Nu Genea
Nuova Napoli

Musica Macondo unearths eight contemporary Afro Brazilian tracks on compilation Brasil Novo, disseminating the rich and percussive heritage of black Brazil and Samba De Coco. Selected by DJs Tahira (Sao Paulo) and Tim Garcia (London), the diversity and positivity of Brazil shines, featuring elements of samba, candomble, batuques, jazz, folk and beyond, designed with the esoteric dancefloor in mind.UK label Musica Macondo place their focus on contemporary Brazilian and African diaspora on Brasil Novo, an eight track compilation of discovery, snare and tamborim heavy, showcasing both celebrated and unfamiliar artists south of the equator from the cities of Recife, Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo.With the aim of presenting and thus preserving these moments in music - some tracks like Dona Celia's O Bar and Toró Instrumental's Dunas never been released before - DJs and co-curators Tahira (Sao Paulo) and Tim Garcia (London) dig deep into the troves, avoiding mainstream Brazilian popular music cliches, and also giving a sense of what fuels their dancefloors and radio sets. It was their joint passion for record collecting, Djing and 'the dance' which not surprisingly, brought these two leading figures within their respective scenes and cities together. The selection also includes tracks by Grupo Bongar, Renata Rosa and women's Afro Bloco, Ilú Obá De Min.DJ Tahira is a massive Brazilian music fan and has been on a research journey for a number of years, dedicated to the preservation and archiving of music made or influenced by black and indigenous Brazilians. Based out of Sao Paulo he has a particular interest in the history of Samba de Coco, a folkloric musical form that was very popular in, (and probably originated from), the north east of Brazil, by slaves and indiginous people from working class backgrounds who came together, making a rhythmical mesh of sounds dating back hundreds of years and allowing them to carve a unique cultural identity. Ignored or disregarded as inferior by Brazil's predominantly white faced recording industry, there are few existing original recordings of this music from the twentieth century, relying instead on oral tradition and carnivals like those in Recife or Pernambuco. In recent times there has been a flux of contemporary proponents who mix Samba de Coco with other contemporary Brazilian musical forms. Brasil Novo features both the roots, and more divergent fusions.Perhaps the best example of the Samba De Coco of old is from Dona Celia Coquista or Dona Celia do Coco as some people called her. She was a singer from Pernambuco who released only one album Nasci Com Dois Dentes in 2007 despite being an enormously important proponent of Samba De Coco for many years. She sadly passed 4 years later in 2011. The track O Bar features a plethora of local and native percussion instruments and a call and answer harmony of uplifting choir, a cacophony of positivity. Other contemporary artists featured, who mix Samba De Coco in their repertoire whilst reinventing Brazilian folkloric music, are Renata Rosa and Grupo Bongar. The former is a female singer, songwriter and rabeca player with roots from the north east of Brazil. Grupo Bongar, well known in Brazil and internationally, combines all manners of Brazilian folk, axé and samba and also runs a centre for percussion aimed at galvanising musicians from disadvantaged backgrounds.Another all female act on the Brasil Novo line up are Afro Bloco group Ilú Obá De Min, who have been part of Sao Paulo carnaval for many years. As well as making swinging, percussion based tunes, they support the empowerment of black women through workshops and promote all aspects of Afro Brazilian culture. Perhaps the outlier of the album, and one that borrows a sound from that Herbie Hancock electronic jazz era of the ‘80s are the now defunct Toró Instrumental, whose song Dunas is a live version, full of Brazilian percussion, disco-tinged, previously unreleased and is a sure-fire party starter.In the current cultural impasse that Brazil is experiencing, with artists and musicians experiencing the withdrawal of funding and services and with concerts and clubs yet to get back to pre-pandemic levels, it's never been so important to give visibility to contemporary creativity. This compilation not only gives a needy international platform to new artists, it enables an archive of Afro Brazilian culture that in some cases is disappearing. It’s also a fine example of resistance and positivity, against the odds.

