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Opa - Goldenwings (1976) + Magic Time (1977) [2 LP on 1 CD, 1997]

Posted By: Designol
Opa - Goldenwings (1976) + Magic Time (1977) [2 LP on 1 CD, 1997]

Opa - Goldenwings (1976) + Magic Time (1977) [2 LP on 1 CD, 1997]
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 467 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 179 Mb | Scans included
Fusion, Latin Jazz, Jazz-Rock, Candombe | Label: Milestone | # MCD-47074-2 | 01:14:19

In 1997, it came as a quite a surprise when Fantasy reissued Opa's albums Golden Wings (1976) and Magic Time (1977) on a single 74-minute CD – surprising because the fusion trio had only a very small following; its albums were far from big sellers, and the original LP versions were in print for only a few years. If one notices some similarity between the melodic blend of jazz, rock, funk, pop, and Brazilian music heard on this disc and Airto Moreira's CTI dates of the 1970s, it's no coincidence – Moreira produced both Golden Wings and Magic Time and plays percussion on both of them. Opa members Hugh Fattoruso (keyboards, vocals), George Fattoruso (drums, vocals, percussion), and Ringo Thielmann (bass, vocals) often worked with the percussionist and his wife, Flora Purim, in the 1970s, and his influence clearly rubbed off. It's regrettable that Opa were never as commercially successful as either Moreira or Purim, although this CD points to the fact that it wasn't due to a lack of rewarding material.

Al Di Meola - Casino (1978) Japanese Remastered Reissue 1998

Posted By: Designol
Al Di Meola - Casino (1978) Japanese Remastered Reissue 1998

Al Di Meola - Casino (1978) Japanese Remastered Reissue 1998
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 280 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 125 Mb | Scans included
Fusion, Jazz Rock, Guitar Virtuoso | Label: Sony Records | # SRCS 9383 | Time: 00:38:33

Following up the superb Elegant Gypsy was no mean feat, but Al di Meola gave it his best shot with the similarly styled Casino, released in 1978. Featuring a core band of Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, and Barry Miles (whom di Meola came up with before the guitarist was invited to join Return to Forever), the playing is sharp and fiery, matching the youthful intensity of the leader. Di Meola is a good composer in the fusion idiom, and the four original compositions on Casino, although clearly bearing the mark of Chick Corea's influence, are strong. His "Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars," featuring di Meola accompanying himself via multi-tracking, is beautiful and dramatic, and hints at the guitarist's later all-acoustic works such as Friday Night in San Francisco.

Marcos Valle - Vontade de Rever Voce (1981) Japanese Remastered 2007

Posted By: Designol
Marcos Valle - Vontade de Rever Voce (1981) Japanese Remastered 2007

Marcos Valle - Vontade de Rever Você (1981) Japanese Remastered 2007
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 266 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 89 Mb | Scans included
Label: Bomba/Som Livre | # BOM1514 | Time: 00:33:54
MPB, Bossa Nova, Brazilian Jazz, Funk/Soul

Marcos Valle was the Renaissance man of Brazilian pop, a singer/songwriter/producer who straddled the country's music world from the early days of the bossa nova craze well into the fusion-soaked sound of '80s MPB. Though his reputation in America never quite compared to contemporaries like Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, or even Tom Ze, Valle is one of the most important and popular performers in the history of Brazilian pop.

VA - The Story Of Bossa Nova (2000)

Posted By: Designol
VA - The Story Of Bossa Nova (2000)

VA - The Story Of Bossa Nova (2000)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 355 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 173 Mb | Scans included | 00:55:21
Bossa Nova, Latin Jazz, Samba, Brazilian Pop | Label: EMI | # 7243 5 24335 2 0

The Story of Bossa Nova features 20 remastered original recordings from the late '50s/early '60s combined with a few modern interpretations of the genre, including 14 tracks written by composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. Taken from the vast EMI-Odeon archive of classic Brazilian music, this introductory set includes Marcos Valle's "Samba De Verao," Sylvia Telles' "Dindi," and the pre-Astrud Gilberto version of "Girl From Ipanema" by Pery Ribeiro.

