Once again Miles Cleret (Soundway head honcho) has gone to the men that know their Panama; in this case Brighton exile living in Colombia and regular visitor to Panama, Will Holland (Quantic) and expert and instigator of the series, Robero Ernesto Gyemant. The trio certainly have done the business with this compilation album that concentrates on a ten year period from ‘67 to ‘77 on the isthmus that links the North and South Americas that follows on from Panama! Latin, Funk and Calypso on the Isthmus 1965-75 and Panama! 2 Latin, Funk and Calypso on the Isthmus 1967-77.

This time, the CD is more of a ‘companion’ edition to Panama! 2 as it concentrates on the combos nacionales of the musical mudbath aftermath of a canal building explosion so prepare yourself for the best of salsa, samba, salsoul, nuyorican soul, calypso, reggae, flamenco, tango and Latin jazz mash-up in town.

Once again, Los Silvertones continue their star status of Vols 1 & 2 with two tracks on Vol. 3; ‘Up Tight’ even ‘steals’ the melody of ‘Summertime’ and the album ends with their calypso funk track, ‘Carmen’ (she must have been a quite a mover judging by this one).

But before you get to the end of this 23 tracker, you can delight to the madness of ‘Moving-Grooving’ of Little Francisco Greaves that sounds like he was doing a Michael Jackson of James Brown. Apparently he had a big hit in the sixties as Frankie Greaves but there’s loads more history in the (as ever) excellent booklet that comes with the CD with notes by Robero Gyemant and Will Holland (not forgetting that his Tradition In Transition is one of the albums of the year) .

And talk about the roots of rap or dancehall DJ, Soul Apollo and Fredrick Clarke go head to head on ‘Chombo Pa’ La Tienda’ (tell us more if you know different) and as indicated by the album cover, a few of the tracks feature the sound of the seaman’s favourite instrument, the accordion. Now, when zydeco had a bit of a revival a few years back but what it could have done with was a bit of the spirit of Típica as on the tracks here by Yin Carizo and Amalia Delgado.

Of course, there’s loads of Latin/Fania tracks on here, the best being by Los Savlvajes Del Ritmo (and we’re told that the singer is a certain youngster named Ruben Blades!) and the Los Mozambiques.

Not only that, there’s a feature on the Panamanian calypso where immigrants from Jamaica and Trinidad bring their sound to the party. Lord Cobra holds court with his two tracks plus the joyous ‘Bamboo Dance’ (I defy anyone not to want to go to a bamboo dance after hearing this one).

Whilst the Panama has undergone some hard times of late and some of the highlife of the early part of the 20th Century now reportedly in a dilapidated state, with talk of a ‘new’ Panama canal, perhaps they’ll be a 21st Century equivalent of the multi-cultural melting pot that helped create the music on this CD for another generation of Panama! albums?

They say this is the last in the series so get it now and the other two as all three are highly recommend.

Reviewed: Various - Panamá! 3 (Calypso Panameño, Guajira Jazz & Cúmbia Típica on the Isthmus (1960-75) (Soundway) Cat. No. SNDWCD018 Release date: 16th November 2009
Tracklisting :
01. Lord Panama and The Stickers - Fire Down Below (3:00)
02. Orquesta de Armando Boza con Manito Johnson - Samba Calypso (2:42)
03. Papi Brandao y Sus Ejecutivos - Bilongo (3:12)
04. Ceferino Nieto - El Pajaro Zum Zum (2:55)
05. Little Francisco Greaves - Moving-Grooving (2:57)
06. Los Silvertones - Up Tight (3:18)
07. Orquesta Los Embajadores con Camilo Azuquita - Shingalin en Panama (2:54)
08. Soul Apollo with Fredrick Clarke - Chombo Pa’ La Tienda (3:16)
09. Amalia Delgado con El Conjunto Inspiracion Santena - Carretera Al Canajagua (2:58)
10. Yin Carrizo - 20 de Enero en Ocu (2:54)
11. Maximo Rodriguez y Las Estrellas Panamenas - Chevere Que Chevere (3:35)
12. Ralph Weeks With The Telecasters - Gua Jazz (2:54)
13. Panaswing - Me Lo Dijo Una Gitana (3:29)
14. Beby Castor con Los Juveniles - Lloraras (3:26)
15. Los Mozambiques - Llegamos Ya (3:43)
16. Los Salvajes del Ritmo - St. John’s Guaguanco (2:46)
17. Lord Cobra - Colón Colón (3:03)
18. Conjunto Panama - Trigueñito y Solo (2:43)
19. Black Czar - Bamboo Dance (3:02)
20. Lord Cobra and His Sugar Tone Band - Partido Calpysonian (3:02)
21. Sir Valentino con Combo Esclavos Alegres - Masters Are Gone (3:19)
22. Los Invasores - El Raton (3:27)
23. Los Silvertones - Carmen (3:44)

Links :
soundwayrecords.com
www.vibe-bar.co.uk
Also recommended on Soundway, Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Ghanaian Blues 1968-81, Nigeria Rock Special - Psychedelic Afro-rock and fuzz funk in 1970s Nigeria and Colombia! -The Golden Age Of Discos Fuentes — The Powerhouse of Colombian Music 1960-76, Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds and Nigerian Blues, 1970-1976
www.myspace.com/djhugomendez
Properganda Issue 14 Nov/Dec09 Soundway Records p18/19 www.myspace.com/propermusic