Antibalas founder Martín Perna and partner Adrian Quesada of Grupo Fantasma evidently finished their debut “El Nino Y El Soul” in 2004, after Martín’s car broke down in Michoacán, Mexico and the recovery took longer than planned. Their partnership has now flowered into a third full length on ESL Music called Coconut Rock as Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Queseda, and it’s a marvelous chronicle of psychedelic afrosoul & latin funk.

Ocote, the Nauhatl word for pine, is key to starting fires, the fires used for cooking and heating across Mexico and beyond. A tiny handful, and even damp pieces of wood ignite, Perna says. “And I like that metaphor. I have always seen my role in whatever I do as a catalyst. We’re not the big log burning that everybody sees. We are the one that gets it started,” whether it’s the current Afrobeat craze fueled by Antibalas, Quesada’s initiative in Austin to help improve the lives of the city’s musicians, or Perna’s founding of NYC’s first biodiesel factory.

“Coconut Rock” is a grandiose cinematic journey, with tight rhythmic prowess and versatility that spans the entire beat arsenal of Americas up to Cumbia. Add the funky brass and psychedelic keys on top and you’re instantly teleported to a hot and funky roadtrip in Mesoamerica that might teach you a good lesson or two. Don’t forget the digital deluxe re-release with bonus remixes by Cologne’s Ancient Astronauts and other artists will be available on Tuesday the 8th.

Milan Latin Jazz Quartet – Sentimento Latino
Milano Jazz Dance Combo – Milano Jazz Dance Ensemble

Clear bright blue skies in Istanbul today and what better way to celebrate then play some jolly nujazz, we’ll have time to play gloomy stuff in the impending winter season. Today’s menu is comprised entirely of Milano produce.

First up, the Milano Jazz Dance Combo offers a contemporary dance & club vibe in the now classical Italian tone of Nicola Conte or Mario Biondo. That’s not surprising as the brothers behind the project Gianni and Enzo Lo Greco have already released 5 albums on Schema Records and worked with everyone from Gerardo Frisina to Rosalia de Souza, Conte and Biondi. Vocal talents include Colonel Red from Bugz in the Attic, and Dionne Charles of Baby Charles fame. Numerous solos & instrumentation on a top notch rhythm section just what you expect from an Italian combi. Should be the next jazz club dance night sensation so club owners should take notice, ’cause they sure know how to rock a party.

Their similarly named counterpart Milan Latin Jazz Quartet, composed of trumpetist Raffaele Kohler, guitarist Alessandro Sicardi, bassist Lino Grasso, percussionist Davide Marzagalli, is more of a traditional latin jazz quartet that brings more of the Italian flavour to the almost monolithic genre. Smooth, velvety continental jazz quartet.

Now that my MA thesis is over and I’m officially graduated, it’s time to celebrate! Coati Mundi aka Andy Hernandez, member of the latino funk/roller disco troupe Kid Creole and the Coconuts is back from retirement with a new release on Rong Music which is just a teaser for an upcoming full length!. If this one can’t cheer you up, you might actually start considering suicide..

Just to mark this point in time, in which I’m feeling quite relaxed with the sun shining on my balcony and I have a peace of mind, and it feels great. Off Dave Pike’s Manhattan Latin album which you can buy MP3s from here .

The world of lounge, exotica and easy listening is a bottomless pit, with an unfathomable amount of golden material buried under crap music every day. Who would have thought the talented Mexican pianist Pepe Jaramillo will one day be forgotten? These three songs are from his 1960 album South of the Border released only on vinyl. An absolute beauty with nary a bad song, including covers of Ernesto Lecuona’s Siboney and the mambo classic Sway among others.

No one will shun you if you haven’t heard the genre called Chicha, a psychedelic take on Cumbia which is itself a rather obscure Latino genre. Inspired by fermented maize beer of the same name, this Peruvian Amazonic version of Cumbia features “Andean melodies, some Cuban guajiras, and the psychedelic sounds of surf guitars, wah-wah pedals, farfisa organs and moog synthesizers”.