Sergio Mendes Trio - Bossa Nova York (1964) Remastered 2004

Posted By: Designol
Sergio Mendes Trio - Bossa Nova York (1964) Remastered 2004

Sérgio Mendes Trio - Bossa Nova York (1964) Remastered 2004
Special Guests: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Hubert Laws

EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 161 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 94 Mb | Scans included
Label: Elenco/Universal | # MEV-2, 0731452695321 | Time: 00:38:47
Latin Jazz, Bossa Nova, Samba Jazz

Digitally re-mastered reissue of Sergio's debut album with his trio. Initially, Sergio moved from Brazil to New York to work as pianist with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Art Farmer (amongst others). He recorded this album plus a second album entitled Girl from Ipanema before forming the band that would eventually become Brasil '66. Bossa Nova York is closer to authentic Brazilian music than his later, more commercial recordings and these early sides are adored by Jazz purists. Originally recorded in New York and released in 1964.

John Williams - El Diablo Suelto: Guitar Music of Venezuela (2003)

Posted By: Designol
John Williams - El Diablo Suelto: Guitar Music of Venezuela (2003)

John Williams - El Diablo Suelto: Guitar Music of Venezuela (2003)
EAC | WV | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 268 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 156 Mb | Scans included
Classical Guitar, World, Folk | Label: Sony Classical | # SK 90451 | 00:59:59

A new album release by guitarist John Williams is always cause for great anticipation, not only for another opportunity to marvel at his virtuosity, but also to experience music from unheralded areas of the repertoire. EL DIABLO SUELTO is a survey of the guitar music of Venezuela, a vibrant mixture of elements from the cultures of the indigenous Indians, Spanish colonists, and the Africans originally brought to the country as slaves. Williams demonstrates a thorough understanding of the music's heritage, and his commitment is evident in performances that are dynamic and incisive. Williams' remarkable technique allows him to easily negotiate the complexities of these intensely rhythmic pieces, but his keen musical intelligence renders these accounts more than exercises of technical expertise. He skillfully wields a broad palette of tonal colors to express the rich harmonic language and beautiful melodies in works arranged by his mentor, the great Venezuelan guitarist Alirio Diaz.

Nomade Orquestra - Entre Mundos (2017)

Posted By: Designol
Nomade Orquestra - Entre Mundos (2017)

Nomade Orquestra - EntreMundos (2017)
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 332 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 122 Mb | Scans included | Time: 00:48:30
Contemporary Jazz, World Fusion, Modern Big Band | Label: Far Out | # FARO198CD

Continuing their globalising musical quest into 2017, Nomade Orquestra return with their second album EntreMundos set for heavyweight vinyl, CD and digital release on 23rd June 2017. Recorded at Red Bull Studios, Sao Paulo, EntreMundos is like a cosmic musical playground where Ethio-jazz, Indian classical and Oriental sounds dance around Afro-Brazilian roots rhythms and Northern hemisphere jazz, funk, soul, library music and hip-hop influences. The sheer vastness of the album is astounding, Nomade Orquestra have quite literally conquered the world in sound.

Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (1997)

Posted By: Designol
Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (1997)

Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (1997)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 366 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 153 Mb
Label: World Circuit | # WCD 050 | Time: 01:00:06 | Scans included
Son, Bolero, Descarga, Danzón, Guajira, Criolla, Afro-Cuban Jazz

Buena Vista Social Club is the debut album by the eponymous ensemble of Cuban musicians directed by Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder. It was recorded at Havana's EGREM studios in March 1996 and released on September 16, 1997, on World Circuit. Despite its success, it remains the only standard studio album exclusively credited to the Buena Vista Social Club. Buena Vista Social Club earned considerable critical praise and has received numerous accolades from music writers and publications. In 2003, the album was ranked number 260 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, one of only two albums on the list to be produced in a non-English speaking country. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The album was awarded the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album and Tropical/Salsa Album of the Year by a Group at the 1998 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Ry Cooder - I, Flathead: The Songs of Kash Buk and the Klowns (2008)

