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Releases
Analog Africa heads out of Africa
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 25 February 2010
Having built its reputation by releasing a series of stunning compilations of rare 70s rock and funk, all dug up by label founder Samy Ben Redjeb, Analog Africa is turning its attentions to another continent altogether for its next release.
‘Mambo Loco’ is a collection of tracks by Colombian accordionist Anibal Velasquez, known by his fans as “El Mago” (The Magician) and one of the most prolific musicians in the country’s Musica Tropica movement, having apparently recorded over 300 albums in his career.
Recalling his discovery of the accordion in the late 40s and early 50s, Velasquez says: “When I started to play the accordion, the instrument was not very popular, it had not become part of Costeno [Colombian Caribbean coast] culture as it was considered a second-class instrument, a bit foreign and awkward, used primarily by campesinos [peasants] in rural towns off the banks of the Rio Magdalena – but we’ve changed that”.
He continues: “One of the turning points was a chance encounter with Robertico Roman, a musician from Cartagena. We both had a deep love for Cuban music and he would often come to my place where we jammed. It was with Robertico Roman that I formed my first band called Los Vallenatos de Magdalena. I made my first recording with that band in 1952”.
The album will be released on 12 Apr, and you can keep up to date with all Analog Africa goings on at analogafrica.blogspot.com
