Achilifunk - Gypsy Soul 1969-1979

Hugely entertaining, fun compilation by Barcelona DJ Txarly Brown of rumba-based Spanish pop music from the 1970s, which shows that interesting fusions between anglo-American and Spanish music were already well under way in the last years of the dictatorship and certainly before the 'nuevo flamenco' movement. Most of these tracks were unfamiliar to me, and listening to them for the first time was quite bizarre: all the familiar aspects of anglo-american 70s rock and pop are here - psychedelic, disco, soul and funk - but the rumba, flamenco and latin elements always prevail.
A few of the selections are predictable. The ever-reliable Peret is here on three tracks, and there's also a very good song from Los Amaya. But the highlights for me are the contributions from two female singers, Encarnita Polo (with my favourite track here, the bizarre 'Paco, Paco, Paco') and Dolores Vargas. Dolores was nicknamed 'la terremoto', the earthquake, and from her singing on these tracks you can tell why.
This track, El Garrotín (Youtube) by 70s Sevilla hippies Smash is typical of the eclecticism of the whole CD (dopey English psychedelic vocals clashing with a classic rumba refrain, in the same song). @


Achilifunk - Gypsy Soul 1969-1979
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1. Los Fulanos (Feat. Peret) - Gato
2. Encarnita Polo - Paco, Paco, Paco
3. Chacho - Bum Bum
4. Smash - El Garrotín
5. Los Amaya - Que Mala Suerte La Mía
6. Dolores Vargas - Anana Hip
7. Peret - Si Fulano
8. Dolores Vargas - La Hawaiana
9. Peret - Chaví
10. Rabbit Rumba - Caramelos
11. Rumba Tres - Rumba Tru, La, La
12. Los Chorbos - Sones De Chicharro
13. Los Marismeños - Pares O Nones
14. Los Chunguitos - Baila Mi Ritmo
15. Trigal - Gol
16. Gato Pérez - Tiene Sabor
17. Mantecao Y Su Combo - Achili Funk