2015-2025 : Les Disques Bongo Joe - 10 Years of Sonic Explorations [World Music]

*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's September 18th Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***

Bongo Joe is a record store named after the maverick Texas street musician George 'Bongo Joe' Coleman (1923 – 1999) that sells vinyl, tapes, CDs, books and is also a terraced bar in Geneva hosting free events. Managed by a twelve strong association of active members they also set up a record label which has just hit its tenth birthday, so they’re celebrating.

With their whimsical approach to signing new artists and giving a second wind to music they love via reissues, they’ve amassed an impressive discography - 174 releases by my count in a decade, and although it’s been impossible to hang onto the label vehicle’s roof as it swerved about the globe and styles, I’ve had so many WTF moments from the label over the years it would be remiss not to bring the imprint to your attention.

So time to dig out your passport, hit play on this sprawling compilation and get down to some North African disco, Haitian psychedelic ritualism, krautrock meets gnawa, cosmic roots from Réunion, Anatolian folk from Berlin, dub deviance, Belgian desert blues, far out funk from Switzerland, global punk from everywhere and everything in between. Musical misfits of the world rejoice, you’ll always have a home in Geneva.

Playlist Companion

Find more great global grooves in the Slow World Playlist: