Gipsy Rhumba 
The Original Rhythm Of Gipsy Rhumba in Spain 1965-1974
Soul Jazz Records
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

HAILING from Catalonia in Spain, Gypsies, (the creators of flamenco) in the 1960s incorporated Latin, Cuban and Caribbean rhythms with Flamenco.

The Gipsy Rhumba sound was led by Catalan rumba musicians, Chango, Delores Vargas, El Noy and Rabbit Rhumba (all included here). They created exciting music to dance and party to — Juncal Y Sus Calistros even cut a great cover of the Champs 1958 hit Tequila.

Out of print since 2012, the original album was the first album produced outside of Spain to seriously focus on this infectious music.

Strikingly repacked as a double vinyl set, and complied by Gipsy Rhumba expert David El Indio with detailed sleevenotes by Jose Manuel Gomez, the set is handsomely illustrated by Jacques Leonard’s historic photos, plus a free download. There is also CD version for the less adventurous.

Faris Ishaq
Jasad
(Self released)
⭑⭑⭑⭑☆

FARIS ISHAQ is an extraordinary musician. He recorded Jasad (the Arabic word for “body”), mastered and mixed it, live, with no overdubs in his Bethlehem studio in the heart of the West Bank. Unlike the Palestinian people, his music crosses borders, and needs no ID passes, permits or permission to travel.

His formative years were steeped in classical Arabic and traditional Levantine music and he is virtuoso of the traditional Nay — a woodwind instrument. He has played with multi-Grammy Award winning bassist John Patitucci and created the film soundtrack of the Bafta-nominated Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

The Nay has a haunting sound and Faris says the album “moves between rich Arabic Maqam modalities and John Coltrane-inspired arrangements. The album celebrates the Nay as a living artefact.” He even plays Coltrane’s arrangement of My Favourite Things.

Funded by the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture and PRS Foundation Open Fund for Music Creators.

Buena Vista Social Club
Special 30th Anniversary Edition
(World Circuit)
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WORLD CIRCUIT, as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations has issued a special edition of their 2021 30th anniversary version of the original album — as a double gatefold sleeve, pearl grey vinyl pressed set with bonus tracks and a 20-page booklet.

Produced by Ry Cooder, Nick Gold (of World Circuit) and Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, on March 26 1996 at Havana’s historic 1950’s EGREM/Areito studios, Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, Compay Segundo, Ruben Gonzalez and Omara Portuondo (all veterans of the golden era of the Cuban music of the 1940s and 1950s) recorded the set live, in the wood panelled studio.

Grammys, world tours, solo albums and a Broadway stage show ensued. The opening notes to the opener Chan Chan still draws thunderous applause — you know what is coming! If you don’t own a copy of the original then get this — it is stunning.