Nico Gomez And His Afro Percussion Inc - Ritual

[visuals]

Nico Gomez And His Afro Percussion Inc. - Ritual Omega International 197?©
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Looks like I'm caught up in the passion of my addiction yet again.
As with any lucky find/shot in the dark purchase that turns out to be a good choice on my part as a collector, This short but sweet gem of afro/cuban/latin styled numbers laced with just the right amount of progressive funk has compelled me to post my thoughts and insight in it's favor. After being hipped here by our fellow forum member "Disco Funk" and seeing the cover art almost everywhere the serious collectors,dj's and enthusiasts of funk music tend to dwell; I decided to dig up more info and read the reviews that I could find on it and now here I am posting my own. I bought this semi-pricey (but worth every dime) Japanese import a little over a month ago but I honestly don't think that a day has passed without me having to get a dose of it since.



I was already a fan of the world/funk/afro/latin/rock/ music scene so this piece fits perfectly on the shelf alongside the likes of artists such as War, Mandrill, Lafayette Afro Rock Band, Santana, Malo, El Chicano, Osibisa, Ray & His Musical Court, Fela Kuti & Africa 70, Chakachas and artists of the like. The arrangements and production are top class offerings of some of the absolute BEST material that I have ever heard within it's genre. Although none of the lyrics are spoken in English, The music and the mind traveling trips that it will take you on are alone worth the cash you'll peel to buy it. During the time I bought it, I also purchased 2 African Funk compilations "Booniay & The Danque" on the Afrodisiac* label which I admit are also quite good and I have been listening heavily to other afro beat/funk heavy artists over the past few months. Many were extremely good but NONE moved me as intensely as this has.

The 10 original album's tracks are here on the P-Vine Import cd with liner notes in Cantonese (so no chance of learning more about the album's composition or it's great musicians)...all you have is your stereo,speakers,sense of sound & intelligence which will most definately be used to a great degree. As I said earlier, most of the tracks here have latin lyrics but the music behind them is great."Lupita" is my favorite track with lyrics and it is done with lots of percussion. There are quite a few breaks and some Hammond B3 organ work with tasteful horns. There is also some fuzzy guitar (Much like what was used on Jimmy Castor's "It's Just Begun" album).

My favorite track overall is the righteous title track, "Ritual". There are so many styles and elements within this instrumental song that it is hard to describe. Upon listening, I was instantly reminded of Lafayette Afro Rock Band due to the soft and majestic but at the same time blaring horn section and the guitar work throughout also has their signature sound. The organ work here reminds me of something Santana, Malo, War, Abraxas Pool or maybe Mandrill incorporated in their styles. The bassline & drumming has sort of a blaxploitation feel to it not to mention nice use of a wah-wah pedal on lead guitar and a fuzz guitar solo that is again reminescent to Jimmy Castor's stuff. The drummer has excellent timekeeping and there are breaks galore all over this track which will satisfy the hunger of beatheads and drum fanatics like myself. Heavy percussion used here as well...bongos,congas,steel drums this track has it all! With great enthusiasm, I am proud to own this gem and look forward to digging deeper into Nico's catalogue even though most reviewers say this is without a doubt his funkiest with the band at it's tightest.

In closing I say if you can dig any of the artists mentioned above and "progressive" funk,afro/cuban/latin percussion and fuzz guitar done in a prog and at times psychedelic way (but never over the top or too hard) then you will probably like this. Click pic below for samples

[Disco Funk]

A lot of funk purists like to bash the bootleg compilations, but if it wasn't for one series (School Yard Breaks), I wouldn't have discovered the Nico Gomez track La Lupita, and subsequently, the album. Ritual is truly a hidden gem that I wish I had stumbled across sooner.

Disco Funk

[Mixmachine]

Visuals, I didn't know anything about this performer, I will order this CD as I like the Cuban music /Funk fusion sound he came up with.