In the '70s, Yan Tregger was far to believe he would become one of the most emblematic artists in the "sound illustration" scene. Yet today, his albums are highly coveted by "diggers" all around the world. At the time, nobody paid much attention to all those records that were classified as sound illustrations, or library music. Yan Tregger started out in this environment in the late '60s. He was remarked after making several recordings for the credits of TV shows, and received a proposal to compose his first album. It was a small label (Marignan), the sleeve design was skimpy and the track titles were bizarre... Yet when you listened, the sound was seriously groovy. The album was called Freezing Point and a mere 300 copies were pressed.Thanks to this first test, other "illustration" professionals were convinced by Tregger’s qualities. During this period, there was no lack of work but there was no glory on the program either. In the '70s, many different labels such as Neuilly, Montparnasse 2000, or the Italian CAM label, called on his services. Shortly afterwards, Philips released two of his records under the name Major Symphony, and then Polydor issued the two M.B.T. Soul albums, including one international success, "Chase".Up until now, despite the interest shown in his discography, no reissue had been undertaken - an omission that has just been fixed thanks to the release of a compilation that we are pleased to present. Let's start with the main information: the tracks included on the album were selected jointly by a number of collectors and Yan Tregger himself. The selection is rich and surprising. The A side is more "seventies", with an instrumental pop style and a psychedelic vibe, while the B side is more rhythmic and melodious, corresponding more with the funky disco moods of the eighties.

Somewhere, we get back to the carioca João Selva where we left him: sailing on the mythical Black Atlantic to create exhilarating music whose vibrations invite us to Rio, the Brazilian Northeast, the Caribbean, Cape Verde or even Angola. His latest al- bum, “Navegar” (2021), acclaimed by crit- ics, is an invigorating dance and dream machine that updates the tropicalist revolution of the 70s by offering a turbulent mix of samba, soul, jazz and funk.

Here comes round 2 of Dimitri From Paris and Chatobaron’s live sessions on Le Heartbeat records. In a clear departure from their Silly Not Silly debut “I like (The Music That You Play)” the 10 piece crew returns with a slightly more trippy mid-tempo groover.“Chez Madame La Baronne” nonchalantly mixes highly skilled musicianship with vintage lo-fi recording. Here, Chatobaron echo the sound of West Coast Jazz-Funk, as if trapped in a French sexploitation flick - imagine the Mizell Brothers visiting heady Baroness Brigitte Lahaie’s mansion, and you get the picture.Once again, a lot of pleasure was taken by Dimitri From Paris who directed the proceedings, meticulously arranging the sophisticated material: drum breaks, solos and horny sections, leading to an orgasmic climax. It's lush but raw, and as enjoyable at home as it is effective in the club.Long time friends The Idjut Boys join the party, deconstructing the original piece from the top down. Ripping it apart to hone in on its darker parts, they deliver a solid and psychedelic Fazz Junk Version in their signature dubbed out style.With label partner & vinyl digger supremo Melik Ben Cheikh, Le Heartbeat Records continue their quest to bring the higher standards of yesterday’s music to today’s ears.Early support from François K, Red Greg, Volcov, DJ Deep, Alex From Tokyo, Alex Attias, Hugo LX.

40 years after the original release, Nanga Boko Records is very proud to present you the official reissue of De Bonaberi A Douala, the first album from the Cameroonian musician Nkotti François and his band The Black Styls.Limited edition, high quality remastered sound, includes a very detailed biography in both English and French languages with exclusive pictures for a better comprehension of the work of the musician, and a voucher to download the album in a HQ digital format.Approved by the artist himself, 100 % legit, all 8 tracks are under exclusive license of Nanga Boko Records.

French-based label La Bestiole Records back with another release of dancefloor-ready jams with influences from around the world. Previous releases have been played by some great names in the DJ game : MCDE, Or:la, Waxist, Flegon, Red Greg, Barbara Boeing...With this one, the label continues to blur the line between edit and production, with two tracks by Italian-born and Barcelona-based pacific bureau on the A-side, and three tracks by label head Baerlz on the B-side.BEST005 begins with “Time of Lovers”, a delicate house take based on Japanese chopped samples. A2 is the very energetic and funky “Untitled (Versione Veloce)”, turning a synthpop song into a fast ghetto house tune. B-side continues the ghetto feeling (but with a romantic r’n’b touch) with “Ankileichen Part 1”, then goes dirty with “Soul Mayo”, a mix between jazzy piano riffs and hard beats. Last track “Baerdz” gives a deep and subtle end to the EP, with harp glissandi invoquing bird flight.As always with the label, some funky locked grooves complete this limited vinyl only release.