Musica del Alma

Los Vampiros de Enrique Olivarez

Coming straight out of the laid-back Central Valley, California town of Stockton come Los Vampiros, one of the tightest Latin bands in the area during the early and mid 1970’s.  Fronted by the charismatic Enrique Olivarez, Los Vampiros played smoking hot cumbias and rancheras to lively crowds around California and even enjoyed modest success in Mexico.  They released only two LP’s and a handful of 45’s on their own custom / private label called Discos Vampiros (Enrique’s son Tommy drew the vampire bat and text of the label’s unique logo).

In addition to their love for the Rancheras and Cumbias popularized in Mexico and that were at that point sweeping across hispanic areas of the USA, Los Vampiros also crafted their own brand of heavy Latin Funk.  On this their first album, entitled Para Ti (For You), two tracks immediately jump out as winners for us funk and soul fans.

“Communicate” is a classy organ and horn-led slow funk track with a timely social message to help out your fellow brethren in need.  But with “Arriba Tipo,” Los Vampiros pick up the pace and unleash a short but potent Latin Funk instrumental that allows the band to showcase their superb musical talents.  There’s even a timbale solo in there!

Prized by collectors around the world, this is one of the finest Latin Funk efforts from anywhere in the West Coast during the time.  Enjoy!

Los Vampiros de Enrique Olivarez – “Communicate” & “Arriba Tipo”

Taken from the Para Ti LP (Discos Vampiros, 1972, Stockton, CA)

GUEST POST: DJ Sport Casual

This week DJ Sport Casual, a well renowned DJ from Brooklyn, hits us with some heavy Central American Latin Funk Rock! Make sure to check out his website and listen to all the killer mixes he’s posted.

-Slim Jenkins
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Picked this LP up sometime over the summer from a New York area flea, just another long shot that ended up in the yes pile. It is one of the many Latin American party records where side a is one long medley of covers and/or general happy tunes that even abuelita can get down with. I think Central American countries did this the most, even with their rock bands, as we have here. Not sure how it happens, maybe the label, maybe the manager, or even abuelita putting pressure on the band to make something commercially viable/she can dance to. Then the band gets to put some heavy stuff on the other side. So I was more interested in side b, and it turned out to be a pretty killer side b. Warning: this LP sits quite close to Malo S/T in my LP boxes… if Santana-style fusion jams make you angry you may want to look away now. But if you like the idea of something that sounds like Los Dug Dugs going Descarga, then hit play! PS: I made it into a medley

- Sport Casual

Crema Purpura – “Pa’ Vacila”

Guest mix for SOFRITO

Make sure to check out my latest Heavy Latin & Caribbean Mix, which the kind folks at Sofrito have posted to their great site.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE MIX!

Back from Vacation = Latin Funk Fire

Back in action after a long break of working and traveling in Colombia, an absolutely mind-blowing country! I managed to find some cool records during my time down there, so stay tuned for a heavy mix or dedicated Colombian music post!

For now, I wanted to return to form with some hard-as-fuck Latin Funk for everybody. Porfi Jimenez is no stranger to Musica Del Alma, as I’ve already featured one of his songs here before. Here’s yet another solid album from this heavyweight Latin musician. Not only does contain one of the hardest Latin Funk songs out there, it’s also a snapshot of Porfi and his orchestra playing some of the best Salsa Dura Venezolana of their careers.

“Coro” is one of those impossible-to-deny heavy funk tracks. A beautiful Spanish colonial city in western Venezuela, Coro’s prolific music scene in the 1970s undoubtedly inspired Porfi to dedicate a bass guitar-heavy funk burner of a track.  I finally tracked down a copy of this LP for $10 a couple months back after having it elude me for years.

As with many great Salsas, wait for things to really heat up about halfway through “Mi Consentida”.  This is a highly recommended salsa track that lives up to the high standards Venezuelan bands set for the genre in the 70s and 80s.

**Stay tuned to the blog: I’ve got a number of nice posts lined up for the next couple weeks!!**

Porfi Jimenez y su Orquesta: “Coro” y “Mi Consentida”
From the La Machaca LP (Velvet, 1972)

Diverse stuff from Nicaragua

I’m always intrigued (but never surprised) by the sheer diversity of music that was pumped out of Central America in the 60’s and 70’s, whether it’s from El Salvador or Panama. My latest reminder of this comes from a group called Los Hermanos Cortez, who hail from Leon, Nicaragua.  The notes on the back of their Aqui Los Exitos LP insinuate that they formed while in University there, and undertook the goal of adding a Nicaraguan twist to American musical styles all the while trying to perfect “their parent’s music.”