The song "Lupita" and "caballo Negro" off this Album are written and previously performed by one the the best Big Band leaders the world has ever seen and the inventor of "EL Mambo", the Mambo King himself Perez Prado. Check out the original recordings clips in this link, the other "Nico Gomez " album also covers other Prado's mambo hit songs.
Perez Prado

When I was a kid in my native land his music was everywhere, and I'm ashame to say that I don't own any of his records or CDs now, but I will soon rectified that over sight 8-)

[visuals]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

A lot of funk purists like to bash the bootleg compilations, but if it wasn't for one series (School Yard Breaks), I wouldn't have discovered the Nico Gomez track La Lupita, and subsequently, the album. Ritual is truly a hidden gem that I wish I had stumbled across sooner.

I definately understand your take on this Disco Funk as I have had that very thing happen to me numerous times. I remember a lot of people had similar views about downloading back before the RIAA started cracking down on it but If it weren't for methods such as bootleg comps or downloading (at that time), I personally would not have been able to locate a lot of stuff that I had been trying to track down over the past 10-20 years. There are so many artists whose material has been deleted and are no longer being pressed not to mentioned ones that never have been reissued on cd (except on those bootleg comps). IMHO, It's all about discovery,re-discovery and closing the gaps in one's collection.I remember seeing articles stating that no one will buy a cd when they can just download for free but for me personally, It made me buy more because I got turned on to a whole new world of lost music that I wouldn't have found by listening to the radio or digging in the local shops.

Originally Posted by MixMachine

Visuals, I didn't know anything about this performer, I will order this CD as I like the Cuban music /Funk fusion sound he came up with. The song "Lupita" and "caballo Negro" off this Album are written and previously performed by one the the best Big Band leaders the world has ever seen and the inventor of "EL Mambo", the Mambo King himself Perez Prado

MixMachine: I was new to Nico as well until the name was mentioned in my thread "Highly Valued Selections From Your Collection". Disco Funk highly recommended it and being as I always look into stuff that others may compare to my favorites, I'm extremely grateful that he did because it would have been a shame to never have had the opportunity to explore his stuff...Just when I think my collection is adequate, I always get hipped or turn up a lost gem and that is what keeps the spirit of my collecting so stong. In regards of Perez Prado, He is credited on the backside of the Nico Gomez cd beside the two tracks that you mention. He is also another that I have never heard of and now he is on the future purchase list as well....what a cheap price for that 2-disc set. His versions are no where near funk as the Nico Gomez covers are however, Seeing as how I like the tracks so much, It would be a disservice not to have the original source of them in the archives.

[Videoskooter]

Nico Gomez is a Belgian writer/composer who is famous for his Latin-American sounds, especially bossa nova. He conducted the famous Nico Gomez Orchestra and also wrote for Los Chakachas, another well known Belgian group and André Brasseur.

[sageone]

a ridgy didge version of ritual is very expensive and incredibly hard to source, the other budget latin stuff is not so...

as videoskooter stated he was involved in chakachas and with andre brasseur

but also.... el chicles.... which if you havent heard is stone cold killer.

and chicken curry and his percussion pops orchestra which is a budget release on mfp of some el chicles tracks.

[Videoskooter]

Originally Posted by sageone

a ridgy didge version of ritual is very expensive and incredibly hard to source, the other budget latin stuff is not so...

"Ritual" is indeed gold dust. Very hard to find!!!

Originally Posted by sageone

as videoskooter stated he was involved in chakachas and with andre brasseur

but also.... el chicles.... which if you havent heard is stone cold killer.

and chicken curry and his percussion pops orchestra which is a budget release on mfp of some el chicles tracks.

Thanks for reminding me about that group.

[Videoskooter]

Just completing:
Nico Gomez' real name was Joseph Van Het Groenewoud, he changed his name in Nico Ooms and later in Nico Gomez. He originally played the violin but later changed to bass guitar when he started playing in ballroom orchestras and big bands. He's the father of the famous Belgian singer Raymond Van Het Groenewoud and he passed away in December 1992 at the age of 67.