Posted By: Designol
Ry Cooder - I, Flathead: The Songs of Kash Buk and the Klowns (2008)

Ry Cooder - I, Flathead: The Songs of Kash Buk and the Klowns (2008)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 309 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 121 Mb
Label: Nonesuch | # 511762-2 | Time: 00:53:06 | Scans ~ 96 Mb
Americana, Roots Rock, Country-Rock, Tex-Mex, Mariachi

Ry Cooder's I, Flathead is the culmination of his ambitious and fascinating "California Trilogy," the last of three albums in which the singer and guitarist journeys through the real and imagined history of mid-20th century, multi-ethnic California, sampling the sounds of its barrios and byways, its nightclubs and honkytonks. The CD functions beautifully on its own, but also serves as a sort of soundtrack to the book equivalent. Abetting Cooder in his story telling is a veritable repertory of players who've appeared in the previous discs in the trilogy, among them drummer Joachim Cooder, Jim Keltner, Flaco Jimenez, Jon Hassell, Juliette Commagere and Gil Bernal.

Aquarelle Guitar Quartet - Spirit of Brazil (2009)

Posted By: Designol
Aquarelle Guitar Quartet - Spirit of Brazil (2009)

Aquarelle Guitar Quartet - Spirit of Brazil (2009)
works by Clarice Assad, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Egberto Gismonti,
Sérgio Assad, Roland Dyens, Paulo Bellinati

EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 202 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 136 Mb | Artwork included
Classical Guitar | Label: Chandos | # CHAN 10512 | Time: 00:58:43

The Aquarelle Guitar Quartet was formed at the Royal College of Music under the guidance of Craig Ogden and Gordon Crosskey. The Quartet has earned a reputation as a dynamic and innovative ensemble, captivating audiences with eclectic repertoire and spell-binding performances. Since its formation, the Quartet has performed extensively across the UK. The group explains how Spirit of Brazil came about: "Both as soloists and as a group, all four of us have been inspired by the music of Brazil. Far from being the national property of Spain, the guitar is integral to the music and culture of Brazil and in this record we have endeavoured to represent a breadth of music, from the classical discipline of Villa-Lobos to the improvisational qualities of Gismonti."

Shakira - Shakira (2014) [Japanese Edition]

Posted By: Designol
Shakira - Shakira (2014) [Japanese Edition]

Shakira - Shakira (2014) [Japanese Edition]
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 384 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 127 Mb | Scans ~ 139 Mb
Pop, Dance Pop, Latin Pop | Label: RCA/Sony Music | # SICP 4098 | Time: 00:55:18

Like many eponymous albums, Shakira's self-titled 2014 set marks a new beginning: a new album for a new label after she got a new job. The new job was as a co-host on the hit American televised musical contest The Voice, the new label was RCA, and the new album was her first full-fledged pop album since She Wolf, the rather brilliant, hard electronic dance record that stiffed in 2009. She bounced back in 2010 with Sale el Sol, but that album wasn't made with the U.S. market in mind, something that certainly can't be said of Shakira. Opening up with a duet with Rihanna, and later finding space for her Voice co-host Blake Shelton, Shakira is determined to appeal to all audiences here: don't like the relentless dance of "Dare (La La La)"? Stick around for the reggae collaboration with Magic! on "Cut Me Deep," or maybe the appealing faux-folk of "23" or the full-bore adult-pop assault of "The One Thing," which may be the best cut here.

