World / Traditional / India

Come join EM Records on another of their spatio-temporal musical journeys. This time, we're off to Madras, 1969 to hear legendary south Indian film music composer/director, T. K. Ramamoorthy's prescient Fabulous Notes And Beats Of The Indian Carnatic - Jazz, a daring fusion of Carnatic music and jazz. Although jazz musicians had been using Indian elements before this time, Fabulous Notes was the first recording in which accomplished Indian musicians adopted jazz elements. And these are accomplished musicians indeed -- veterans of the demanding Indian film music studios, trained in the strict discipline of the traditional Carnatic system, led by the visionary Ramamoorthy, a legendary composer who collaborated with M. S. Viswanathan in providing soundtracks for more than 700 films. The music here is a true Indian music, adhering to traditional Carnatic ragas with their varying ascending and descending modes, using a wide range of Indian instruments in an appealing fusion with jazz instruments, ideas and rhythms. The result is not a slavish imitation of modish Western styles, but a stimulating and surprising new entity; fans of later Ethio-jazz may well experience a frisson of familiarity at certain moments when listening to these recordings. Famed composer Ramamoorthy is also a masterful arranger and orchestrator, giving us surprising vistas of timbre, allowing instruments to come to the fore, supported in appealing combinations. But the true heart of both Carnatic music and jazz is improvisation, and T.K.R. allows these fine players space within relatively brief moments to make their own statements within the ragas, as detailed in the liner notes accompanying this reissue. What we hear is a new meeting of worlds, both sharing a respect for the primacy of improvisation, a love for the intricacies of ensemble-playing, and a fine understanding of the power of propulsive yet sophisticated rhythms. Fabulous Notes reveals a true Indian music, not merely Occidental music with hints of Indo-spice. We can picture the recording sessions, with the musicians seated on the floor of the studio, Indian musicians playing Indian music, playing jazz, playing Fabulous Notes And Beats Of The Indian Carnatic - Jazz. Indian instruments include: veena, gotuvadyam, flute, tabla tharang, tape, conch, ghatam, mridangam, chandai & sudha madhalam, tabla, jalra and bul bul thara, and Western instruments include: bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, guitar, double bass, trumpet, drums and bongos.

Jamaican singer-songwriter Micah Shemaiah, who has been producing a musical message with a keen focus on the relief of Rastafari and the unification of Africa for more than 10 years, has released the latest album of 21 years from for the first time in 3 years. The work consists of eight vocals and two dubs, produced by Zion I Kings. Following their trademark hardcore roots reggae style, Micah's vocal genius is greatly introduced.

The long-awaited repress. Limited edition. Paradise Cinema, a new project by multiplayer Jack Wyllie, who is also known to participate in the next-generation jazz trio "Szun Waves" formed by Luke Abbott. An ambitious work recorded with Khadim Mbaye (saba drums) & Tons Sambe (tama drums), a percussionist of the country's dance music "Mbalax" in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is released as an analog from Manchester's . A masterpiece of gems that blends from Balearic to ambient, drone, minimal rhythms derived from West African music, and even Jon Hassell's Fourth World in a rich jazz feel!

The Caife label was an undiscovered sweet spot in Quito, Ecuador, in the 1960s. Honest Jon's presents a compilation album of 24 tracks from the label's fascinating catalog, guided by an expert. The unprecedented oil boom and the influx of musical styles from abroad, such as cumbia. Before that, the music was left over from the golden age of Ecuador's Musica Nacional. This is a masterpiece compilation that captures the painful, beautiful, fantastic, and utopian music that fuses indigenous and mestizo traditions. This is just an unknown zone. High quality press at . Comes with a luxurious full-color booklet.

John Levy, a London ethnomusicologist and devotee of Tibetan Buddhism who recorded both sacred and secular music on Nagra stereo, left this masterpiece in the mid-1970s for Lyrichord, a prestigious American label with a catalog of recordings of traditional music from around the world. This work is the second part of Levy's entire project to capture not only the sacred music of the Tibetan rituals in the small South Asian country of Bhutan, but also all indigenous folk music. This fully remastered traditional folk/instrumental album features Tibetan and Bhutanese lute and fiddle playing, beautiful folk songs, and some of the yaks and Tibetan-originated dramas of Eastern Bhutan. This is truly a selection of 20 authentic blues songs from the top of the world.

