News & Updates — disco

Here's some birthday recognition to one the most prolific and unsung musicians on the groovy music landscape, master percussionist Ralph MacDonald! Harlem-raised, his father was a musician from Trinidad & Tobago and the calypso and steelpan have always been with him. He played with Harry Belafonte from 17 until his mid 20s (including being the major artistic force behind Belafonte's 1971 Calypso Carnival album). That year he started his own publishing company and hit the big-time the next year with his composition "Where Is The Love" (recorded by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack, with Ralph on percussion). It was non-stop...

The brand new record from Miami’s Spam Allstars is chock-full of tropical electro space-funk spiced with a heady dose of Cuban flavors. Instant Trans-Oceanic beach party! Download card with the extra bonus track "Agua de Poço" included! The six-piece Spam Allstars have been at the forefront of Miami's creative musical blending for twenty years. Founded by turntablist/producer/engineer DJ Le Spam to create electronic descargas, those compelling improvisational Latin jams, but this time with funk, electro & hiphop elements. Through the course of six albums, international touring, interesting collaborations with the likes of Phish side project Vida Blue and Rumberos de la Ocho, and a...

Happy birthday to Louie Ramirez, one of the great figures in salsa as a producer, arranger, vibraphone player, percussionist, composer and mentor to many. He's been called "the Quincy Jones of salsa" for the diversity of his work and because he worked with many of the biggest names in salsa including Johnny Pacheco, Charlie Palmieri, Joe Cuba, Tito Rodriguez, Willie Colón, Jimmy Sabater, Hector Lavoe, Fania All Stars,Tipica 73, Sonora Ponceña, Ray Barretto, Sabu Martinez, Ralfi Pagan and many more. If rare grooves of funky salsa and boogaloo is what you want then surely you'll find him working on deep...

Our friends over at the always-tasteful Paris DJs have put up a downloadable mixtape of some of the grooviest nuggets of recent vintage for your listening pleasure. Yes, the Friends & Family Vol 1 set is your audio update on the dopest sounds of today. Their website has given coverage to so many great contemporary bands of the funk, reggae, soul, hip-hop, jazz and boogaloo scenes that it's like they want to do the work for you, keeping you up to date with the freshest arrivals. All of the tunes selected here are from late 2016 or 2017. They cover...

Peace & Rhythm and C.A.M.P.O.S. team up to present the world premiere of C.A.M.P.O.S.'s new video for "My Bird Has Many Voices" (Mother's Mix). This is the latest of a string of videos to songs off of the Miracles & Criminals 2xLP, available now direct from Peace & Rhythm or wholesale from Forced Exposure distribution. The video was again created by Croaker Norge. (If you would like to see the previous videos made for the album, click here, here and here. Purchase the album direct from our webshop. "My Bird...": Last month, we were thrilled to see the inclusion of...