The Essential Guide To Latin Jazz 2008

Artist: Various Artists
Title Of Album: The Essential Guide To Latin Jazz
Year Of Release: Feb 18, 2008
Label: Union Square
Genre: Jazz, Latin Jazz, Bossa Nova
Quality: MP3 / Joint Stereo
Total Time: 205:19 min (3 CD)

TRACKLIST
---------------

CD1
01 Stan Getz--Samba De Uma Nota So (One Note Samba) 06:15
02 Charlie Palmieri--El Continental 02:49
03 Herbie Mann--Todos Locos 05:35
04 Cal Tjader--Afro-Blue 04:29
05 Dizzy Gillespie--Manteca 03:06
06 Joe Henderson--No More Blues (Chega De Saudade) 06:41
07 Paul Desmond--Theme Form Black Orpheus 04:11
08 Paquito Drivera--Whos Smoking 08:03
09 Ray Barretto--Johnny Come Lately 05:27
10 Luis Bonilla--Escucha 03:49
11 Jim Tomlinson--Shes A Carioca 03:40
12 Alex Wilson--Havana Thoroughfare 04:29
13 Hilton Ruiz--Mr. Kenyatta 06:33
14 Hector Martignon--Colombaiao 05:53
15 Ruben Gonzalez--Nueva Guajera 04:07

CD2
01 Antonio Carlos Jobim And Elis Regina--Aguas De Marco 03:36
02 Jose Cheo Feliciano--Oye Como Va (Aprieta) 03:14
03 Paula Santoro--The Girl Form Ipanema 03:12
04 Ibrahim Ferrer Con Los Bocucos--Mi Tonada Montuna 05:13
05 Tania Maria--Yatra-Ta 04:23
06 Stacey Kent And Jim Tomlinson--The Gentle Rain 04:25
07 Eliane Elias--Doralice 02:59
08 Antonio Carlos Jobim--Lamento 02:43
09 Celia Cruz--Aguinaldo Antillano 03:06
10 Clare Teal--Madrugada 04:40
11 Flora Purim--Open Your Eyes You Can Fly 04:31
12 Ingrid Laubrock--Beatrice 05:19
13 Mark Murphy--Cantaloupe Island 05:34
14 Saskia--The Look Of Love 03:58
15 Jacqui Dankworth--Nuestro Tema 04:57

CD3
01 Mongo Santamaria--Brazilian Sunset 06:49
02 Poncho Sanchez--Senor Blues 04:22
03 Machito Y Sus Afro-Cubanos And Graciela--Mambo Infie 02:52
04 Tito Puente--Friquilandia 02:49
05 Mario Bauza And Graciela--Guateque De Chomba 03:54
06 Irakere--Homenaje A Beny 08:45
07 Duke Ellington--Caravan 02:49
08 The Bronx Horns--Catch The Feeling 05:59
09 The Brecon Brothers--Grazin In The Grass 04:40
10 Grupo Cabana--Desafinado 04:31
11 Danza Latina--Ran Kan Kan 03:10
12 Trio Da Paz--Keep The Spirits Singing 04:25
13 Coco All Stars--Macho 06:54
14 Perez Prado--Mambo No.5 03:05
15 Eddie Palmieri--Mi Cumbia 03:18

part-1 part-2 part-3

Ritmo De La Noche - Rhythm Of The Night: The Very Best of Latin Jazz

Artist: VA
Title: Ritmo De La Noche - Rhythm of the Night: The Very Best of Latin Jazz
Year Of Release: July 23, 2002
Label: Sony
Genre: Jazz / Latin


Tracklist
--------
1. Watermelon Man - Mongo Santamaria
2. La Cuna - Ray Barretto
3. Street Scenes - David Sanchez
4. Ponteio - Astrud Gilberto/Stanley Turrentine
5. Corazon - Hank Crawford
6. Senor Blues - Herbie Mann
7. Sweet Glenda - Gato Barbieri
8. Stone Flower - Antonio Carlos Jobim
9. Stella By Starlight - Arturo Sandoval
10. Samba De Sausalito - Santana
11. Vera Cruz - Stanley Turrentine
12. A Gozar Con Mi Combo - Cachao
13. Ritmo De La Noche - Al DiMeola
14. Autumn - Ed Calle
15. Eu Vim Da Bahia - Stan Getz
16. Manteca - Paquito D'Rivera