“La Locura de los Hippies” is a psych rock track that starts off hard and heavy before mellowing out in stretches with some stylish keys.  Pretty tough shit!

But my two favorite tracks from the LP are the Latin ones.  “Ritmo y Palmeras” is the best cumbia I’ve heard from Nicaragua hands down. (Please inform me of others if you feel otherwise!  And finally, their song “La Tumba Hombre” exudes equal parts Musica Tipica and Rock n Roll.

Also keep an eye out for their super rare and excellent salsa/descarga records from the 1970s.

Los Hermanos Cortez – , “La Locura De Los Hippies”, “Ritmo y Palmeras”, & “La Tumba Hombre”

From the Aqui Los Exitos  LP (Arcoiris, Nicaragua, 196?)

GUEST MIX: GESI by Gravelheadwrap

Guest mixing today is my homie Chris aka GRAVELHEADWRAP, who decided to pick out his favorite tracks from one of Cuba’s coolest bands, Grupo de Experimentacion Sonora del ICAIC (GESI for short). Comprised of great tracks from four of their albums from the 1970s, this mix is a great introduction for those of us (me included) who may have slept on GESI for whatever reason. Thanks, Chris! And viva GESI!

-Adam aka Slim Jenkins
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Grupo de Experimentacion Sonora del ICAIC was formed in 1969 as an experimental collective of musicians by Alfredo Guevara, who then was president of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry. The idea was to get back to the roots of Cuban culture. But also, the group was founded on the same experimental ideas as the Tropicalia movement from Brazil. So, GESI took to Nueva Trova or “new song” and experimented with jazz, rock, samba, and electronics. Known Nueva Trova artists in the group included Silvio Rodriquez, Pablo Milanes and Noel Nicola.

This mix is a sort of “favorites mix” made up of the groove-oriented side of Grupo de Experimentacion Sonora del ICAIC.

I want to thank Adam for giving me the opportunity to share a guest mix and post.

-Chris

—- DOWNLOAD THE MIX HERE! —-

1. Grifo
2. Cuba Va!
3. Radiografia de una Apariencia
4. Vocacion
5. Sondeando
6. Repentino
7. El “Bala”
8. Comienzo El Dia (Daniel Viglietti & GESI)
9. Bachiana Popular Cubana No. 2
10. Cancion Con Todos

NEW MIX: “Dame El Rock”

The first mix that I’ve done for my own site (I know, I know), Dame El Rock is the first installment in what will surely be a continuing series that seeks to expose some of Latin America’s forgotten rock hard gems.  At times funky, psychedelic and soulful, this collection of tracks starts off heavy, but soon mellows out until finally culminating in one of my favorite songs of all time: Cofradia’s rare “Tu Carino”!

— Dame El Rock —

Los Rodyn’s: “Cafe” (El Salvador)
Ray Camacho: “Damelo” (California)
People: “Picadillo” (Texas)
Via Libre: “Tiuba La Quieba” (El Salvador)
Challenger’s: “Emily” (Puerto Rico)
La Logia Sarabanda: “Cajon De Castanas” (Peru)
Los Zheros: “Cuarto Oscuro” (Peru)
Totem: “Caspita” (Uruguay)
Rulie Garcia: “Earthquake” (California)
Los Orientales: “La Danza Del Mono” (Peru by way of Colombia)
Cofradia: “Tu Carino” (Panama)

HERMANOS

Vytas Brenner, whose family originally emigrated from Germany to Venezuela after the fallout of WWII, has taken a long musical journey.  From Caracas to Spain to Tennessee, Brenner soaked up a diverse assemblage of musical styles before cementing his craft onto vinyl for the first few times.  His 1974 album entitled Hermanos (the second in his discography) is an experimental tour de force, with a couple highlights.

Today, I’m only focusing only on one of these: the spaced out heat of “Gavilan”.  What sounds like an early-80s proto-disco-rap track layed out by Pumpkin and Friends, shortly gives way to some of the finest epic fusion to come out of South America.

Big ups as always to the homie Spelunk for the heads up on this LP!

Vytas Brenner: “Gavilan”
From the Hermanos LP (Gaviland, Venezuela, 1974)

My Guest Post on NERDTORIOUS!

David Ma from the excellent NERDTORIOUS blog invited me to do a guestspot, and I agreed without hesitation. So many wonderful posts running the gamut from interviews with hip hop legends to spots on new local music. I’ve been enjoying his blog ever since I discovered it and I hope you do to.

PEEP THE GUEST POST ON NERDTORIOUS!

Hot New Colombian Music

Here’s a fiery new cumbia from Colombia leading up to the weekend! Systema Solar is easily one of the most exciting acts at SXSW this year.

Check out their website: www.systemasolar.com

Mp3 here.