Grupo Irakere - Grupo Irakere

Grupo Irakere — Grupo Irakere

LP with obi strip

Sublime Afro-Cuban jazz from 1976 by the legendary Grammy-winning band!

Includes the much-loved dance floor filler "Chequere-Son"

For the second instalment in Mr. Bongo's Cuban Classics series, we proudly present this sought-after slice of sublime Afro-Cuban jazz from 1976. It comes courtesy of one of Cuba's most influential acts, Grupo Irakere. Founded in 1973 by Chucho Valdés (son of the Cuban pianist and bandleader Bebo Valdés) the group was home to many of Cuba's finest musicians over the years. With an electrifying style and sound, they mixed traditional Cuban music with jazz, funk, and rock.

This self-titled album includes the much-loved, dancefloor heavy-hitter "Chequere-Son," a Latin-jazz funk masterpiece with Cubanized bebop-flavoured horn lines, lush keys, and '70s hip swagger. Though "Chequere-Son" is the keystone of the record, the album is laced with brilliance at every turn, from the Carlos Santana-esque "Iya" with its percussive Latin power, to the sultry, slick and passionate "38 1/2." Pressed on Cuba's state led Areito Records, this cherished Afro-Cuban album has been crying out for a reissue.

1. Chequere-Son

2. 38 1/2

3. En Nosotros

4. Juana 1600

5. Moja El Pan

6. Este Camino Largo

7. Xiomara

8. Iya

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