News & Updates — soul/funk

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...

We're excited to announce a new 7" coming next month by the NYC Latin-funk-soul-boogaloo outfit Fulaso. With hefty brass and raucous rhythms rooted in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Colombia, the bilingual, multicultural 10-piece band Fulaso knows how to keep the dance floor jumping with its signature brand of FUnky LAtin SOul!. These folks are unstoppable with the magnetic energy of one of the most captivating frontwomen on the mic, the soulful songstress Erica Ramos. Fulaso’s music and vibe emanate New York City, anchored in the classic boogaloo and Latin soul of El Barrio in the ’60s and ’70s, infused with...

This entry into the series may well stand as one of the controversial ones, given not only some of the cheese that Les Baxter was involved with, but also for his role in the 1950's phenomenon of the white man's interpretation of "Jungle Drums", etc...as well as (unsubstantiated, and seemingly likely untrue when looking at it deeply) claims of compositional theft made by his understudies. But since it is my piece to write here, I am not going to flinch on calling myself a fan of Baxter's wacky arrangements, particularly in the field of "exotica" and exploito-film scores. Regardless of...

Unless you are a Brasileiro or follow modern Brazilian music you probably don't know who Chico Science was but he was a favorite of mine. In fact his band, Nação Zumbi, have continued to tour the world and make fresh albums mixing samba, psychedelia, funk and hard rock, along with regional folk styles of Northeast Brazil. Francisco de Assis França was born in the Northeastern state of Pernambuco, literally coming out of the swamps ("mangue"), and he helped found the manguebeat movement in Recife, a collective identity that nurtured the highly original arts and music scene that was on the...

Here's a brand new mixtape put together by DJ Studebaker Hawk of tunes found on Peace & Rhythm releases to date, from the very first 7" to the freshest! Give it a listen, check out the links, buy some records, support independent music!! A huge thank you to all the artists we've had the pleasure of working with, Studebaker Hawk for the mix, Margot Glass for the art, and YOU for listening!! Track list: 0:00 Peliroja - Situaciones (comp: J. Batista, M. Eckroth, J. Plasse) - from Situaciones / Ciudad de Nadie 7" P&R-45-002  (OUT OF PRINT) band website, official...