin music, Pancaribean salsa , Cuban son, Cumbia, Merengue, Zouk and Calypso.

Committed to the roots of his music, yet unafraid to introduce modern elements, Arroyo has established himself as both a great folk musicologist, and a vital contemporary voice. There are few in the ranks who can both present an indigenous style typically associated with staunch nationalism, and simultaneously show no one style preference over another, while performing everything with equal respect and grace.



01 - Yamulemao ( 4:26)
02 - Rebellion (6:11)
03 - Bam Bam (3:08)
04 - Mary (5:24)
05 - La Vuelta (5:11)
06 - Musa Original (6:02)
07 - El Coquero (3:05)
08 - El Maletero ( 4:17)
09 - Son Apretao (5:11)
10 - Echao Pa'Lante ( 4:05)
11 - Tumbatecho ( 4:21)
12 - En Horabuena ( 4:20)
13 - Pan De Arroz ( 4:12)
14 - De Clavel (3:27)
15 - El Barbero (3:16)
16 - Rosa Angelina (3:26)

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VA - Soca Train (84 * 98mb)

Soca, or soul calypso originated in Trinidad from calypso. It combines the melodic lilting sound of calypso with insistent (usually electronic) percussion. Soca music has evolved in the last 20 years primarily by musicians from Trinidad, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, and the Lesser Antilles.The reputed father of soca was Lord Shorty (born Garfield Blackman), whose 1963 recording of "Cloak and Dagger" started the trend. It would be *Lord Kitchener (calypsonian) who would begin the noticeable and accredited transition. Like calypso, soca was used for both social commentary and risqué humor, though the initial wave of soca acts eschewed the former. Like all things related to sexual freedom, it became embraced because of its ability to reflect what people were thinking and their desires. Well the Nottinghill Carnival is going on at the moment for those wanting to share some of the spirit of it this album will help you for sure....



01 - Arrow - Hot Hot Hot (7:05)
02 - Sparrow - Don't Back Back (5:44)
03 - Gypsy - Soca Train (6:00)
04 - Gabby - Boots (6:20)
05 - Explainer - Notting Hill (6:43)
06 - Crazy - Soca Tarzan (5:28)
07 - Kitchener - Sugar Bum Bum (4:57)
08 - Wildfire - The Tide Is Low (5:57)

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VA - Tropical Extravaganza   (flac 344mb)

More cruising the Caribbean with this cocktail of salsa and cumbia music.



01 - Chucho Nuncira Y La Fuerza Mayor - El Meneito (3:58)
02 - Mamduko - Sin Tu Amor (5:04)
03 - La Sonora Majestad - La Negra Tomasa (3:45)
04 - Los Timidos - Dame Un Besito (4:27)
05 - Alfredo Gutiérrez - El Palito (3:12)
06 - La Sonora Matancera - Ritmo Tambor Y Flores (4:35)
07 - Lisandro Meza - La Alfombra Verde (3:26)
08 - La Misma Gente - El Loco (6:00)
09 - Los Alpha 8 - La Salsa Llego (4:39)
10 - Medardo Y Su Orquesta - La Boda (3:08)
11 - Pocho Perez - El Negrito (3:56)
12 - Marqua Y Su Combo - Que Linda Te Ves (3:32)
13 - Salsa Blanca - Manuela (5:02)

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All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !