We have reached the end of the road. The 23rd and final destination of our musical tour is Venezuela/ South Trumpland (delete as applicable - it is Venezuela at the time of writing but at the rate President Toddler is going who knows what it will be called by the time you read this).
This will be the last tour for the moment, very possibly for good. Even though this is the shortest of the three to date - we visited 27 countries in the EU and 55 in Africa - for some reason it seemed to drag more at times. I'm not sure why. It certainly isn't the quality and variety of the music. Maybe I'm just getting too old for living out of a digital suitcase.
Many thanks to those of you who joined us for parts of the journey. If you missed any of the stops the links are still live - or if you just want the music not the tedious prose that precedes it click here to download the mamacita-lode.
My particular thanks go to our regular travelling companion George for introducing me to the acid rock sounds of the appallingly named Ladies W.C. The band released just one self-titled album in 1968 before it all went down the pan, but some critics consider it to be possibly the most influential Venezuelan album of its era.
We will keep rocking with the next track which comes from an excellent compilation on the Soul Jazz label called "Venezuela 70: Cosmic Visions Of A Latin American Earth". I could have picked any number of groovy tunes from this album but I have gone with this 1971 cracker by Grupo C.I.M. If Discogs is correct it was their only single.
Enough rock. Let's get the Latin party started with a man much more prolific and high profile than either of those bands. Oscar d'Leon a.k.a. The Pharoah of Salsa has been making marvellous music since 1972 when he released his first album with his band Dimension Latina, and became a star across the region with his 1975 hit "Llorarás". This particular track is from his 1994 album "Toitico Tuyo".
Oscar has been rather quiet on the recording front for the last decade or so but is still with us at 83 and seems as popular as ever. Several cities in the USA have designated days in his honour, at least according to the man himself, but every day is Oscar d'Leon day for his fans.
Founded in 1986, Los Amigos Invisibles are almost as long-serving as Mr d'Leon and possibly better known among the hipster community outside Latin America as a result of being "discovered" by David Byrne back in the 1990s. Since parting ways with Luaka Bop around the turn of the century they have continued releasing records on their own Gozadera label to much acclaim. I have chosen the tune that won 'Best Alternative Song' at the 2019 Latin Grammies.
If recent and alternative is your bag then I think you are going to dig our next selection from Insólito UniVerso, a trio of Venezuelans now based in Paris where they hang out with all the cool kids. One such cool kid is Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab who makes a guest appearance on this track from their 2023 album "Ese Puerto Existe". The track also features the sound of bleating goats in a blatant attempt to appeal to George if he can drag himself away from the Ladies' WC.
Marginally less hip than the Insólitos, Los Fantasmas del Caribe were constructed in the early 1990s by a Caracas Simon Cowell who wanted to conquer the tropical pop market. They had a fair amount of success before splitting in 1998 and the lead singer Coyote Dax went on to have a decent solo career after relocating to Mexico. While officially naff they did produce some fun tunes and I must confess to having a bit of a soft spot for this track from 1994's "Mas Y Mas" album.
We are approaching the end of the post and series and will end both some Mandatory American Reggae (MAR). But before we get there how about a bit of VVS (Voluntary Venezuelan Soca)? Trinidad lies less than ten miles off the coast of Venezuela so it is no surprise that there has been some exchange of musical influences between the two countries. Here to demonstrate are Rubi Mendez y Su Bravo Show with a track from their 2020 album "Con Mucha Clase".
Which brings us finally to the MAR. I had briefly flirted with the idea of featuring El Ganjoman, who would have done a perfectly decent job, but ultimately felt I had to go with Afrocultura Sound System whose Banton Studios in Caracas are a hub of the local reggae scene. This track is from 2017 and is available in multiple mixes on Bandcamp.
"People" - Ladies W.C.
"Joropo No. 1" - Grupo C.I.M.
"Mentiras" - Oscar d'Leon
"Tócamela" - Los Amigos Invisibles
"El Chivo (feat. Laetitia Sadier)"- Insólito UniVerso
"Celina" - Los Fantasmas Del Caribe
"Mi Rica Soca" - Rubi Mendez y Su Bravo Show
"Dunza" - Afrocultura Sound System
Time to cast your mind back to Los Fantasmas del Caribe. When I said Coyote Dax had a decent solo career I meant in terms of the amount of success he had not necessarily musical quality. You may recognise our opening number in the video section.
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