Juaneco Y su Combo is the first release of Barbès Records‘ new Masters of Chicha series. The originators who suffered a terrible plane crash and lost all but one of the band members. Compare this Ayahuasca inspired musical gem to your everyday Cumbia music you might hear on MTV Latin. You’ll be instantly enlightened.

Well, it’s September and summer is about to end. Personally, I think it used to take twice as more to end yet every year it seems to speed up more and more. Anyways at least it’s still sunny for the time being.

Here’s a 4 song selection suitable for sunny summer/early autumn days. Starts off with one of the alltime best soul pieces; Gil Scott-Heron’s timeless Lady Day & John Coltrane from his 1971 Pieces of a Man album. The second one is a latin piano piece by Cal Tjader, another song I’d never get bored whistling to. Next up is “Chick Webb” dedicated to the drummer himself from Italian drummer Aldo Romano’s new album “Just Jazz”. Is this an original? I seem to know this tune from somewhere else. Finally a guitar jazz take on Summertime by Hungarian Gábor Szabó. Enjoy.

Gil Scott-Heron – Lady Day & John Coltrane
Cal Tjader – Nao Diga Nada
Aldo Romano – Chick Webb
Gábor Szabó – Summertime

Strut Records the !K7 sublabel who gave us the Nigeria 70 compilation a few months ago is back with a new compilation from the same time period in a new setting : Calypsoul 70: Caribbean Soul 1969-1979.

Not much to dissect about the compilation, as we’re basically worthless with our elementary calypso knowledge, however as we love most of the stuff that comes from the Caribbean except cheap dancehall and knowing a few of the tracks on it; one from Lancelot Layne that has already been on undomondo before and another from the the steel drums orchestra Amral’s Trinidad Cavaliers, it’s safe to say that Calypsoul 70 is a hot fuzz of tasty calypso, latin and soul. Out on September 2 but till then can stream the rest from the minisite!

Just heard the news that Skatalites original Johnny “Dizzy” Moore has passed away at the age of 70. So this post is a small tribute to what he’s given to us together with the inspirational Skatalites. 4 more calypso and ska pieces one from Dizzy himself.

Sambo – Woman
Lancelot Layne – Yo tink it sorf
Lord Beginner – Fed-a-ray
Harold Richardson – Healing in the Balmyard
Count Owen – Take her to Jamaica
Johnny ”Dizzy” Moore – Sudden Destruction

Our friend from UK, Jonathan Radford aka Diesler (Tru Thoughts, Freestyle and also remixes on Ninja Tune, Sundays Best and others) has made an exclusive summer mix for us. A 40 minute mix of the best beat, nujazz & latin grooves mixed flawlessly, this mix might be a lifesaver in case of being subject to bad commercial music on your holiday trips. (Which I’m sure will happen at one step).

Added a Mediafire link for peeps who can’t dl from rapidshare.

Diesler – Undomondo Mix 29.07.08 (rapidshare) (mediafire)

Back from our one-week vacation. Couldn’t post anything in the meantime but never stopped to think about our fellow readers while basking in the hot sun and selected some tunes that should accompany you on your future trips to the beach.

I was going to go all balearic, chillout etc. on you, but thought that would be too easy; so only tracks that seemed to fit in 100% with my mood at that time made it to the muxtape, be it walking back to the hotel under 35C (Vibracathedral Orchestra) or lying in the beach without movement (Sawako). Mostly just enjoying summer though!

undomondo.muxtape.com

Muxtape now scrobbles what you listen on last.fm, but the 12 song limitation sucks!

Hallelujah Chicken Run Band – Alikulila
Vampire Weekend – Bryn
Sawako – Wind Shower Particle
Gaylads – Portland Rock Love in Action
Roland Alphonso – Born To Be Loved
Nino Nardini & Roger Roger – Expectation
Eels – Susan’s House
Vibracathedral Orchestra – Transvestite Electrics
Piero Umiliani – Mahe’
Lalo Schifrin – The Wave
Le London All Star – Coming Home Babe
Cal Tjader – Nao Diga Nada