Maru #1 redux

I've gone back and brought Maru Funk #1 in line with more recent releases, go back and get the new: Maru Funk #1 right here!

Que Vida La Salsa Dura

I've been told Salsa music isn't very good. Well here's some salsa that stands up against any Latin genre but be careful, it might make you want to dance!!

"Salsa dura means 'hard' salsa, salsa gorda means 'fat' salsa. Both terms are used to describe salsa that retains the basic characteristics of classic salsa: driving rhythms, call and response, 'montuno' sections and socially conscious lyrics. Salsa dura is the EverReady battery musical bunny that just keeps going and going, with musical breaks and blaring brass ideal for salsa dancing.

While Puerto Rico was focusing on salsa romantica, Colombia became a bastion of their own style of salsa dura, through the lean years and remain one today. As a result, Colombia can boast some of the finest, mature salsa dura bands in the world. With groups like Grupo Niche, Sonora Carruseles, Joe Arroyo and Fruko y sus Tesos, Colombia has a clear claim to call itself the salsa dura capitol of the world.

In the last few years, young salseros in New York have also been turning to salsa dura. The Spanish Harlem Orchestra has perfected the big band salsa sound of the Fania years while Jimmy Bosch, Wayne Gorbea and La Excelencia are becoming instrumental in the rise and popularity of salsa dura around the world."

Tijana Ilich

Get It Here!!

This time the cover is from "This Is Chaquito and the Quedo Brass" 1967.

Maru Funk #5

No messing abut this time, July's offering is here, on the 1st!!!

Yet another collection of 20 great funky tunes for your listening pleasure, that's around 100 tunes now since March when I brought you my first collection! I hope the tunes keep coming, there's still so much music to discover out there.

Get your dancing shoes on and enjoy - Maru Funk Five!

Get It Here!

This time the artwork comes from 4 Lessons In Jazz, a compilation from who knows when. . .

Maru Funk #4

Still sniffing from this dreadful cold, and just on time with this being the last day of June, here it is - Maru Funk #4!!!

18 more smash funk tunes for your ears in the usual format, that's a Piero Umliani intermission and a killer outro track from somewhere across Europe, in this case the beautiful France Gall.

Also featured are Corduroy with a rare track and recent Glastonbury headliner Stevie Wonder with some instrumental gold. Dr. Lonnie Smith's 'Afrodesia' blurs the lines between Funk and Jazz then back again, DJ Shadow shows us how funky beats are used in the modern day while Alvin Cash takes us back to a time before samplers and only vinyl!

So what choo doin'? Stop reading this and have a Funky good time, I'll be back in July with another Maru Funk and also a Salsa Dura special, not for the feint hearted!!

Get it here!

This time the cover takes it's lead from Xavier Cugat and his album 'Bang Bang' from 1966.

World Cup England Party 2010

Just in time for England's match tonight and actually done for next wednesday against Slovenia, here is my obvious World Cup England Party mix!

I've actually been suffering from some horrible virus so to get this done I let my computer automix the tracks, but they're football songs so who'll care, one for the lads to sing along!

Get It Here!!

Billy's And The Blitz

My 80's revival continues (or did it ever end?) as I present my first 80's music mix, a New Romantic special with all your old faves plus some others to get you in an electro mood or ready for that themed party! Named after the London clubs that made the New Romantic movement what it was, run by Steve Strange and Rusty Egan, later of Visage!! No mention of Barbarella's in Birmingham though!!!

Get it here!!

A Touch Of Magic

Here's another piece of terrible kitsch mixed together by DJ Maru, this time with a magic theme! Tonight at C.G.C. - that's Craigleigh Golf Club here in Little Bazeley - there is a magic night and this mix gets it's first public airing!

So get out your top hats, pull out some rabbits, pick a card, any card and grab yourselves a glamourous assistant!

Enjoy!



Here's the album cover that 'inspired' me this time - "Best of the G.U.S. Band"