Mr Bongo

Olli Ahvenlahti is a Finnish pianist, composer and conductor, born in Helsinki, Finland in 1949. A pianist, composer and conductor, Ahvenlahti has been one of leading Finnish Jazz artists since the 70s. He has recorded with several artists and groups including UMO Jazz Orchestra (1977-1982). He went on to become conductor for Finland in, believe it or not, the Eurovision Song Contest, conducting seven entries for the country from 1990 until 1998. Since the 1990s he has worked as a composer and arranger for Finnish radio and television company 'YLE’. 

'The Poet' was originally released on Love Records in Finland in 1976 and is now hard to find and expensive to acquire. The most sought after track 'Grandma's Rocking Chair' became very popular with dancers in the early 90’s London acid/jazz scene due to its pace and percussion, and has appeared on many compilations since. It was reworked by Kenny Dope in 2001 and released on Finnish label 'Jazzpuu’.

This Mr Bongo re-issue is packaged in our new and improved heavyweight card sleeves, pressed on high quality vinyl, with label designs and artwork as per the original release. – Mr Bongo

1967 album from the legendary Brazilian singer, composer & producer, Marcos Valle. Arranged by Eumir Deodato. Superior high-quality audio reproduction - mastered from original tapes. - Linear Notes | Mr Bongo

Seminal Japanese jazz album from 1971. Journeys through jazz fusion, soul and big band moods. Impossible to obtain in its original format, these days.

Hozan Yamamoto was recognised as a "living national treasure" by the Japanese government in 2002. This highly sought-after album from the Japanese wood flute player is more upbeat and swinging than some of his other records. The big band he recorded this album with (Sharps & Flats) played a big part in the genesis of the album’s groove. Forming in 1951, they helped to make jazz popular in Japan after World War II. Yamamoto's flute lines weave over the heavy brass sound and groove, creating an MPS label blending of funky jazz and Japanese vibes. The closest comparison would be Dorothy Ashby's grooviest albums for Chess / Cadet – substituting Yamamoto’s flute for the harp. - Mr Bongo

Super-funky business from Nigerian-born multi-instrumentalist, Peter King; fuses funk, jazz and highlife vibrations.

‘Omo Lewa’ follows his ‘Miliki Sound’ album, also available on Mr Bongo. Recorded in London, originally released in 1976 by Orbitone, this is one of his finest records. - Bandcamp

First official reissue of hidden-gem album by Lagos-based bandleader Shina Williams. 

Shina Williams ‘Agboju Logun’ was a ground-breaking fusion of afrobeat, electronics, boogie and disco. First released on Phonodisk in 1979 as part of the ‘African Dances’ album, then in 1984 as an alternative version on Rough Trade’s Earthwork off-shoot, it has gone on to attain cult-like status. 

So it remains a bit of a mystery how so little has been documented about the follow-up. Shina’s self-titled album was originally released on Help Records in 1980. It differs from the upfront afro-disco-funk of ‘African Dances’ as it diverts into deeper, hypnotic, afro-beat territory. Though listed as a six-track album, each side (composing of 3 tracks) is built-upon one continuous groove with call and response female & male vocals and instrumental solos coming and going as each side progresses. The results are raw, hypnotic, locked-in grooves, which sit perfectly on forward-thinking contemporary dancefloors.  - Mr Bongo

Shape-shifting Canadians Jay Malinowski and Eon Sinclair reunite for their fifth album under the Bedouin Soundclash moniker, an inclusive and enveloping tapestry of sound that stitches together dub, post-punk, electronica, gospel, Afro-pop, swing and New Orleans jazz.

In the digital streaming era, it has never been easier for an auto-didact with a curious impulse to access a wealth of arcane riches from a plethora of cultures, eras and genres of music-making; discovery and immersion awaits at the click of a button. The Torontonian post-punk world-beat duo known as Bedouin SoundClash have been crate-digging and synthesising an array of disparate influences since 2001 and have returned for Mass on the esteemed Mr Bongo imprint, their first record in nearly a decade.

Recorded in Marigny Studios in New Orleans with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and in Vancouver’s St James Church with the children of the St James Music Academy, Mass represents a cacophony of aesthetics and a liberation born from creative immersion, of soaking up the cities and musicians surrounding them. - Vinyl Chapters

Tough, mid-tempo Ghanaian funk & Highlife grooves from Ebo Taylor Junior, son of the mighty Ebo Taylor. Originally released in 1978; now extremely difficult and expensive to find in its original form.

Today Ebo Taylor Jnr plays keys in his fathers band that continues to tour when he is able to.

Official Mr Bongo reissue. Licensed from Ebo Taylor Jnr. - Mr Bongo

"The Skints, have clawed their way up from the depths of the underground punk/ska scene to become a unique fixture on the global reggae stage. Drawing influences as wide as soul, pop, grime, and hardcore, their original brand of “tropical punk” has seen them evolve in to one of the hardest working and most respected bands in UK music. Swimming Lessons is the full-length follow-up to their critically acclaimed and fan-adored last release, FM (2015). It features a thrilling mix of styles, as well as guest appearances by Grammy-nominated artist Protoje, Jesse Royal, and Runkus." - Mr Bongo

Classic Brazilian album from master drummer, Ronald Mesquita, originally released in 1972. Featuring songs by Jorge Ben, Antonio Carlos-Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Edu Lobo and others.

Mesquita is probably most well-known for playing with Luis Carlos Vinhas and his ‘Bossa Tres’ outfit, along with his own group, ‘Ronie E A Central Do Brasil’, that he formed after his return from the US in the early 1970’s. He also played on several songs on Tenorio Jr.’s ‘Embalo’ album that we recently reissued. - Mr Bongo

"Incredibly unique concept album from the one and only, Tom Zé. As featured in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Brazilian Albums of all-time list (2007). 

One of Ze’s finest albums in our opinion, originally released by Continental Brazil in 1976 – a tough one to find at a good price in its original form now.

‘Estudando do Samba’ (or ‘Studying The Samba’) is a post-Tropicalia studio experimentation laiden with layers of hypnotic percussion, effects & samples that deconstructs the ‘samba’ form. Recorded during what was arguably his most creative period.

David Byrne found the record in Rio in the late 90’s and included several songs on his Tom Ze collection for Luaka Bop a few years later. At that time Tom was not recording or touring much; playing low-key shows in Sao Paulo and contemplating a move back to Irará to work at a service station owned by one of his cousins. Byrne’s project helped to reignite his career and he hasn’t looked back since." - Mr Bongo

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“Brilliant self-released, private-press jazz/soul LP from 1975, recorded at Sunset Sound studios in LA. This is the super-rare debut album from SpaceArk, a band of brothers on an interstellar voyage to discover “electrifying new sounds”. It’s another one of those private press treasures – a dynamic group of talents seizing the moment and making magic in an astounding 12-hour turnaround at the legendary Sunset Sound studios.” – Bandcamp

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“For a handful of years in the Seventies, SpaceArk was one of the most promising and electrifying bands in Southern California. Although their music was far greater than the sum of its parts, those parts made for a very original style. R&b, soul, rock, pop, jazz, classical … it all came together in blissful stream of intricate compositions that swept up crowds from US military bases to Northern Soul clubs around the UK. SpaceArk wrote and performed more than 100 songs during their time together. Most of them were not recorded and are now either lost or forgotten.” – Bandcamp

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