Here are three new CDs. They've got summertime written all over them. One is brand new, the other two are old sounds, newly unearthed. Let's start with those unearthed treasures.
"Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay."
These are Bahamian musicians from the early seventies who were inspired by the local Bahamian drum rhythm known as goombay. You can also hear the influence of American soul singers such as Aretha Franklin. The singer here Jay Mitchell played in her band.
Here's Ozzie Hall. He's a sax player from Kingston, Jamaica, and came to Nassau, making a living in resort hotel lounges. He's covering Take Five.
OK, same Caribbean, same time period...the seventies. Only this is Cuba. And not a Cuba you've probably ever heard.
The CD is called "Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba Volume One." There are cool surprises at every turn. Check out the track by Juan Pablo Torres y Algo Nuevo. He mixes Arabic strings with 60s electronic organ.
The songs on Si, Para Usted have never been released outside of Cuba before. They all come from the state-owned EGREM studio in Havana. Many have complained about how poorly the label's been managed over the years. But there's no doubt that the archival shelves at EGREM are deep. These songs prove it.
They're a snapshot of some of the surprising music Cubans were soaking up in the 70s, despite the island's isolation. "Si, Para Usted" is filled with weird instruments and psychedelic salsa. It's Iron Butterfly plays the Tropicana. Si, Para Usted, another perfect summer CD.
Now, here's something that was recorded this year.
The CD is called "The Inspiring New Sounds of Rio de Janeiro." The artists have all managed to survive the violence in Rio's slums, the notorious favelas. Some of the musicians have served time. Others have lost family and friends in neighborhood drug wars.
But they've all benefited from the Canadian organization Schools Without Borders and its music education programs in the favelas.
So to recap:
We're listening right now to "The Inspiring New Sounds of Rio de Janeiro." We also heard samples from "Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba Volume One." And we started off with "Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay."