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Adam Dunbar: Please introduce yourself and your record label, Names You Can Trust.

Eric Banta: My name is Eric Banta otherwise known as E’s E, and I’m one of the founders of the Names You Can Trust record label. The way it began is it started in 2005 or 2006 with myself and Oneman and Monk One coming together to create a label that would be an outlet to release music that we were feeling at time, but also to create something that we could call our own.

AD: Where did the strong Latin vibe that permeates through your label come from, and how did you decide to start putting all this great stuff out?

EB: It was kind of a natural progression of what we were into at the time. We were always into salsa music from NYC and Puerto Rico, but then we started getting more into South American styles like Cumbia, other music from Colombia, Panama, and Chile and also Peruvian Chicha. You know how it is: as a record digger in general you just get exposed to different styles of music, especially being in NYC. So, it was something that we had been into for a while and we just wound up making some stuff as Greenwood Rhythm Coalition [E’s E and Monk One] that had a Latin influence. It turns out our tracks like “Guajira ‘78” and others ended up being very well received. But we weren’t really setting out to tackle Latin music specifically; it was just something that we were doing that we loved. Making those first few records led us into contact with other crucial folks, though. We wound up getting in touch with Frento Cumbiero and Mario Galeano Toro in Bogotá, Colombia.

BUY IT HERE

AD: So how did you guys actually make the connection with Frento Cumbiero all the way down in Colombia?

EB: I think the way it originally happened was Beto (Roberto Ernesto Gyemant) put us in touch. Beto and Monk One go back quite a ways so one day Beto sent Monk a link like “hey, check these guys out.” At that point they had some online demos and we were really impressed with what we heard.

AD: It’s funny how most discussions of Panamanian and Colombian music – both old and new apparently – always go back to Beto [compiler for Soundway Records UK] in some way or another. [Laughs]

EB: Absolutely. Definitely all respect due to Beto and his work to bring that stuff into the culture of American music and record digging. So it was definitely a combination of us putting out Latin records and having the connections like with Beto so I ended up reaching out and getting in touch with Mario [band leader of Frente Cumbiero]. We dug their sound so we asked him if he’d be interested in putting out a 7” single. We came to find out that Mario was really into the vinyl culture and promoting that within Colombia. He was a main force in trying to popularize and expand the format as much as possible in his country.

AD: Would you say that he was already looking for a US outlet for his music or did it happen serendipitously?

EB: It’s hard to say, but it seemed like a “right place right time” moment. As a label, as far as Names You Can Trust goes, we were at a point were we had done releases of a lot of our own productions and so we were interested in expanding and releasing other people’s works. So, we wound up forming a really great relationship with Frente Cumbiero. We just wanted to put their stuff out. NYCT is a total do-it-yourself entity so ultimately we just wanted to be an outlet for artists in the same way we were an outlet for our own productions in the beginning. I knew that our label would be a great outlet for their sound. So the first thing we did with them was the “Pitchito” single. Those were the earliest compositions that Mario had put together, and the response was really positive! It was cool because it allowed the band access to the US and European markets. You know, 75% of our sales are in Europe so it was great global exposure.

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AD: So, what was the next step with them? I know NYCT ended up putting out a second single of theirs.

EB: After they did the first record, they wound up putting together a live act as Frente Cumbiero and did some touring in Europe and they also did some shows in New York with us at the Sycamore in Brooklyn in Ditmus Park. We had those guys play in the main space of the bar and they completely smashed it. Tore it up! It was one of those legendary parties that people talk about for years. I always have people come and talk to me about at that night. People were walking by in the street and could see something wild going on inside. There were literally people dancing on the sidewalk outside the bar at the end of the show. So after that trip they went into the studio and recorded some new stuff based off of their live performances and what seemed to go well with the crowd. That stuff ended up being released as their second single on NYCT (“Unconvention” b/w “Ika”). 

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EB: After that we got more involved in what those guys were doing in Colombia and we ended up taking a trip down to Colombia this past December (2012). Since we first connected with Mario and Frente Cumbiero we had always wanted to try to go there, so it was just a matter of logistically working it out and making it happen. We went down there as the Greenwood Rhythm Coalition and did a couple shows with the Meridian Brothers and Rompereo and the whole family of the Frente Cumbiero guys. We also did a single with the Meridian Brothers (“Escuchen El Grito Edit” b/w “Sostegan Al Angel”) and now they just got picked up by Soundway. And with the Ondatropica project, there was this kind of wave of empowerment for that scene in Bogotá.

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AD: And you guys helped put this whole thing in motion by putting out those early Frente Cumbiero singles and getting them some much-needed international exposure!

EB:  Well that’s definitely a compliment to say that for sure, and if we helped with any part of that – that’s great. It’s definitely part of the mission of NYCT and what we want to do. There will definitely be some cool stuff coming up with NYCT so just stay tuned! We have a record coming out from Brazil and some Caribbean Tropical Bass stuff on the horizon. There’s this new band in Brooklyn called La Mecanica Popular where the members are from Colombia, Peru and Venezuela and we have a single coming out with them very soon called “La Paz Del Freak”. They are on this salsa tip with a heavy Peruvian sound! It’s great. So yeah, just stay in touch because we have a lot of other cool stuff coming out!

Names You Can Trust http://www.nyctrust.com

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FREE DOWNLOAD —> Aillacara 2743: “Cumbia Yerba Buena”

EB: The “Cumbia Yerba Buena” thing is by this Chilean guy who lives in the French Countryside.  He’s a pretty talented multi-instrumentalist and his Aillacara 2743 project is his exploration into the roots of some of that Andean style music, with a twist of course!

The Monogram Caribbean Orchestra played with none other than the legendary Calypsonian Lord Kitchener, but is virtually unknown beyond that (try Google if you don’t believe me!). Here they do a blistering tune called “Calypso Cha-Cha For Spooks” that’s more of a slow Calypso-Rhumba than a Cha Cha Cha, but that’s hardly the point. Stylish soloists go to town over the brooding bassline and drum beat, with piano, flute, trumpet, guitar and alto sax all doing their spookiest. They were certainly a talented group of musicians, and I wonder who else they played with?!

Next up is Pete De Vlugt & Orchestra doing “Caremelos (Twist)”. It’s a cover of Sonora Matancera’s tune of the same name, which provided a young Celia Cruz with an early hit. This totally reminds me of Congan Rhumba music (itself also heavily influenced by Cuban groups like Sonora Matancera), and no doubt you will agree once you press play. The swinging piano and melodic horns are simply beautiful. Enjoy the heavy Tropical vibes!

Monogram Caribbean Orchestra: “Calypso Cha-Cha For Spooks”
From the Monogram 7″ (USA)

Pete De Vlugt & Orchestra: “Caremelos (Twist)”
From the RCA Victor 7″ (Trinidad, W.I.)

Light one up, play it loud, and don’t forget to have a drink in honor of all our friends in NYC having a difficult time right now!

DJ Sport Casual – Afro Latino
Future Funk guest mix for Musica Del Alma

Tracklist:
Mandela
El Evangelio
El Regreso de E.T.
Lucky El Rastrillo
Shango
Brisas De Cartagena
Sabor a Selva
Si Dios Fuera Negro
Esa Morena
Muamba, Banana e Cola
D.K. Njohera
Loumusu
Periquito con Arroz
Paloma Blanca
Tumba Hombres
La Cocha Pechocha

I am happy to finally unleash the fruits of an incredible trip to the Caribbean coast of Colombia (La Costa) earlier this summer. Along with my partner in grime, San Antonio’s own Alex LaRotta, I hit up record spots from Antioquia to Soledad looking for the deepest Cumbia and heaviest Salsa I could find in a month’s time. Since returning back home stateside, the result is my latest mixtape called Cumbia Costeña: a seamless mix of heavy accordeon & flute destruction. Featuring songs from famous Vallenato musicians like Alejo Duran to more obscure Costeños like Heber Macias, the mix attempts to provide a non-stop, beat-matched exploration of the musical patrimony of the storied Caribbean coast of Colombia.

