VA - Tabu! Vol. 1–5 [2009-2021] (5 x CDs)

EXOTICA

VA - Tabu! [2009-2021] (5 x CDs)

Across five discs, Tabu!  feels like stepping into a neon‑lit world where mid‑century imagination ran wild and every arranger believed percussion could conjure entire continents. The series gathers the full spectrum of exotica’s theatrical impulses, jungle drums, brushed cymbals, vibraphone haze, and those unmistakable horn stabs that once signaled mystery, seduction, or danger depending on the lighting. What makes the collection so compelling is how it treats these sounds not as museum pieces but as living artifacts of a time when records were portals and orchestras painted with color rather than restraint.

The curators lean into the era’s fascination with rhythm: mambo, rumba, cha‑cha, and the more shadowy corners of bachelor‑pad jazz. Across the five volumes you hear the shift from tightly arranged studio ensembles to looser, more groove‑driven sessions, each track chosen for its ability to move the body before the mind catches up. There’s a tactile quality to the recordings, the slap of congas, the shimmer of strings, the sly wink of muted trumpet, that reminds you how much craft went into music designed to feel effortless.

What also emerges is a portrait of the studio players who shaped this world. Many of these cuts were one‑off sessions, issued on small labels or tucked onto B‑sides, yet the musicianship is consistently sharp. You can hear arrangers experimenting with stereo space, layering percussion in ways that anticipated later lounge revivals. The series captures that moment when exotica was both playful and precise, a blend of fantasy and discipline that still feels intoxicating.

The five discs form a continuous mood, humid, nocturnal, and slightly mischievous, the kind of atmosphere that invites listeners to lean back, let the lights dim, and let the rhythm take over. (B)

Please note: These were sent from a friend. They may differ from the original series.

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Track lists

Vol. 1

01 Ennio Sangius - African Twist 2:47

02 Juan Florer - Ba Ba Rum 2:16

03 Charles Lijina - Andreya Twist 2:44

04 Corrado El 93 - Ali Baba Twist 2:00

05 Cannonballs - Cannonball Caboose 1:52

06 Chakachas - Canalla 2:37

07 Carlos Di Sarli - A La Gran Muneca 2:43

08 Djalma Ferreira - Bicharada 3:06

09 Norman Luboff Choir - Baboo-Tamboo 3:05

10 Shorty Martinez - Chemas Twist 2:12

11 Les Guitarres Du Diable - Bongo Ben 1:59

12 Orchestre Tamoure Club Tahiti - Anae Otoa (Le Vrai Tamore) 1:59

13 Saucers - Cha Wailey Routa 2:16

14 Henri Salvador - Elle Me Donne 2:36

15 Jack Hammer - Ali Ben Ghazi 2:28

16 MEHRPOUYA - Boosehye Moj 3:44

17 Marti Barris - Ahbe Casabe 2:49

18 Conjunto Libertad De Sgto. De Chuco - Twist Serrano 2:04

Vol. 2

01 Les Philisophes - Ali Baba Twist 2:02

02 La Plata Sextette - Digga Digga Doo 2:32

03 Ganim´s Asia Minors - Daddy Lolo 1:58

04 Chick Floyd & His Orchestra - Hana Maui 3:15

05 Danny Cassella - Hawaiian War Chant 2:52

06 The Locos - Guantanamera Rock 2:30

07 Manuel Valdés - El Blob 2:31

08 Chiefs - Enchiladas 2:17

09 Turbo Jets - Far East Cha Cha Cha 2:32

10 Hully Gully Boys - Yabba 4:33

11 Orchestre Tamoure Club Tahiti - Youpi Ya Tamoure 2:17

12 Luis Amando - Trinidad E O 2:01

13 Chakachas - Eso Es El Amor 2:48

14 Anton Karas - Harry Lime Theme 2:12

15 Batuk Nandy - Electric Guitar 2:39

16 Baron Daemon - Ghost Guitar 2:24

17 Charlie Russo - Goofin 2:11

18 A-Jacks - Fury 2:05

Vol. 3

01 Det Moor - Rocking in the Morocco 2:26

02 Johnny Parker & The Zirkons - Oongawa 2:00

03 Gene Sikora & The Irrationals - Tanganyika 1:49

04 Johnny Williams - Sadaba 2:17

05 Ralph Marterie - Shish Kebab 2:20

06 Leo Arnaud - Taboo 3:10

07 Johny Miranda - Porrompompero 2:49

08 Silvie Mora - Taboo 2:18

09 Max Greger - Ojos Negros 2:25

10 Artie Barsamian & His Orchestra - Nene Aman 3:02

11 Anneke Gronloh - Ooo Papa Dja 2:07

12 Jose Madrigal - Swish Swish 2:12

13 Dunes - Sloopy Jalopy 1:43

14 Megatons - Isis 2:13

15 Valiants - Tequila Twist 1:53

16 Roberto Seto - Runaround Sue 2:15

17 Steve Karmen - River in My Blood 2:29

18 Nico Estrada - Maestros Del Rock and Roll Sonora 2:51

Vol. 4

01 Continental Cousins - Kana Kapila 1:59

02 Scholars - Kan-Gu-Wa 1:53

03 Terrifics - Loco 2:10

04 Bas-Sheva - Lust 2:56

05 Chakachas - Ma Ma Du 2:16

06 Los Quandos - Murmullo En La Selva 2:51

07 Filippo Carletti Y Su Quinteto - Mucho, Poquito Y Nada 2:27

08 Quinto Monreal Y Su Orquesta - La Bien Pagá 2:18

09 Sonora Ñiko Estrada - Maestros Del R&R 2:49

10 Sounds Incorporated - Mogambo 2:14

11 Sabah - Lett Kiss 2:55

12 Les Bretells - Marchand De Melons 2:33

13 Los Makuesons - Makuesons Song 2:37

14 Orchestre Tamoure Club Tahiti - Manava 2:09

15 Mammie Perry - Lament 1:53

16 Toni Murena Et Son Orchestre Musette - Tabou 2:31

17 Twin Tunes - Japanese Rhumba 2:23

18 Tielman Brothers - Tahiti Jungle 2:25

Vol. 5

01 Norman Luboff Choir - Baboo-Tamboo 3:05

02 Moe Koffman Quartet - Koko-Mamey 2:24

03 Dynatones - Moon Shot 2:13

04 Gene Sikora & The Irrationals - Tanganyika 1:49

05 Silvie Mora - Taboo 2:18

06 Ennio Sangiusto - African Twist 2:47

07 Pygmies - Don´t Monkey with Tarzan 2:26

08 Scholars - Kan-Gu-Wa 1:53

09 Sounds Incorporated - Mogambo 2:14

10 Rumblers - It´s a Gas 2:04

11 Outlaws - Crazy Drums 2:47

12 Toni Murena Et Son Orchestre Musette - Tabou 2:31

13 H.B. