International Recommendations May 2015

Review: Time for some Brazilian psychedelic boogie straight from 78. Erstwhile lead singer in Os Mutantes, with a personality thrice as big as the soaking wet bassline on "Agora E Moda", Rita Lee is no stranger to her motherland - even now. Flip for a huge soul injection courtesy of Pete Dunaway. Sounding English in every direction (from his name to his lyrics to the stunning, string-coated arrangement) he's actually Sao Paulo born and is a renowned multi-instrumentalist. Check this and you can tell in an instant. Stunning.

Review: Freestyle lay down a marker for African Party, their upcoming Ginger Johnson retrospective with this crucial 7" sampler. If you are not familiar with Ginger that's probably because he's an unsung hero of promoting African music in Europe; arriving in London from Nigeria in the late 40s, Johnson established himself as the pre-eminent Afro-Latin percussionist in Europe by the '60s. Dip into his discography and you'll uncover credits on tracks for Rolling Stones and Quincy Jones, whilst Ginger also acted as mentor to a young Fela Kuti. Freestyle seem to have timed this Ginger Johnson & His African Messengers 7" perfectly to arrive just as the sun hits London and listening to the vibrant percussive bump of "I Jool Omo" has us craving the forthcoming album.

Review: A tale of two sides, Azimuth's classic "Manha" should be recognisable to many; taken from their self-titled LP in 1975, its golden harmonies and lavish, lolloping Bob James style jazz are as timeless as they were 40 years ago. Flip for "America Latina". Conjured by prolific collaborator Osmar Milito (whose discography features the likes of Sammy Davis Jr, Spanky Wilson and Liza Minelli), its striking, sing-along charms are no accident... It was actually created for 70s Brazilian soap opera Selva De Pedra.