I highly recommend you crack a nice bottle of Aguardiente or Rum before you press play!

Cumbia Costeña by DJ Slim Jenkins
A Musica Del Alma Mixtape Production

Alejo Duran y su Conjunto: “Cumbia Costeña” (Fuentes)
Heber Macias: “Cumbia Linda” (Cupido)
Alberto Pacheco: “Santo Domingo” (Fuentes)
Los Corraleros de Majagual: “La Butifarra” (Fuentes)
Anibal Velasquez: “La Cumbia de Guatapa” (Discos Colombia)
Anibal Velasquez: “Mi Cumbia” (Union Musical, Venezuela)
Simon Mendoza y su Cordobesa: “Goza Marucha” (Philips)
La Monteria Swing: “La Pua” (Fuentes)
Catalino de Barranquilla y su Combo: “Tambores de Mi Tierra” (Orbe)
Juan Piña y sus Muchachos: “Zapatico Viejo” (Fuentes)
Lito Barrientos: “Oye Mi Cumbia” (Tropical)
Edmundo Arias y su Orquesta: “Venenosa” (Sonolux)
Rufo Garrido: “Se Baila Asi” (Philips)
Toño y su Combo: “Cumbia Soberana” (Philips)
Sonora Curro: “El Pajaro Prieto” (Philips)

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As mentioned above, my friend and fellow vinyl enthusiast Alex LaRotta was an indispensable digging companion on this trip. He has also just released a Cumbia mix, this one just as earth rumbling as Cumbia Costeña. It’s called ¡GUEPA CARAMBA! and it’s hosted on the always-fresh Nertorious Audioblog.

Have a listen!

Expreso Ritmico, a website dedicated to Cuban album art and design, started as an idea a few years ago. It wasn’t until early 2012 that I was able to press the ON button and launch the website. Slim Jenkins and others have been of great support and contributed many albums to the growing gallery of Cuban Music since. Slim Jenkins and his Música del Alma blog have hosted a few of my Cuba-related mixes in the past for which I am very grateful. I put together a new one, a celebration and sneak peak as the first in a series of mixes for the upcoming Expreso Ritmico blog. -Morris

Funk Nocturno by Morris
Expreso Ritmico: 01

Grupo Irakere: “Bacalao Con Pan”
Los Chikichaka: “Suspirando Por El Chikichaka”
Juan Pablo Torres: “Son A Propulsion”
Ricardo Eddy Martinez: ‘Tamba Iya”
Los Brito: “El 4-5-6″
Grupo Monumental: “Limitacion”
Los Reyes ’73: “Adeoey”
Los Van Van: “Mi Ritmo Caliente”
Orquesta Riverside: “En Casa Del Trompo No Bailes”
Juan Pablo Torres: “Que Se Sepa”
Juan Pablo Torres: “Cacao”
Grupo Los Yoyi: “Tu No Me Puedes Conquistar”
Ricardo Eddy Martinez: “Te Quedas”
Sintesis: “Con La Luz Del La Manana”
Grupo Los Yoyi: “El Fino”

Simply put, rock is not the genre of music that Colombia is best known for. Only a handful of rock bands existed there in the 1960s and 70s, the vast majority of which could be found in the three cities of Bogotá, Medellin and Cali. What originally started as La Nueva Ola movement during the 1960s which looked to American and British popular rock groups for inspiration, soon blossomed into a creative space where rock bands drew inspiration from many sources, both external and internal, by the early 1970s. Perhaps one of the best outfits from this period was La Banda Nueva, comprised of one member from a major early Nueva Ola group called Los Flippers alongside 3 session musicians from Bogotá, who released their La Gran Feria LP on Discos Bambuco with the full support of label owner Eduardo Calle.

