Two seminal releases of two of our very favorite—and very
different—musical styles are getting that deluxe vinyl reissue
treatment: Ali Farka Touré’s famous Red album,
reissued on vinyl for the first time since its 1984 release, and the
compilation from the legendary Colombian label Disco Fuentes, Cumbia
Cumbia 1 & 2.
World Circuit also put out a snappy animated video to accompany the release of Cumbia Cumbia, so hit play as we go over the details.
Cumbia comes
out March 26 on limited edition red and blue vinyl. Over 30 tracks,
it traces the history of Colombian
cumbia from 1954 through
1988. If you mostly know cumbia through its Peruvian electric
guitar-filled strains, or the slicker, modern dancefloor packers,
you’re in for a treat. Label founder Antonio Lopez Fuentes was also
an arranger, producer and musician in his own right, and his releases
share a heavy, earthy percussive
sound, abounding with
melodies that bounce between big brassy combos, accordions and
clarinets.
Ali Farka Touré’s Red is a classic of Tuareg guitar music, a touchpoint for Tinariwen and entry point for Ry Cooder. Recorded in 1982 with percussionist Hama Sankare, their voices seem to meld into one instrument over Touré’s characteristic kaleidoscopic guitar work and Sankare’s briliantly minimal calabash percussion. No word on what color this vinyl’s going to be, and it was famously released without any liner notes, hence earning its name from the color of the original sleeve. Still, if World Circuit's previous vinyl reissues are any indication, it's reasonable to expect the reissue to be a bit more fleshed out. We frankly can't wait to report on what we find.
Preorder Cumbia Cumbia 1 & 2 right here, and Red right here.
