Фирма Vampisoul

HIGHLIGHTS Juan Piña Con La Revelación is the debut album of this Colombian artist and his eight-piece band, originally released in 1975 on Discos Zeida. An excellent little slice of Colombian mid-70's madness, with an interesting and joyful sounding mix of New York style salsa, Cuban son montuno and guajira with Colombian tropical flavors. Includes the two hot salsa tunes 'Negro con salsa' and 'Chana' as well as the salsa guajira 'Hogar campesino'. This hard to find album is now reissued for the first time, pressed on 180g vinyl and presented in its original artwork. DESCRIPTION At the age of 24, Juan Piña formed the eight-piece La Revelación with his brother Carlos, releasing their first album in 1975 on Discos Zeida. This self-titled debut LP of Piña with his group is something of an anomaly in his discography as subsequent albums would feature a different sound and concentrated almost exclusively on Colombian coastal Caribbean and 'sabanero' genres. Although Juan Piña's debut record never made much of a splash, it is an excellent little slice of Colombian mid-70's madness, with a very diverse sound. An interesting and joyful sounding mix of New York style salsa, Cuban son montuno and guajira with Colombian tropical flavors, the simple, spare arrangements featured electric guitar, piano, Latin percussion, two trumpets, occasional sax, and Juan sang lead while Carlos backed him on chorus. It also sounds like Joe Arroyo may have done 'coro' chores on Juan Piña Con La Revelación (Arroyo was a very close friend of Juan and sang chorus on several Revelación albums). This album is hard to find in the original edition, but collectors in the know treasure it for its two hot salsa tunes ('Negro con salsa' and 'Chana', both written by famous Chocoano composer and vocalist Alfonso Córdoba "El Brujo") as well as producer Rafael Mejia's salsa guajira 'Hogar campesino' and the genius rendition of the Peruvian classic 'Virgines del sol'. A beautiful and mature sounding work for the relatively young Juan Piña and his crew, and well-worth rediscovery by today's Colombian music enthusiasts. Pablo E Yglesias DJ Bongohead of Peace & Rhythm

HIGHLIGHTS First ever reissue of "Kabwlú", a very hard-to-find album released by Discos Fuentes in 1965. The mysterious Los Picapiedra (which translates as The Flintstones, inspired by the 1960s American cartoon show), was a short-lived studio group with one albumto their name, "Kabwlú", mixing 'folkloric' and 'modern' elements with calculated 'caveman' humor. It is very musically diverse; not only are there the requisite genres that could be found on similar Colombian teenage-oriented groups' records of the time, such as cumbia, gaita, rock, twist and pachanga, but there is also a smattering of surf, doo-wop, Latin jazz, guajira, ska, and calypso. But what makes the whole thing so special is the odd, off-kilter arrangements, spooky tunings, rudimentary clanging percussion, invented 'cave' language, prominent twanging electric guitar and many zany sound effects. Several of Los Picapiedra's songs became very popular in Colombia as well as Venezuela and especially in the 'rebajada' (slowed down) version as played by the 'sonidero' sound system DJs in Mexico, such as "La Hossa". Presented in its original artwork and pressed on 180g vinyl. Part of Vampisoul's reissue series of classic Fuentes LPs. DESCRIPTION While Discos Fuentes was known for recording all sorts of interesting sounds from traditional folkloric Colombian music to the latest popular international styles, every once and a while they would put out a "novelty" record, perhaps to exploit a passing fad, and at times the label would green-light something strange or even outlandish. Many of those left-field releases have their merits and have subsequently become collectors' items over the years. One such case is the mysterious Los Picapiedra (which translates as The Flintstones, no doubt inspired by the 1960s American sitcom cartoon show), a short-lived studio group with one album to their name, "Kabwlú" (an unpronounceable, invented "caveman" term that is also untranslatable, but seems to have been the 'traditional rhythm' of Los Picapiedra's 'homeland'). What is interesting about the record is that it is very musically diverse; not only are there the requisite genres that could be found on similar Colombian teenage-oriented groups' records of the time, such as cumbia, gaita, rock, twist and pachanga, but there is also a smattering of surf, doo-wop, Latin jazz, guajira, ska, and calypso. But what makes the whole thing so special is the odd, off-kilter arrangements, spooky tunings, rudimentary clanging percussion, invented 'cave' language, prominent twanging electric guitar and many zany sound effects. Much like its namesake American cartoon The Flintstones, "Kabwlú" trades in creative anachronism, mixing 'folkloric' and 'modern' elements with calculated 'caveman' humor that works on many different levels. For instance the title tune seems to have been inspired by the pachanga craze and recalls the vibe of Ray Barretto's massive 1962 hit, 'El Watusi', but it has a certain joyful simplicity and rock-solid underpinning that elevates it beyond mere novelty or exploitation - and argues for its timely reissue for today's audience. The band was a studio invention that had no major significance in Medellin's live music activity. However, several of Los Picapiedra's songs were very popular in Colombia as well as Venezuela and especially in the 'rebajada' (slowed down) version as played by the 'sonidero' sound system DJs in Mexico, such as "La Hossa". Pablo E Yglesias (aka DJ Bongohead, Peace & Rhythm) Additional research by Luis Daniel Vega

Jazz

Soul

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2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation