Panama! 2 - Latin Sounds, Cumbia, Tropical & Calypso Funk On the Isthmus 1967-77

Panama! 2 represents a deep and rewarding exploration of the many strains of Panamanian popular music that flourished in bustling ports like Balboa, Cristobal, and Panama City during the ‘60s and ‘70s. Immigrants from all points throughout the West Indies and Central America congregated in Panamanian cities and brought with them elements of their distinct musical cultures. Records released on small Panamanian labels like Tamayo, Padisco, Tabago, and Sally Ruth blended elements of Colombian cumbias and guacharacas, Cuban sons, Trinidadian calypsos, and American funk and soul. The pell-mell fusion of these diverse styles resulted in some truly exciting musical hybrids, like Papi Brandao’s “La Murga De Panama," which renders the anthemic horn charts of Willie Colon’s “La Murga” with a wheezing accordion line reminiscent of Central American folk traditions. Crate-diggers will likely be most attracted to Panama! 2 due to the number of Latin-inflected covers of American funk and soul standards, like The Soul Fantastics’ neck-snapping rendition of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine." But nearly every selection here is worthy of attention.