(Fania/Shock)

Vinyl boogaloo

DJ Format was given free licence to dig through the crates of a few labels to create this album. The British DJ has seamlessly blended 24 tracks of New York’s classic Latin soul, bossa nova, salsa, samba and probably a few Margaritas. Apart from Tito Puente’s Safari most of it is rare and obscure stuff, but no less funky for it. A group called The Latinaires are very insistent that I know the history of the boogaloo before I get down to one and I’d never heard of Quetcy Alma, but now I know she can wail as hard as her horn section. I also know that Louie Ramirez wants to buy a camel because he hasn’t had a hump in months. Thanks for that bit of disclosure, Louie. Format keeps out of the way, blending and scratching once or twice but mostly letting this classic music speak for itself.

JODY MACGREGOR

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