Trio Select in Action (Haiti, 1971)

(Marc Records MDVG-219).

Haitian music can be very good setting fire to the dancefloor, but can also be very fresh and sweet to your ears. Here's a beautiful example with a song from Trio Select vol. 2, led by guitarist and popular singer Henry Gesner (1925-1998), very famous under his surname "Coupé Cloué".

Chris McGregor 's Brotherhood of Breath (1971)

RCA Neon NE2

This is a unique album from jazz pianist Chris McGregor, including sax player Mtutuzel Dudu Pukwana, both from South Africa. The band (as it is) was created in London in 1970, and takes you here to a "free jungle jazz trip"...

Chris McGreggor - MRA:


Chris McGregor (piano, african xylophone)
Mongezi Feza (pocket trumpet, indian flute)
Mark Charig (cornet)
Harry Beckett (trumpet)
Malcolm Griffiths (trombone)
Nick Evans (trombone),
Dudu Pukwana (alto sax),
Mike Osborne (alto sax, clarinet)
Ronnie Beer (tenor sax, indian flute)
Alan Skidmore (tenor sax, soprano sax)
John Surman (baritone, soprano sax),
Harry Miller (bass)
Louis Moholo (drum, perc)

Los Machucambos - La Cumbia (1971)

Cumbia made in France... Even not being from Colombia, Los Machucambos deliver in this 7" very good versions of the 2 cumbia classics composed by Jose Barros: "La Piragua" (the canoe) and "El Pescador" (the fisherman). This trio was formed in the late 50s, and was based in Paris. They had international succes with various southamerican influenced songs. The name "Machucambos" comes from an indian name for the small animal (armadillo/tatou) whose carapace is used to make the charango, traditionnal 2x5 strings guitar from Bolivia.

Los Machucambos - La Piragua:

Me contaron los abuelos que hace tiempo 

navegaba en el Cesar una piragua

que partía del Banco viejo puerto

A las playas de amor en Chimichagua

 

Era la piragua de Guillermo Cubillos

Era la piragua, era la piragua (Bis)

Words come from an old story from Magdalena, native region of the composer. Guillermo Cubillos was a man who made a 12m length canoe called "La Piragua" to cross the river. The boat was so huge at this time (?) that it was a real center of attraction.

Los Machucambos - Allegre Pescador:

Va subiendo la corriente

Con chinchorros y atarrayas

La canoa de barenca

para llegar a la playa

 

La luna espera sonriente

Con su mágico esplendor

La llegada del valiente

Del alegre pescador

 

El pescador habla con la luna 

El pescador habla con la playa

El pescador no tiene fortuna

Sólo su atarraya

 

Another boat story with this  fisherman speaking with moon and beach, really unlucky, alone with his nets (it sounds better in spanish!)

Julia Cortes (Costa Rica)

Rafaêl Gayoso (Spain)

Romano Zanotti (Italy) (replaced Milton Zapata from Mexico)