Official Mr Bongo reissue. Replica original artwork, including the insert with listening instructions, in Spanish and English.

A1. Culto Solar - In Altepetl Tonal / A2. Suite Al Culto Solar - Xochiyaoyoloh / A3. Suite Al Culto Solar - Ketzalkoatl Yauh Miktlan / B1. Ipan In Xiktli Metztli

Luis Pérez was born in Mexico City on July 11, 1951. From 1971 onwards he dedicated much of his time to the research of the pre-Columbian instrumentation of Mesoamerica. This research allowed him to travel the Mexican territory and study musical traditions of the native peoples of Mexico. He learned directly from the living sources of the music and collected samples of musical instruments and the songs of different native speakers including Maya, Nahuatl, Mazateco, Yoemem, Comcaac, Raramuri, Wixarika and more.

His personal collection of native Mexican instruments includes ethnographic instruments still in use by ethnic groups, along with archaeological artifacts some of which are more than 2,000 years old. He continuously utilises these instruments in performances, concerts, lectures, exhibitions, and recordings, keeping them alive.

‘El Ombligo de la Luna’ delves deep into the past but also exists entirely outside of time, as Luis Pérez ‘Ixoneztli’’s offering to the world – the soul of Mexico channeled through the hands and heart of a master musician.

Huge thanks to Carlos Niño for his assistance on this very special project. Copy adapted from original copy written and supplied by Jesse Peterson (2017), used with thanks. Licensed directly from Luis Pérez.

Official Mr Bongo reissue. Replica original artwork, including the insert with listening instructions, in Spanish and English.

A1. Culto Solar - In Altepetl Tonal / A2. Suite Al Culto Solar - Xochiyaoyoloh / A3. Suite Al Culto Solar - Ketzalkoatl Yauh Miktlan / B1. Ipan In Xiktli Metztli

Luis Pérez was born in Mexico City on July 11, 1951. From 1971 onwards he dedicated much of his time to the research of the pre-Columbian instrumentation of Mesoamerica. This research allowed him to travel the Mexican territory and study musical traditions of the native peoples of Mexico. He learned directly from the living sources of the music and collected samples of musical instruments and the songs of different native speakers including Maya, Nahuatl, Mazateco, Yoemem, Comcaac, Raramuri, Wixarika and more.

His personal collection of native Mexican instruments includes ethnographic instruments still in use by ethnic groups, along with archaeological artifacts some of which are more than 2,000 years old. He continuously utilises these instruments in performances, concerts, lectures, exhibitions, and recordings, keeping them alive.

‘El Ombligo de la Luna’ delves deep into the past but also exists entirely outside of time, as Luis Pérez ‘Ixoneztli’’s offering to the world – the soul of Mexico channeled through the hands and heart of a master musician.

Huge thanks to Carlos Niño for his assistance on this very special project. Copy adapted from original copy written and supplied by Jesse Peterson (2017), used with thanks. Licensed directly from Luis Pérez.

Amapiano" is the latest movement born in South Africa, where homegrown jazz, boogie, Afro-house, kwaito and other genres are rapidly being revived. This is another noteworthy release from the "Amapiano" series of current artists that Awesome Tapes From Africa has been heavily promoting recently. Born free" refers to the generation of people born after the democratization of South Africa who did not experience apartheid, and "ma 2000" refers to young people born after the year 2000. This is the highly anticipated debut album by the up-and-coming duo leading the music scene of this generation, which is often looked down upon in comparison to the generation that experienced the socioeconomic adversity of apartheid. They produce diverse styles of music from hip-hop to various types of house music. The album also focuses on Amapiano, who was beginning to make a splash in both the mainstream and underground music scenes in South Africa. This is an ambitious work that embodies the music of his native South Africa with old school kwaito, trip hop, and even globalized house!

A clear vinyl analog reissue of the 1981 masterpiece "Edu & Tom" featuring the collaboration of two of MPB's greatest talents, Edu Lobo and Tom Jobim, who have been working together since the dawn of bossa nova in Brazil. The album is based on the classic repertoire such as "Raining Roses" and "Vento Bravo" and has a timeless appeal.

Hypnotic proto-Raï from Algeria circa 1979-1989 by Drissi El-Abbassi, a pioneer of the style who bridged its early roots with the era of multi-track digital recording during the sound’s rapid evolution, making for an insane set of microtonal synths, psych guitars and drum machines for fans of Cheb Khaled, Omar Khorshid or Omar Souleyman.

‘Rai Sidi Bel Abbes’ plays deeply into one of the core influences of borderless Algerian/Egyptian label Nashazphone, highlighting a figure relatively unsung beyond the North African Arabic diaspora, introducing his unusually balmy, soft-voiced take on a genre that came to be known for its harder edges. Set to a mix of microtonal Roland synthesiser leads and swaying drum machines, El-Abbassi’s vocals emote with particular clarity and sensuality, carrying the jazz and psych rock-inspired early sound into a prototype of its current form across eight songs that chart his transition from working with principal group Les Freres Zergui, to selections from recordings by his own band’s influential releases during the mid-late ‘80s.

Drissi El-Abbassi was 17 in 1978, when he joined one of the main groups in Oran region, Les Aigles Noir, working as “stage animator” - a sort of hypeman, also responsible for relaying lyrics to the lead singer, at weddings and parties - and by 1979 he was a member of Les Freres Zergui, who pioneered the use of wah wah pedals and drums in the style of Rai; a new sound established by Messaoud Bellemou and his troupe, that incorporated trumpets and sax into a distinctive new Algerian genre. He cut his teeth playing two shows a night at the weekends with Les Freres Zergui, and his first solo tape came out that year with Zergui on guitar. Following Zergui’s passing in 1983, and the dissolution of the band, El-Abbassi set up his own group, embracing new technology and helping progress the style alongside legendary producer Meghni Mohamed for labels such as Editions Anwar, Editions Maghreb, and Editions Saint Crepain.

The eight songs on ‘Rai Sidi Bel Abbes’ cover a spectrum of El-Abassi’s work during 1979-1989, from the mouth watering microtonal psych licks and nagging machine grooves of ‘Zedti laadab aliya’ to the lissom guitars and accordions of ‘Khalouni neck’, showcasing his smoothly contoured vocal cadence in finest style on cuts that resemble melodic Lovers Rock vibes in ’Trig maaskar’ and intoxicatingly sensual highlights ‘Jat jat’, plus the passionate, psychedelic ache of ‘Manetzouedj manebni dar’, or ‘Djibek liyam’, which should appeal to fans of Omar Khorshid as much as Omar Souleyman.

Marika "Politissa" Frantzeskopoulou was a Greek singer from Constantinople, reknowned for her precise, fluid and graceful performances and depth of feeling. Backed by some of the best musicians of the era on lyra, violin, oud, kanonaki and guitar, Marika’s repertoire and techniques drew from Byzantine and Ottoman musical traditions. She possessed an ability to devastate her audience through her expressions of grief, exile, and tragic love, running the gamut of cafe aman, torch songs, lilting and fragile odes to heartache, heavy Piraeus style rebetika, and ecstatic Near-Eastern climaxes, all with a visceral sense of atmosphere, emotion, and fatalism. Marika’s voice is complimented beautifully by her backing musicians, creating a pulsing acoustic foundation over which her voice soars with clarity and purpose. LP version includes a 12 page color booklet with rare photographs, full lyrics, and extensive notes (Bandcamp version includes booklet in PDF format). Produced in collaboration with Tony Klein (Greek Rhapsody, Mortika) and Stavros Kourousis (From Tambouras to Bouzouki) and co-released by Olvido Records (A. Kostis, Alexis Zoumbas).

Original compositions inspired by the words of Omar Khayyam, arranged and conducted by Richard Evans. It is an oriental and exotic masterpiece that reflects Eastern thought while incorporating elements of African music, such as kalimba, with Japanese koto and harp. Recorded at Ter-Mar Studios, Chicago, November, 1969 - January, 1970. Published by Wiljean Music

"When asked what were my early influences in music, I get reminded of my teenage years in Parisian suburbs, simultaneously discovering from public libraries two important French record labels: OCORA and GRM. Then the roots of my interest in traditional music and electro-acoustic experiments grew into doing it myself, recording ethnic minorities of the zomian plateau of south-east Asia and composing a soundscape around it. This is what is happening here."

— Laurent Jeanneau aka KINK GONG

Kink Gong works with what is unknown to him, as an artist who’s attracted by beauty and strangeness.
Like a stranger, he has been deeply curious about recording ethnic minority music isolated from dominating cultures within South-east Asia, thus working with musicians taking part in specific cultural communities to make almost 200 albums.
Like an artist, he has been leaning towards strange marriages, building on these raw materials. They are lived moments that combine space, people and music, as if they were blocks made out of the same material.

If you are in search of the origins of Jamaican music this is a great album to start with. Mento was the original Jamaican folk music that predates Ska and Reggae. Played Exclusively on acoustic instruments Mento was based on both African and European elements. The 1950s was Mento’s golden age, as many artists recorded songs using a variety of rhythms and styles. It was the peak of Mento’s creativity and popularity and the birth of Jamaica’s recording industry.

Media Condition: EX  Sleeve Condition: VG+

A Khayal Gunkali
B1 Khayal Mehkani
B2 Thumri Jhinjhoti

Recorded live and released in 1987 in Montevideo, Uruguay. this album is the most professional record of the duo that Eduardo Mateo and Fernando Cabrera formed for a period of a few months. These two great composers, performers and arrangers from different generations, premiered with the duo several beautiful new songs, in addition to concocting together renewed versions of some of the classic tunes from each one's repertoire. It is an intimate and acoustic work. Cabrera's guitar appears many times backed by the tasty and peculiar percussion of Mateo, and there are also grooves with precious arrangements of two guitars. The duo of Mateo and Cabrera was a milestone for the careers of both. 500 copies

Media Condition: NM  Sleeve Condition: VG+

A1 Raga Puriya Kalyan
B1 Raga Averi-Bhairabi with Ragamala

Uruguayan groove and multicultural sophistication – 40th anniversary special edition, 500 copies, including 20 page booklet. 
With a unique mix of music roots and cosmopolitan sounds Jaime Roos would become one of the most successful and significant artists of Uruguayan music.
Aquello, his third album, recorded in France in 1980 with an impressive cast of international musicians, reflects Europe’s multicultural landscape during the late seventies. Psychedelic folk, afro-candombe, murga, rock, new tango and jazz-fusion are combined in a surprising way in a one-off album that exudes strangeness and sophistication.

Media Condition: NM  Sleeve Condition: EX

A Raga Lankadahan Sarang
B Raga Maligaura

Media Condition: EX  Sleeve Condition: VG

A Khayal Patdeepki - Dekho Ri Ek Jogi - Vilambit : Ektaal / More Anganwa Aao Ji Maharaj - Drut : Tritaal
B khayal Bageshwari Bahar - ja re ja re kagwa ja - Vilambit : Ektaal / ritu basant men apni umang son - Drut : Tritaal

Media Condition: EX  Sleeve Condition: VG

A1 Raga : Miyan Ki Todi = राग मियाँ की तोडी
A2 Raga : Gara Kanda = राग गारा कानडा

Media Condition: EX+  Sleeve Condition: EX

A Jugalbandi : Sarangi & Flute - Raga Maru Behag : Tritaal
B1 Flute Solo : Raga Gorakh Kalyan : Jhaptaal
B2 Sarangi Solo : Raga Ras - Mohini Taal Roopak

Media Condition: EX  Sleeve Condition: EX

A Raga Gujari Todi - Vilambit Teen Taal,Drut Teen Taal
B1 Raga Lalat - Vocal And Instrumental - Teen Taal
B2 Raga Bhairavi - Keherwa

Media Condition: VG+  Sleeve Condition: VG

A Raga Saraswati - Alap Vilambit Gat Tala Teen Taal, Drut Gat Taal Teentaal
B1 Raga Marubihag - Tala Teentaal
B2 Raga Pilu Thumri - Tala Deepchandi