Ral Gmez – Raul Gomez [LP]

For the next reissue in Mr Bongo’s Cuban Classics series, we look to Ral Gmez’s entrancing 1977 Instrumental album. Presenting a unique blend of orchestral disco and jazz-funk, with Afro-Cuban flavours and soundtrack influences, it’s rich with drum breaks, energy and evolving compositions. A record that forever keeps you guessing, powered by an exemplary orchestra at the top of their game.Cuban composer and singer Ral Gmez is most known for featuring in the groups Mirtha y Raul and Los Bucaneros alongside producing the Cuban classic Los Reyes 73 album, amongst a whole host of other incredible productions over the years. Released on Cuba’s state-owned label Areito, Instrumental sees Gmez not only as an instrumentalist and author, but also as a producer and arranger. It’s an album that deftly evades pigeonholing. Floating between instrumental mood music and library/soundtrack mastery, followed by explosions of cosmic-Latin funk, psych guitar workouts an