Jazz and Latin music are each irresistible on their own. Ritmo de la Noche combines them with a brilliance that would shame a rainbow. This collection of Latin jazz classics includes jazz men such as flutist Herbie Mann, who embraces tough Cuban rhythms on Horace Silver's "Senor Blues," from 1965, and the Fania All Stars' conga man, Ray Barretto, gliding into smooth-jazz territory with 1979's infectious "La Cuna." Astrud Gilberto brings bossa nova into the mix with the seductive "Ponteio" from 1971, featuring Stanley Turrentine playing the Stan Getz role on sax. Argentina's Gato Barbieri wields his familiar sultry tenor saxophone on the cha-cha-cha "Sweet Glenda," while perennial crossover star Carlos Santana hitches his unmistakable Bay Area barrio rock to 1973's percolating "Samba de Sausalito." The genius of the individual songs is matched by the effortless flow of the entire disc. And seminal selections like Mongo Santamaria's "Watermelon Man" from 1965 benefit from the clean and detailed remastered versions here. --Bob Tarte

DOWNLOAD

Rosalia De Souza - D'Improvviso (2009)

Artist: Rosalia De Souza
Title Of Album: D'Improvviso
Year Of Release: 2009
Genre: Bossa Nova / Lo-Fi
Quality: Mp3
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Total Time: 53:38 min
Total Size: 124 Mb

Tracklist:
--------------
01 - D'Improvviso (3:08)
02 - Samba Longe (4:08)
03 - Bossa 50 (4:27)
04 - Opiniao (3:39)
05 - Amanha (4:13)
06 - Candomble (4:25)
07 - Luiza Manequim (4:45)
08 - 5 Dias De Carnaval (2:51)
09 - O Cantador (3:39)
10 - Carolina Carol Bela (3:10)
11 - Ondina (4:32)
12 - Banzo (4:19)
13 - Sambinha (3:14)
14 - Quem Quiser Encontrar O Amor (3:08)

Download (hotfile.com)
Download (uploadbox)

VA - Far Out Bossa Nova-(2008)

Artist:VA
Title Of Album:Far Out Bossa Nova
Year Of Release:September 2008
Label:FarOut Recordings
Genre:Lo-Fi
Bitrate:188kbps 44100 kHz Joint Stereo
Total Time:13
Total Size:65.5 MB



1 Joyce With Dori Caymmi - Rio Bahia 3:48
2 Zeep - Keep An Eye On Love 2:58
3 Clara Moreno Feat Celso Fonseca - Meu Samba Torto 3:22
4 Marcos Valle - Nova Bossa Nova 4:06
5 Azymuth Feat Roberto Menescal & Sabrina Malheiros - 4:00
Pra Ze
6 The Ipanemas - San Roque 5:09
7 Celia Vaz - Pro Bonfa 3:22
8 Sabrina Malheiros - It's Too Late 3:52
9 Democustico - Rejoycing 2:38
10 Arthur Verocai Feat Ivan Lins - Filhos 3:02
11 Joyce - Berimbau 3:26
12 Clara Moreno - Vem Moreno Vem 2:55
13 Victor Assis Brasil - Dindi 5:05

DOWNLOAD

Azymuth - Butterfly (2008)

Artist: Azymuth
Title Of Album: Butterfly
Year Of Release: 2008
Label: Far Out Recordings
Genre: Jazz
Quality: Mp3
Bitrate: ~190 kbps VBR
Total Time: 44:31 min
Total Size: 66 Mb

Tracklist:
----------
01. Butterfly (4:49)
02. Os Cara La (4:53)
03. Meu Doce Amigo (3:41)
04. Caititu (2:23)
05. Avenida Rio Branco (5:21)
06. New Dawn (4:45)
07. Triagem (3:41)
08. Hole In One (4:03)
09. Morning (5:53)
10. Next Summer In Rio (5:02)

is Rio-based jazz/funk/samba trio have been around since the early 70s and started recording for London's Far Out label two decades later. Butterfly is their latest new material for the label – an agreeably smooth, easy going album that's difficult to dislike, but equally, unless you're a hardcore fan, hard to get hugely excited about, by its very laid back nature.

They call what they do samba doido ('crazy samba') but the samba only really manifests itself surfaces occasionally, with the odd twinge of cuica (friction drum), or as on the extraordinary mid-tune percussion breakdown that busts through the veneer of cruisy jazz funk on Avenida Rio Branco.