Their music could lazily be described as “Progressive Rock”, or Prog, but that umbrella term does this music a disservice. La Gran Feria mixes a pretty startling variety of musical influences into its gamut, including jazz, psych, blues, and funk. “Emiliano Pinilla” starts the LP off with a bang, letting keyboardist Orlando Betancur unleash a devastating key pattern over a funky drum beat. The lyrics on this particular track are also great and firmly press political boundaries of the era. “Rumba Uno” is probably the stand out track for me on the LP, though, with an ingenious jazzy backbone with Orlando Betancur again taking center stage with some incredible improvisation. A total gem of a record from Bogotá that has me wanting more!

Banda Nueva: “Emiliano Pinilla” & “Rumba Uno”
From the La Gran Feria LP (Bambuco, Colombia, 1974)

Tony Hernandez and the Latin Liners: “Jo Tex” & “Nothing is the Same”
From the La Voz Encantadora LP  (Capri Records – Dallas, Texas)

Hailing from Seguin, Texas, just 35 miles east of San Antonio, emerges one of Chicano music’s less heralded bandleaders, Tony Hernandez. Like other comparable Mexican American bands of the day, Tony and his Latin Liners boasted an eclectic repertoire, delving into multiple genres, playing everything from traditional Mexican rancheras and boleros to up-tempo, chugging funk instrumentals. Following suit behind the A-listers on the scene such as Sunny & the Sunliners and Little Joe and the Latinaires, Tony spared no expense on the horn section’s payroll. This barrage of fortified brass is what defined the Texas Sound in the 1960s-70s and is what makes the featured tune so undeniably heavy. An homage to a fellow Texan soul brother, “Jo Tex [sic]” is one of two funky offerings on an LP composed almost entirely of rancheras. The second point of interest (to funk fans, anyway) on “La Voz…” is the band’s take on the 1970 Grand Funk tune “Nothing is the Same.” The familiar drum, bass and guitar intro that inspired sampling hip hoppers over twenty years ago sounds even sweeter given the Latin treatment. – High-C

EDIT:

Thanks to Detective Jenkins for mining deep into the Youtube-o-sphere to uncover that “Jo Tex” is not an original TH & tLL composition, but in fact, a cover of a cover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTnG2duZ_rk

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3XCRtEsBx4

Check out High-C’s previous Guest Post for Música del Alma. Un abrazo, compadre!

Click here to see the post.

Today would be the 100th birthday of Lucho Bermudez, a personality who speaks to us in 2012 through his classic Colombian costeño songs and continuing reverberating impact on the sonic landscape of Latin America.

Born on January 25th, 1912, in an inland town close to the beautiful beach city of Tolu, Colombia, this sartorial gentleman who is immediately recognizable from his patented slicked-back hair and thick-rimmed glasses got his big break by directing the influential Orquesta del Caribe of Cartagena. As early as the late 1930s, the band was pumping out Porros and Mapales that lit up ballrooms across the Colombian Caribbean coast in stark contrast to the popular waltzes of the day. His orchestra was largely responsible for bringing music that at the time was associated with the black lower classes into elite clubs & radio stations, first on the coast, and then into the capital of Bogota and other mostly white cities of central Colombia.

Feliz cumpleaños centenario, Lucho!

My personal favorite Bermudez track would have to be “Plinio Guzman”, a heavy Gaita that features a wicked back and forth between Lucho’s stylish clarinet and the wall of brass of his orchestra. A true Colombian masterpiece!

Lucho Bermudez: “Plinio Guzman” (Zeida, 195?)

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Lucho Bermudez: “Gaiteando” & “Mi Pueblo” (Silver, 196?)

Another incredible album by Bermudez is his Gaiteando LP, released on the famed Silver label in the 60s.  It features the classic “Arroz Con Coco” (which I won’t include here since it has been comped), along with a host of other solid music such as “Gaiteando” and the slept-on “Mi Pueblo”, a track that showcases a ridiculous trumpet player as it slowly builds up into sureshot dancefloor heat.  A classic!  Now, who has a mint copy for me?

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For more tracks by Lucho Bermudez, I strongly recommend tracking down his original Colombian LPs through eBay.  Alternatively, the Soundway Records collection that came out last year (licensed properly through the correct channels and everything) is a great way to familiarize yourself with his classics!

Click here to listen to the mix!