One month into 2022 and it could be worse. Okay, the weather in Berlin is dreary as is wearing a mask to do anything beyond the threshold of your own humble abode, but hey, there's always the world wide web and the abundance of musical retreats to fill the vacuum. That being said, here comes our latest Greedio selection of 20 extraordinary releases and discoveries from around the globe and the past month.
Our "Greedio X January '22" selection features the lead single of Venezuelan singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Isaac Sasson's debut full-length "Canciones de Isaac", recently released on Olindo Records, the wonderful one-off track "Sal Si Puedes" ('get out if you can') by Oakland duo Ocote Soul Sounds, a new 7" by Melbourne's cinematic soul journeymen Surprise Chef reinterpreting Minoru Muraoka’s 1970-released "The Positive and the Negative", and Tel Aviv jazz drummer extraordinaire Amir Bresler teaming up with fellow Tel Avivian producer Rejoicer on an experimental sneak preview of Bresler's forthcoming debut solo LP, which connects wonderfully to Middle Eastern psych monsters Ouzo Bazooka and an oriental twister off their fifth studio album. And that was just the first five...
Next up is Indian singer-songwriter Neha Bhasin with her rendition of a Punjabi folk song that we heard at a friend's birthday party and loved off the bat, followed by the title track to French-Creole four-piece Dowdelin's brand-new album on Underdog Records, a banging new afrobeat track by Israeli jack-of-all-trades Kutiman collaborating with Kenyan rapper Mejja, Ghana's number one Frafra gospel artist Alogte Oho and his Sounds of Joy with a swinging new two-tracker on Philophon and then a vintage Peruvian chicha track from the Discos Horóscopo imprint performed by Los Shapis that will blow your mind and leave you feeling slightly tipsy (read more here).
We remain in latin territory, but up the tempo with a raucously bouncy track off the cathartic new album "IRE" by New York's cumbia-not-cumbia outfit Combo Chimbita (tip!), paving the way to the drum-led 'old world' ritualistic chants of Haitian vodou musician Gaston "Bonga" Jean-Baptiste and the exhilarating 'new world' DIY soundscapes of Tel Aviv's El Khat heralding his forthcoming second album "Aalbat Alawi Op.99" on Glitterbeat Records, then moving on to the mystical Malian compositions of Abdoulaye Kone, aka Kandiafa's 2020-released album "Planting Trees", and coming to rest behind Nigerian drummer and percussionist Solomon Ilori and his Afro-Drum Ensemble's "Ise Oluwa" ('God's work is indestructable'), a track found on his 1963 debut album "African High Life".
Belgian independent reissue imprint Planet Ilunga recently posted a track by Italian actress and singer Maria Monti, taken from her 1974-released album "Il Bestiario", pointing out that it was actually a reinterpretation of Congolese guitarist Jean-Bosco Mwenda's 1952-released track "Masanga", but that unfortunately Mwenda had not been credited. We saw it fitting to add both tracks, gorgeous in their own right. We then move on to South America, staying true to the 'guitar' with the title track to contemporary Brazilian jazz bandolinist Hamilton de Holanda's new album "Maxixe Samba Groove", pay tribute to the recently deceased, iconic Brazilian samba singer Elza Soares, collaborating with fellow Brazilian guitarist and composer João de Aquino and, in closing, listen to French saxophonist Laurent Bardainne and Tigre d'Eau Douce summoning the astral jazz spirits on his grooving new album "Hymne au Soleil" on Heavenly Sweetness.
We invite you to preview the full selection via the player below or head directly to our Spotify channel for more musical goodness. And do leave us a heart if you feel so inclined. Obrigado!