The core members Jose Roberto Bertrami (keyboards) Alex Malheiros (bass, acoustic guitar) and drummer Ivan Conti are joined by several excellent guests, most notably flautist/saxophonist Ze Carlos and Arthur Verocai, whose guitar solo on New Dawn seems to have been relocated from the Steely Dan songbook. Vocals are pared right down to the occasional scat, as on the breezy Meu Doce Amigo and the chorus of Os Cara La – ''Os Cara La'' chanted over and over in pleasingly dippy fashion.

Bertrami drizzles tasty liquid honey solos from his Fender Rhodes and Hammond organ, especially sweet on New Dawn, while Conti simply dazzles on the frisky, polyrhythic Triagem, on which it would be easy to imagine Tania Maria as a guest vocalist. And Malheiros is one seriously funky bass player. The sparingly used string section give Herbie Hancock's title track a wonderfully spacey lightness that recalls Chris Bowden's Time Capsule album, and the Hancock influence reappears in the grainy, business-like synth sounds of Hole In One.

What sounds like a reco-reco (guiro) makes a weird gasping effect on both Butterfly and Next Summer In Rio, effectively book ending the album. Okay, so the latter treads a fine line between carefree strolling and pedestrian predictability. This may well be music for airport waiting lounges or perhaps the moving staircases of vacuous tropical shopping malls. But if you insist on going to such places, why not do it in style? (c)

Download (uploadbox)
Download (rapidshare)

Azymuth - Azimuth (Remastered & Remixed) (2007)

Artist: Azymuth
Title Of Album: Azimuth (Remastered & Remixed)
Year Of Release: 2007
Genre: Brazilian Jazz / Funk / Fusion
Quality: Mp3
Bitrate: ~230 kbps VBR
Total Time: 99:26 min
Total Size: 173 Mb

Tracklist:
--------------
CD 1:

01. Linha Do Horizonte (4:25)
02. Melo„ Dos Dois Bicudos (3:05)
03. Brazil (3:54)
04. Seems Like This (4:28)
05. Caca A Raposa (5:07)
06. Estrada Dos Deuses (3:37)
07. Wait for My Turn (2:56)
08. Montreal City (3:15)
09. Morning (3:44)
10. Periscopio (7:32)

CD 2:

01. Melo„ Dos Dois Bicudos - Harmonic 313 (4:08)
02. Wait For My Turn - Spiritual South (7:23)
03. Linha Do Horizonte - Mr. Beatnick (5:43)
04. Montreal City - Volcov (4:26)
05. Estrada Dos Deuses - Recloose (5:42)
06. Seems Like This - As One (6:49)
07. Periscopio - Marc Mac for 4 Hero (6:02)
08. Morning - Peanut Butter Wolf (3:37)
09. Caca A Raposa - DJ Venom (4:39)
10. Linha Do Horizonte - Kashmeer Brothers (3:35)
11. Wait For My Turn - Yam Who? (5:19)


"This 1974 debut from psychedelic Brazilian funkateers Azymuth gets the remaster/reissue treatment it deserves. Displaying their unique melding of electric jazz, funk, and the casual swing of Brazilian samba, 'Azimuth' is a classic album and the perfect playground for the remix talent that contributes to the second disc. Peanut Butter Wolf lends a production hand to the breezy, organ-led jazz of "Morning," while remix don Spiritual South deftly reworks "Wait For My Turn" from slo-mo funk into cut 'n' paste samba. The revitalization process continues throughout with new takes on old classics by Recloose, Marc Mac, and Yam Who?" - XLR8R (April '07)

"This long lost Azymuth jewel gets a repress from Far Out - part historical document, part springboard for an album of remixes and re-edits by today's finest producers. The original album is worth checking for the seeds of what would become the Azymuth sound, particularly the Brazilian boogie funk of 'Caca A Raposa'. But the rework album offers some real bullets tho, none smacking harder than the opener 'Melo Dos Dois Bicudos,', which gets the Mark 'Harmonic 33' Pritchard treatment. Well worth checking." - Straight No Chaser (Spring '07)


Download (uploadbox)
Part 1 Part 2 (rapidshare)

Erykah, Chaka and Stevie - Tribute to Diana Ross - Part 1

Les Frères Dejean (1979) -L’Univers

Artist: Les Frères Dejean
Albums: L’Univers
Released: 1979
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 94 MB

Tracklist:
1. L'Humanité
2. Conviction
3. Experience
4. Naïde
5. Yoyo
6. L'univers

