Ernie's El Dorado Pt 18 - Paraguay

And we roll into Paraguay. Perhaps the most interesting fact I learned while doing what passes for research was that it is the only country in Latin America where the indigenous language is still more commonly spoken than the language of their colonisers - 90% of the population speak Guarani compared with 85% who speak Spanish. Good for them. 

There is also a sizable German-speaking minority, most of them highly respectable and no relation to Nazi war criminals, the former dictator Stroessner or the failed Aryan settlement set up by Nietzche's sister in the 1880s.

We will make a couple of brief nods to Paraguay's cultural mix today. But compared to most other stops on the tour I've not been able to find out much information about many of the acts that we are featuring in the post, and there is also a bias towards more recent music as that comprises the bulk of what is on Bandcamp. So rather than attempting to construct my usual compelling narrative to accompany the music we are just going to whack through them alphabetically.

Which is why we are kicking off with some Paraguayan prog. The band is called Agharta, this track is on a demo recorded in 2015 and there has been no sign of them on social media since 2018. That's all I've got.

Next, El Brujo y Sus Cromaticos, a "tropical noise" band from Asuncion. This track is on a 2020 compilation from the Música Okápe label and they have two more on Spotify where you can join their 12 monthly listeners. I quite like their Arabian and jazz influenced take on cumbia music.

I have just spotted that the line-ups of both bands include a Marcelo Fonseca. Is he the same person or are they ten a penny in Paraguay? Who knows.

My favourite act of those we are featuring today is Jodi, two brothers of German descent who studied under Stockhausen and who made all sorts of weird and occasionally wonderful noises in the 1970s in a homemade studio in their parent's basement. 

None of these recordings were released outside Paraguay and Argentina at the time, many of them were never released at all until 2016 when the Guerssen label started putting out a series of releases. This track comes from "Pops De Vanguardia", originally released in 1971, but all the albums are worth a listen.

As with El Brujo, you can thank the Música Okápe label for our next selection. Las Hijas De La Alquimia released an EP titled "Ánga Mestiza" (Mestizo Soul) in 2022  According to the sisters: "We chose the name because the soul is our primary source of inspiration when composing, and "mestiza" (mixed) because of our Guarani heritage—because we are from everywhere and part of the whole". So now you know.

Los 3 Sudamericanos were a sort of Paraguayan Peter, Paul & Mary who formed in 1959 and who enjoyed a lot of success internationally after relocating to Spain in the mid 1960s. This track comes from a 1969 EP released on the magnificently but misleadingly named Belter label.

From the Paraguayan PP&M we move to a sound that can perhaps best be described as Joe Meek does polka. Los Electrónicos Disonantes were apparently very popular domestically in the 1960s and 1970s. And why wouldn't they be? This track appears to be a medley of Guarani folk tunes and comes from their album "Un Domingo En Buenos Aires". 

Bringing us much more up to date is Sandy Pylos. No, not the ancient seat of King Nestor that features in Homer's work but the Paraguayan artist of the same name (although I could tell you a good deal more about the ancient seat of King Nestor than I can about her). Her real name is Ana Belén, she is now based in Portland Oregon, and this was the lead single from her 2023 album "Notas de Voz".

We end, as all things must, with some MAR. This skanking little number is provided by Tempranos and appears on their self-titled album from 2014. All the blurb tells us is that they play rocksteady and reggae but you could probably work that out for yourself.

"Sombranos" - Agharta

"Cumbia Babilónica" - El Brujo y Sus Cromaticos

"Reflexiones Heladas" - Jodi

"Calma la Ansiedad" - Las Hijas De La Alquimia

"Corazón Contento" - Los 3 Sudamericanos

"Seleccion De Guaranias En Ritmo De Shake" - Los Electrónicos Disonantes 

"La Modelo de Mis Fantasias" - Sandy Pylos

"El Regreso Sel Luison" - Tempranos

Pun Fun 6: The Contenders

Voting is now open for Pun Fun 6. 

You were challenged to insert a reference to herbs or spices into a popular song title, and you have come up with a veritable potpourri of puns. Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry.

Unfortunately the anonymous commentator who suggested "Cumin Feel The Noize" never got in touch to submit that as an official entry, so you can't vote for it. But there are plenty more ace aromatic puns to choose from. Will it be a herb or a spice that carries off the crown? Will the chive, dill, mace and bay leaf votes get split letting other contenders surge past? That's all down to you lot.

Voting is open to all readers not just those who entered. Let me know your top five in order of preference. I'll award 7 points for every first choice, 5 for second and then 3, 2 and 1 for the rest.

You can either submit your votes in the comments section below or by email to leggies27@hotmail.co.uk if you would rather preserve the sanctity of the ballot. 

The deadline is next Sunday (31 May). We will announce the results a week today. 

Here are the contenders, listed alphabetically by artist. 

1. Stand Down Marjoram - The Beat
2. Chive Talking - The Bee Gees
3. Turmeric! Turmeric! Turmeric! (To Everything There Is A Seasoning) - The Byrds
4. Bay Leaf Christina - Chicory Tip
5. What A Fool Bay Leaves - The Doobie Brothers
6. Sexy Chives - Dr Hook
7. Oregano Flow – Enya
8. The Bitterest Dill (I Ever Had To Swallow) - The Jam
9. Love Dill Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
10. Saffron And On - Longpigs
11. Parsley Dutchie - Musical Youth
12. Don't Kala Namak in Anger - Oasis
13. Rose Of Cinnamon – Poco
14. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Mace – Roberta Flack
15. Thyme Is On My Side - The Rolling Stones
16. It Mustard Been Love - Roxette
17. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mace Elf Agin) - Sly & the Family Stone
18. William It Was Really Nutmeg - The Smiths

If you want to sing along with the missing hit mentioned above now's your chance.

 

Battle Resumes

Me and Swiss Adam (of Bagging Area fame) have been having a friendly competition to see who can come up with the most Japanese psych bands. At the start of the month he posted a track by The Boredoms; this is my delayed response.

Kuunatic are an all-female trio from Tokyo who describe their sound as "tribal dreamy tale music". The blurb from Glitterbeat, the label which has released both their albums, expands on this, calling it: "a mix of psychedelic garage and prog rock, ritual drumming, chanting female vocals, lush keyboard textures and Japanese folk instruments".

I saw them live in London in 2022. It was quite an experience. Dressed in white robes they hopped about doing all of the above but turned up to 11.

Kuunatic's two albums to date are "Gates Of Kluna" (2021) and "Wheels Of Odom" (2025). You can find both albums and other bits and pieces on their Bandcamp page. Here is a track from each.

"Desert Empress Pt 1" - Kuunatic

"Yellow Serpent" - Kuunatic

George may wish to note that this live video includes prog flute (starting just before the two minute mark).

Tanzanian Tourist Board

I've recently returned from a trip to Tanzania - a couple of days work followed by a week's holiday. I had a great time. It is a beautiful country and the locals are very friendly. I would love to go back and see more of it if I get the chance.

In the time I had available I limited myself to Fumba in Zanzibar - with a side trip to Stone Town - and Arusha on the mainland, with a side trip to the Ngorongoro crater and conservation area. The crater, formed when a volcano imploded a couple of million years ago, is one of the most stunning places it has ever been my privilege to visit. In the unlikely event you are interested you can find photos of the views and wildlife along with my other holiday snaps on Flickr.

The only disappointing bit of the trip was the inability to track down any live or recorded music, but I did visit a couple of music-related sites in Stone Town. The first was the Freddie Mercury Museum, housed in one of his childhood homes.  

The other was the Dhow Countries Music Academy, located up a rickety staircase in an alley near Jaws Corner and dedicated to music education and preserving Zanzibar's musical traditions. One such tradition is the genre known as taarab, and the Academy had a display devoted to the pioneering taarab singer Siti Binti Saad.

Siti was born in about 1880 in Fumba, not far from where I was staying, and became the pre-eminent taarab performer of her time (arguably of all time). In 1928 she became the first East African artist to be recorded for those new-fangled phonographs and she went on to record over 250 songs before her death in 1950.

I don't know that Arusha can claim anyone quite that iconic but Arusha Jazz, formed there by the Kiyonga brothers in 1970, went on to bestride the East African music scene like a colossus for the best part of 20 years after changing their name to Simba Wanyika.

"Nilikwenda Matembezi" - Siti Binti Saad

"Nakupenda" - Simba Wanyika

Interesting fact: tying your mother down during religious festivals was a longstanding tradition among the Zoroastrian community in Zanzibar of which the Bulsara family were part. Hence this song.   

And in unrelated news...

Pun Fun 6: The Theme

After a short break we return with the sixth instalment of Pun Fun. The theme is inspired by my recent visit to Zanzibar, referred to as the Spice Islands back in the days when it was a major trading hub and the world's leading producer of cloves. It is:

HERBS AND SPICES

You know the rules by now - one entry only, all entries to be sent to leggies27@hotmail.co.uk by Sunday 24 May. Voting opens next Monday.

If you need some inspiration this list of herbs and spices might help. And if that doesn't do the trick, here is another Herb and several Spices.

May And Away

Today's headline: May has arrived. Now over to Lisa Knapp for further details.

"May Garland" - Lisa Knapp

Things are going to be fairly quiet around for the next couple of weeks. On Sunday I am off on my travels - a few days' work followed by a few days' holiday. 

Given the alleged nature of my work it would not be appropriate for me to reveal where I'm going. There is no point for looking for clues about my itinerary in the songs selected for this post, you won't find any. They are as random as one of Charity Chic's Saturday Shuffles.

And before you ask, yes it is that Mike Harding. Coming soon, Richard Digance sings hits from the golden age of Khmer Soul.

"Zanzibar" - Edu Lobo

"Arusha Market" - Mike Harding

"Ngorongoro" - sw.robin

"Tanzania In Dub" - Kutiman

We'll be back on Monday 18 May with Pun Fun 6. Until then, stay groovy.

Ernie's El Dorado Pt 17 - Panama

So we've made it down to Panama. At first I thought about recreating the playlist the US used to get General Noreiga to leave the sanctity of the Vatican Embassy and surrender back in 1989 but having now read it I think that might be classified as a war crime (if only because it includes Lee Greenwood).

We'll get to the actual music shortly but first a few quick random facts. Panama's border with Colombia is where the two American continents meet. Scotland briefly had a colony there that proved so financially ruinous it is considered to have contributed to the Act of Union. The hats don't come from there. Their football team will be playing England in the World Cup in June. And I believe there is some sort of canal.

When it comes to Panamanian music there is really nowhere you can start except with Rubén Blades. He made his first album in 1970 and apart from a five year stint as the Minister of Tourism in the 2000s has been recording and performing regularly ever since. In that time he has won 12 Grammys and a further 12 Latin Grammys. He also had a pretty successful acting career in parallel.

The song that I've chosen is from his 1977 album "Metiendo Mano" and it addresses the treatment of the native population in Latin America's colonial times. The album is a collaboration with Willie Colon and their follow-up "Siembra" is apparently still the biggest selling salsa album of all time.

The next biggest name on the Panamanian salsa scene was Francisco Buckley, known as Bush for reasons unclear. He was most prominent in the 1970s and 1980s when he fronted groups known variously as Su Nuevo Sonido, Sus Magnificos or simply Su Orquesta. It was under the latter name that he released this track in 1989 and it was a smash hit despite its lyrical complexity. You can find it on the album "¡Ahora O Nunca!".

The global centre for salsa music is New York City, and that was where Ralph Weeks found himself back in the late 1960s. Ralph was more of a Latin soul man and while in NYC gigged regularly with his band as Ralph & The Telecasters. Their most popular number was "Something Deep Inside". Back in Panama in 1972 he cut a Spanish version, which is the one I have gone with. 

The Names You Can Trust label reissued both of them a few years back, and also teamed Ralph up with Combo Lulo in 2019 to make new reggae-tinged versions of both songs. Ralph's voice sounds as good on them as it does on the originals nearly 50 years before.

We will get to the actual Mandatory American Reggae in due course but first we have some calypso and soca for you. Sir Jablonski provides the former; this track is one of the highlights of the fine Soundway Records compilation "Panama! 2 (Latin Sounds, Cumbia Tropical & Calypso Funk On The Isthmus 1967-77)". 

The soca comes from The Beachers who are celebrating 50 years in the business this year. Their 2019 album "Cincuenta" is packed with fun soca and calypso tunes.

Los Timidos were a pioneering Panamanian punk band formed in 1987. In 1995 they recorded an album called "Crónicas de Lujurias" (Chronicles of Lust), some tracks of which are randomly available as free downloads on Bandcamp. This tribute to salted cod is one of them. Other than that I know nothing about them.

I know a good deal more about Yejo Cedeño and his (literally) banging tunes thanks to a highly informative article in El Ciglo Panama, the title of which Google rashly claims can be translated as "the man who sings and performs traditional songs under the awnings". 

Yejo is a traditional musician who is following in the footsteps of his late father. He performs in the saloma style, described as "characterized by high-pitched, melodic shouts", as you shortly be able to confirm. Today's track is from his 2017 album "Ya Amaneció".

Finally we come to the MAR slot. Pureza Natural are doing the honours this time out. They've been putting the R in Panama-r since 2005 and appear as guests on one track on The Beachers album that I was raving about earlier. Today's pick comes from their own album "Larga Distancia" that came out in 2015.

"Plantación Adentro" - Rubén Blades

"Bum, Bum, Bum" - Bush y Su Orquesta

"Algo Muy Profundo" - Ralph Weeks

"Juck Juck Pt. 1" - Sir Jablonski

"Mama Lele" - The Beachers

"Bacalao" - Los Timidos

"Delen Gusto A La Cantina" - Yejo Cedeño 

"Ramón Miseria" - Pureza Natural