Panama!
While browsing through Zulu Records late last year I came across a series of records put out by Soundway Records. Focusing on sharing indigenous music from around world, the people at Soundway are doing amazing things. From their website:
Soundway Records is dedicated to unveiling forgotten chapters from some of the world’s richest musical cultures. From the Highlife, disco and rock sounds of 70s Nigeria to the golden age of Panamanian music, Benin’s Afro-Latin grooves, Colombia’s Champeta and all other forms of Tropical and Afro sounds imaginable. Soundway’s mission is to present the very best in obscure a-sides, b-sides and album cuts that have remained unavailable… until now.
But what really caught my eye that day at Zulu was one of the albums in the series called Panama! Latin, Calypso and Funk on the Isthmus 1965-75. My dad was born and raised in Panama so I thought he might enjoy a CD of music from his homeland (especially considering he’s heading down there for a visit next month). Upon further exploration I found there are actually three albums in the Panama! series (see here and here)…so two were purchased, wrapped, and opened on Christmas Day.
Dad seems to really be enjoying the albums but what I wasn’t expecting was how much I was going to enjoy the music (though I did love that “huge” Tropicalia compilation a few years back); but here I am imploring you to check out some music from a country whose music scene is totally ignored.
Due to Panama’s huge role in world shipping (it has a canal you may have heard of), the music has influences from all over. Obviously funk, calypso, and jazz feature prominently, but there are also some really pop elements and even some rock tones to some of the songs. After listening to two of the albums in the series I’m pretty shocked at the depth of great music that emerged in the 60s and 70s from a relatively small nation. The albums are accompanied by in-depth liner notes and annotations about the original releases of each song. In every respect, Soundway has done an amazing job with the Panama! series.
The following samples are all from the most recent release in the series, Panama! 3: Calypso Panameño, Guajira Jazz & Cumbia Típica on the Isthmus 1960–75.
Download (just short clips):
Lord Panama and The Stickers – Fire Down Below
Soul Apollo with Fredrick Clarke – Chombo Pa’ La Tienda
Ralph Weeks With The Telecasters – Gua Jazz
Los Mozambiques – Llegamos Ya
Great, great stuff.