Credits:
Bass - Ernst Vincent
Drums - Ulrick Bouzi
Percussion - Camille Dejean
Saxophone - Fred Dejean
Trumpet - André Dejean

DOWNLOAD from:
Letitbit
Rapidshare
Uploaded
Zshare
Filefactory
Zippyshare

crash avion

Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation (2008)

Label: Eighteenth Street Lounge Music
Catalog#: ESL 140
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 23 Sep 2008
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop, Reggae
Style: Reggae, Dub, Trip Hop

Tracklisting:

1- Sound The Alarm (3:41)
2-Mandala (4:00)
3- Radio Retaliation (3:27)
4- Vampires (4:57)
5- Hare Krsna (3:28)
6- El Pueblo Unido (3:35)
7- (The Forgotten People) (3:11)
8- 33 Degree (3:48)
9- Beautiful Drug (3:27)
10- La Femme Parallel (4:29)
11- Retaliation Suite (2:54)
12- The Numbers Game (3:02)
13- The Shining Path (3:38)
14- Blasting Through The City (3:31)
15- Sweet Tides (4:48)

MP3
RapidShare Part 01 Part 02

Whitefield Brothers - In the Raw (2009)

Artist: Whitefield Brothers
Title Of Album: In the Raw
Year Of Release: Mar-10-2009
Label: Now and Again
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Genre: Funk
Quality: MP3 / Joint Stereo


Description:
Poets of Rhythm founding members first crucial piece of the funk spectrum recorded as The Whitefield Brothers. A wear-your heart-on-your-sleeve, hypnotic, defiantly psychedelic funk album that is as modern as it is grounded in the great musical traditions from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

TRACKLIST
-------------
01- Rampage [03:53]
02- Chokin' [02:57]
03- Weiya (Serengeti Beat) [06:08]
04- In the Raw [04:16]
05- Prowlin' [05:52]
06- Yakuba [03:15]
07- Weiya [01:23]
08- Witch-Jam [02:54]
09- EJI [03:43]
10- Sol Walk [03:31]
11- Thunderbird [04:03]
12- Buster [03:03]

- Clique Aki:

Outra Função - Destaque de televisão

Não posto muito coisa de Rap nacional porque acho que tem pouca coisa de qualidade saindo ultimamente,mas esse ahe merece um confere.....
Direto de São Jose dos Campos,confere ahe a letra o video e tudo + bem loko a parada heinn !!!

Dr. Lonnie Smith - Rise Up!

Artist: Dr. Lonnie Smith
Title Of Album: Rise Up!
Year Of Release: February 17, 2009
Label: Palmetto Records
Genre: Jazz / Funk / Groove
Quality: MP3 / Joint Stereo
Bitrate: VBR kbit/s / 44.1 Khz
Total Time: 62:13 min
Total Size: 81,4 mb

TRACKLIST
------------
01 - A Matterapat 06:47
02 - Come Together 05:07
03 - Pilgrimage 06:49
04 - Daper Dan 07:22
05 - And The World Weeps 07:40
06 - People Make The World Go Round 10:43
07 - Tyrone 06:15
08 - Sweet Dreams 06:47
09 - Voodoo Doll 04:43

- Clique Aki:

Lonnie Smith - Jungle Soul

Tracks:

1. Trouble Man (4:45)
2. Simone (5:22)
3. Jungle Soul (5:43)
4. Willow Weep For Me (7:44)
5. Freedom Jazz Dance (5:55)
6. Blue Moment (7:55)
7. Witch Doctor (9:25)
8. Bemsha Swing (5:54)
9. Zimbabwe (5:58)
10. Jungle Wisdom (4:07)

- Clique Aki:

Afro Beats

Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Nigerian Blues Label.




Nigeria Disco Funk Special Label.



Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump Label:





African Scream Contest: Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds Label:



Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - The Vodoun Effect: Funk and Sato from Benin's Obscure Label Label: Analog Africa




Francophonic: A Retrospective Vol. 1 1953-1980 Label: Sterns Arc LTD




Kon & Amir: Off Track, Vol. 2: Queens Label: Bbe




Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba, Vol. 1 Label:



Don't Stop: Recording Tap Label:

Beastie Boys - Pauls Boutique (20th Anniversary Edition) (Remastered) [2oo9]

Artist : Beastie Boys
Title : Paul's Boutique
Year : 2oo9
Label : Capitol Records
Genre : Hip-Hop
Store Date : Feb-10-2009
Encoder : Lame 3.97 / -V2 --vbr-new
Time : 53:13 min
Size : 63,7 mB

:: T R A C K L i S T ::
01. To All The Girls "01:29
02. Shake Your Rump "03:18
03. Johnny Ryall "03:02
04. Egg Man "02:58
05. High Plains Drifter "04:13
06.The Sounds Of Science "03:12
07. 3-Minute Rule "03:39
08. Hey Ladies "03:48
09. 5-Piece Chicken Dinner "00:23
10. Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun "03:29
11. Car Thief "03:40
12. What Comes Around "03:08
13. Shadrach "04:08
14. Ask For Janice "00:11
15. 59 Chrystie Street "00:57
16. Get On The Mic "01:14
17. Stop That Train "01:59
18. A Year And A Day "02:22
19. Hello Brooklyn "01:32
20. Dropping Names "01:03
21. Lay It On Me "00:54
22. Mike On The Mic "00:48
23. Awol "01:46


:: i N F O ::
When The Beastie Boys hit platinum with their debut album, they
were instantly labeled the Elvises of rap, accused of being just
another bunch of white musicians stealing from black music. But
what was overlooked was that the Beasties actually ... Full
Descriptionhad some interesting ideas to take hip hop to new
levels. While in the years to come other white rappers like
Vanilla Ice and Jesse Jaymes would prove they were the true
cultural thieves, the Beasties defended themselves by recording a
seminal rap album, PAUL'S BOUTIQUE. The record was, in fact, so
legit that it eroded their commercial appeal in middle America.

PAUL'S BOUTIQUE is a sample-fest--a post-modern epic of cut and
splice studio wizardry. Taking snippets of music from sources as
disparate as Curtis Mayfield, The Beatles, B.D.P., The Ramones and
The Jaws soundtrack (as well as countless others), they built
songs out of the debris of modern culture. Over these mind-blowing
tracks, they weaved tall tales, self-promotional proclamations and
sheer non-sense into a singular vision of inspired lunacy. Besides
Public Enemy, no one else was producing albums as complex as this.
PAUL'S BOUTIQUE sounds two or three years ahead of its time,
perhaps this is why the album was considered such a failure upon
its release.

Whatever the case, there really is no album that sounds quite like
this one does; the Beasties returned to the top of the charts a
few years later with CHECK YOUR HEAD, but they may never be able
to top the originality and depth of their stunning sophomore
effort.

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7813382

- Clique Aki:

password : magesy

Voices Of East Harlem - Right On Be Free (remastered & expanded) - 1970

The Voices Of East Harlem were a community choir that grew from an inner city action project in 1969. A fluid 20-member ensemble whose ages ranged from 12 to 21, their music mixed devotional gospel fervor with commercial R&B and soul, and included lead vocalists Gerri Griffin and Monica Burress. Coming to the attention of Elektra boss Jac Holzman via their producer Jerry Brandt, they were signed in 1970 for their debut “Right On Be Free”, which showcased a diverse song selection from Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth, to Richie Haven’s “Run Shaker Life”, all performed in their distinctive high-energy style. A follow-up single “Oxford Town” appeared in 1971, produced by Donny Hathaway who was scheduled to produce a second Elektra album, rumoured to have been called “Brothers & Sisters”; the session logs actually refer to it as “Nation Time” (written by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff). Both sides of the Elektra 45 plus the other aborted tracks from these sessions appear on this remastered & expanded edition for the first time in 36 years, and are bolstered by the last single “Angry” plus two live tracks recorded at the “Soul To Soul” concert in Ghana in 1971.


1. Right on Be Free 3:48
2. Simple Song of Freedom 4:04
3. Proud Mary 2:49
4. Music in the Air 3:19
5. Oh Yeah 1:34
6. For What It's Worth 3:32
7. Let It Be Me 3:24
8. No No No 4:03
9. Gotta Be a Change 2:39
10.Shaker Life 6:51
11.Oxford Town [*] 3:00
12.Sit Yourself Down [*] 2:14
13.Nation Time [*] 2:52
14.I Wanna Be Free [*] 3:59
15.Hey Brother [*] 2:42
16.Love Is the Answer [*] 2:47
17.Kind Woman [*] 4:54
18.Angry [*] 2:39
19.(We Are) New York Lightning [*] 2:54
20.Run Shaker Life [*] 5:49
21.Soul to Soul [*] 2:23

* Bonus tracks.



