Sofrito – Tropical Discotheque (Strut Records, 2011)
Tropical Discotheque is a excellent collection of international roots-based dance music put together by Sofrito, one of the leading tropical music collectives in the UK. Behind Sofrito are DJs Hugo Mendez and Frankie Francis.
For their first compilation, Sofrito selected Afro-rooted cuts representing Colombian cumbia, Congolese soukous, Caribbean soca and calypso, and African highlife.
The cumbia cuts by Banda Los Hijos De La Niña Luz and Quantic Y Su Conjunto Los Miticos Del Ritmo are specially appealing. This is the rootsy Colombian cumbia, with deep African roots, not the watered down pop versions that are circulating in other countries.
The irresistible funky soca sounds of Mighty Shadow’s ‘Dat Soca Boat’ was quite a discovery. Other highlights include ‘Carnival Long Ago ‘ by The Roaring Lion and ‘Yiri Yiri Boum’ by Gnonnas Pedro.
The album’s title, Sofrito, comes from a popular sauce originally from Spain which consists of garlic, onion, and tomatoes cooked in olive oil. It is also widely found in Spanish-speaking America where recipes vary, incorporating additional ingredients such as cilantro.
Buy the album:
- In North America: Sofrito – Tropical Discotheque.
- In Europe: Sofrito – Tropical Discotheque.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
