Afropop Worldwide

The wonderfully named Habibi Funk Records has released the third installment of their mix series, presenting some phenomenal funk, soul and psych that label boss Jannis Stürtz picked up on a recent trip to North Africa. Stürtz (also a co-founder of Jakarta Records) discovered incredible rare vinyl from the ‘60s and ‘70s in his travels, including records from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan and Lebanon. What holds them all together is the inspired mixtures of Western influences with traditional styles, creating something unique and exciting from familiar sources. The mix opens with “Alech,” a track by a Tunisian band, Dalton, formed by students at University of Tunis in 1968. The song features some incredibly funky bass playing, soothing harmonies, and an outrageously catchy chorus. The track is available, along with another Dalton song called “Soul Brother,” for pre-order from Habibi Funk. The label was able to track down Dalton’s former bandleader, Faouzi Chekili, who still performs regularly in Tunis. Stürtz is also working on re-releasing music by Fadaul, the “Moroccan James Brown,” whose family he finally located after a two-year search. Check out the full mix below and stay tuned for more astonishing finds from Habibi Funk!