Shakira - The Sun Comes Out (2010) [Japanese Edition]

Posted By: Designol
Shakira - The Sun Comes Out (2010) [Japanese Edition]

Shakira - The Sun Comes Out (2010) [Japanese Edition]
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 376 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 129 Mb | Scans ~ 135 Mb
Latin Pop, Dance Pop | Label: Sony Music Japan | # EICP 1435 | Time: 00:56:25

The English-titled version of Shakira's seventh studio album, The Sun Comes Out/Sale el Sol, features exactly the same 15 tracks as the Spanish edition, but with a different running order, as the collaborations with Dominican rapper El Cata ("Rabiosa", "Loca") are reduced to bonus track status in favor of the more well-known hookups with Pitbull and Dizzee Rascal, respectively, while the official 2010 World Cup theme, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," swaps places on the track list with the "Esto Es África" version.

Gloria Estefan - Cuts Both Ways (1989) Japanese Edition

Posted By: Designol
Gloria Estefan - Cuts Both Ways (1989) Japanese Edition

Gloria Estefan - Cuts Both Ways (1989) Japanese Edition
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 345 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 127 Mb | Scans ~ 111 Mb
Dance Pop, Latin Pop, Adult Contemporary | Label: Epic/Sony | # 25・8P-5299 | 00:55:40

Cuts Both Ways is the debut solo album by American recording artist Gloria Estefan and final album with Miami Sound Machine, as they would become her backup band for her solo career after its release. Although Estefan's name is on the front cover, the album credits Estefan and Miami Sound Machine (as with the previous album, Let It Loose).

Enrique Iglesias - Greatest Hits (2008) Japanese Edition

Posted By: Designol
Enrique Iglesias - Greatest Hits (2008) Japanese Edition

Enrique Iglesias - Greatest Hits (2008) [Japanese Edition]
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 551 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 177 Mb | Scans ~ 95 Mb
Pop, Dance-Pop, Latin Pop | Label: Interscope/Universal | # UICS-1181 | Time: 01:17:29

It should come as no surprise that Enrique Iglesias' 2008 Greatest Hits begins in 1999, when he made the leap from the Latin market into the mainstream. All his very successful '90s albums on Fonovisa are bypassed, written off as prehistory, so the spotlight shines only on his English-language singles of the new millennium: the club tracks and syrupy slow songs that gave him a significant number of crossover hits. With the exception of a couple of minor blips on the charts like 2000's "Sad Eyes," all these are here, starting with 1999's "Bailamos" and "The Rhythm Divine," running through 2000's "Be with You" and 2001's "Hero," stopping for 2004's "Not in Love," winding up with 2007's "Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song)" and wrapping up with two new duets, "Away" with Sean Garrett and "Takin' Back My Love" with Ciara. While this approach may lop off half of his career, it also does exactly what hits collections should do: it gives the casual listener the hits they want to hear and nothing else.

Ray Barretto - Carnaval (1993)

Posted By: Designol
Ray Barretto - Carnaval (1993)

Ray Barretto - Carnaval (1993)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 429 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 184 Mb | Scans included | 01:07:00
Latin Jazz, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Salsa, World Fusion | Label: Fantasy | # FCD-24713-2

Ray Barretto's Carnaval combines two 1962 sessions, Pachanga with Barretto (his Milestone label debut as a leader) and Latino!. Both sets feature Barretto's first band, Charanga Moderna, with trumpeter El Negro Vivar and tenor saxophonist Jose Chombo Silva added to the front line for the latter LP. The first album is very much Latin jazz of its time, with all ten tracks designed for dancing the briefly popular pachanga, a dance that was simply too manic and difficult to catch on widely. The pachanga-friendly tempos on these ten brief cuts (most under three minutes) make the album sound rushed and nervous to ears unfamiliar with the dance fad. The far-better Latino!, recorded in nearly the same session, is a good old-fashioned jam session, with more leisurely tempos and extended playing times that give all the soloists – especially Vivar, Silva, and flutist Jose Canoura – plenty of room to stretch out. These two albums are very different, but hearing both of them in proximity reveals much about the state of the New York City Latin jazz scene in the early '60s.