As an antidote to the January blues, Sofrito is as good as any artificial light device you’ll find – and is probably a lot cheaper! It’s also a very well judged combination of grooves old and new, with some given a retouch, as in the fantastic Frankie Francis & Simbad edit of Victor Uwaifo’s ‘Ohue’. Other records that shine are Les Ya Toupas du Zaire, with the totally hypnotic ‘Je Ne Bois Pas Beaucoup’, while the bright, brassy timbres of Fair Nick Stars are fully realised on Fair Nick Stars’ ‘Arrete Mal Parlé’. This is in effect a postcard on disc, bringing the East London Tropical Warehouse nights to life in your own living room – or, even better, on public transport. Anyone hearing these wonderfully constructed rhythms, whether calypso, highlife, cumbia or disco, will not want to stand still for long!
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
