For the longest time, my only knowledge of reggae music was Bob Marley’s Legend. And then I was in Borders one day in the early 2000s while they were having a sale, and bought “This Is Reggae Music: The Golden Era 1960-1975” on a whim, probably because it was cheap:
That was probably the best blind music purchase I ever made, because it introduced me to a whole genre of music. I couldn’t believe how much I loved 60s reggae, with it’s strong R&B influence. My favorite song from that era is Toots singing “54-46 That’s My Number”.
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Yes, compilations to the rescue! I had the same experience, especially as Legend can be something of a mixed blessing; it can inspire enduring love for Bob Marley and reggae more broadly, or it can be overplayed and put you off them, at least for a while. The latter happened to me - until, that is, I discovered Horace Andy and then a bunch of artists and bands on Studio One and Trojan Records (this was in Britain), which then got me into Ska and other related genres. Here’s a little gem:
(I’m told that Bob Marley even recorded other songs besides those on Legend! 
)
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Caribbean music always made me smile plus its just fun while hanging out at a tiki bar. 
Wow, that track is so good. I have some Skatalites but hadn’t heard this one before. I need to buy that.
After the “Golden Era” box I mentioned earlier, I bought a lot of Studio One and Trojan compilations. Those Trojan compilations were a great introduction to so many of the sub-genres of reggae.
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Do you know Soul Jazz Records and the related Sounds of the Universe? They put out Studio One compilations and have all sorts of great and obscure stuff, including plenty of reggae. The catalogue is pretty diverse and eclectic, and full of surprises, including an embarrassingly large amount of music I’d never find out about otherwise. It’s great for world music. There’s some calypso for @pennstac as well as a Nu Yorica compilation. What about 70s Venezuelan experimental rock? Or is Sudanese jazz your thing? Or fairly obscure hip hop or grunge or German rock?
If I were to win the lottery, I’d buy an Yggy, ZMF Pendant and Vérité Open, a small island somewhere warm, and the entire catalogue of these labels and then bombard this thread with overly enthusiastic recommendations. Or not, some of the releases are less solid.
I’ve been meaning to check these two out:
and
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Turkish rock from the twentieth century. You gotta love bandcamp: Anatolian Rock 101: Eight Releases to Know
Have lots to catch up on in this thread! Thanks for all your suggestions…will definitely be checking them out this weekend. For now, here’s my contribution: Dengue Fever. They are an American band but were my first introduction to 60s/70s Cambodian rock, which in itself has a very fascinating history. Here is their second album, Escape from Dragon House:. open.qobuz.com/album/osmwf3r2s8vea
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Thank you for this - you’ve also reminded me of that documentary, Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll. I keep meaning to watch it.
bandcamp has the soundtrack here.
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Excellent heartbreaking documentary! Do watch it when you have the time.
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RIP Toots Hibbert, one of the greatest singers ever. Here he is, in his 60s, performing one of my favorite songs, 54-46 Was My Number.
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Yes, one of the best. I missed what happened to him? Covid?
Another Saturday night visiting my parents. As usual, after dinner, I played things on Apple Music or Tidal and they supplied requests. We listened to about a dozen arrangements of El Manicero, and I learned about Noro Morales, a Cuban/Latin artist of the 40s and early 50s. I mentioned Tito Puente, and Dad said, “Ahh, he’s basically a New Yorker with Cuban roots” Nort Morales is the real deal. Later this week I’ll go through some of his stuff and post suggestions here, along with a few of the really really nice El Manicero arrangements. I do like to listen to covers, and even make short playlists of covers.
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Ok, I’m going to try the Songwhip thing. Not too much time, but I’ve found what I consider sort of a base version of El Manicero. (The Peanut Vendor). Traditional arrangement that includes nice clear verse. Many musicians use this song to showcase their improv talents. Later I’ll suggest a few others. By the way, I found that my Father’s love for this song has something to do with a Cuban matron that was much too hot for her husband. (Dad chickened out - probably the best thing).
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Another great compilation here:
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Hi Everyone,
I am also a big fan of West African music traditions. In addition to enjoying Afro-Funk & High Life, I spend a lot of time listening to classical Mande music from Mali, especially the great Kora performers such as Toumani Diabaté. My favorite of his albums at present is Boulevard de l’Independence which is with a large “orchestra” which is what they call larger groups with western electric instruments.
This is a great mix of classical kora passages with big band sound.
Toumani also has incredible collaborations with Ali Farka Touré.
Another favorite right now that I enjoy also for the recording quality and the immersive headphone experience is a collaboration album called Soar between the great kora player (Senegalese this time) Seckou Keita and the Welsh harpist Catrin Finch. This is a magical mix of timbres. Here’s a YouTube video of one track:
Enjoy!
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My parents, who introduced me to Latin beat, calypso, and the like, really don’t seem to like Alpha Blondy. I played Jerusalem, and Dad was able to understand the Hebrew, Arabic, French, and English, but that didn’t mean he liked it. 