The Voices Of East Harlem comprised of:
Gerri Griffin (lead vocals)
Monica Burress (lead vocals)
Bernard Graham
Wayne Garfield
Jerome Mack
Elaine Clark
Cynthia Sessions
Kevin Griffin
Claudia Moore

Voices band:
Bob Ealey (drums)
Johnny Serrano (organ)
Leslie Maynard (organ)

Accompanying the Voices on 1-10:
Chuck Rainey or Jerry Jemmot - (bass)
Patty Bown (piano)
Richard Tee (organ)
Montego Joe or Ralph McDonald - (conga)
Cornell Dupree (guitar)

Possibly(!) accompanying the Voices on 11-17:
Phil Upchurch (guitar)
Willie Weeks (bass)
Fred White (drums)

Tracks 20-21 recorded live at the 'Soul to Soul' festival in Accra, Ghana, 1971.

Jerry Brandt, producer (1-10)
Donny Hathaway, producer (11-17),
T Davilio/S Vincent, producer (18-19),
Tom Dowd, producer (20-21)

- Clique Aki:

ALBINO! Live In San Francisco

Live in San Francisco was recorded in July of 2006 during ALBINO’s performance at the Second Annual Afrofunk Festival. “We were amazed by how well the ecstatic energy of ALBINO’s live set was captured in this recording so we knew we had to release it as soon as we heard it,” says the band’s co-founder and tenor saxophonist Nathan Endsley.

According to the SF Weekly, "ALBINO's ass-inspiriting percussive engine comes from a rhythm section of local all-stars; together, they form rhythms based in the West African tradition which holds at its heart the inseparable union of drumming and dance. Atop the band's rhythmic maelstrom ride tightly figured five-part horn lines. The section's 'heavy heavy' bottom end features a snarling dual baritone-sax yawp. This is world music that lives up to the name."

In keeping with the revolutionary message central to Fela’s Afrobeat legacy, the majority of songs on Live in San Francisco offer scathing sociopolitical commentary and urgent calls to civic action. For example, “Deconstruction of the Transitional Movement” confronts the erosion of American civil liberties in the name of national security. “Are We Safe Yet?” questions our current administration’s misdirected military aggression in Iraq and its perpetuation of a culture of fear in the name of counter-terrorism. Furthermore, “No Go Sell Me” is a tirade against consumer culture and the advertising industry’s pollution of the media. Finally, “Puppet Boy” skewers a certain incompetent, fraudulently elected Chief Executive by pulling back the curtain to expose the ominous forces Roving behind this figurehead.

- Clique Aki:

Albino-Rhino

The SF Music Award-winning ALBINO! is a ten-piece Afrobeat ensemble that honors the fiery legacy of Nigerian musical revolutionary Fela Kuti. ALBINO's high-energy grooves and explosive stage show thick with hypnotic percussion, a heavy horn section, African dance, outrageous costumes, and infectious group choreography have established the band as the West Coast's premier Afrobeat act.

- Clique Aki:

- Introducing the Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble

"Excellent debut!" - The Village Voice

"Dancers crowded the stage until the last downbeat." - New York Times

"The band tears through a propulsive set of original horn and percussion driven compositions." - Global Rhythm Magazine

"In Akoya's debut CD, Afrobeat's cross-cultural rhythm materials are as intense as rhythmic energies fused with modern jazz tonality and musicality. This is a great album that everyone will truly enjoy." - Lawrence Nii Nartey, The African Show, WKCR 89.9FM NYC

"In 2005, Voted as one of Next 100 Upcoming Bands. Akoya is developing a reputation for whipping dance floors into a frenzy with their fusion of African, Afro-Cuban, Jazz and Funk music...Akoya is poised to make an impact in the budding global Afrobeat movement." – URB Magazine

Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble takes to the stage an explosion of dance rhythms. Featuring members from Panama, Ghana, Benin, South Africa, Japan and the US, this 13-piece ensemble embraces unity and positive vibrations. The group features lead vocalist Kaleta, who for 10 years performed and recorded with the immortal Fela Kuti and Egypt 80. He has also toured with Femi Kuti as well as the legendary King Sunny Ade. Their debut CD "Introducing The Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble" has been very well received, as it has been getting regular airplay on radio stations in South Africa, Nigeria, Benin, France, London and Panama, as well as New York's WKCR, WBLS, WBAI, and WFMU.

- Clique Aki: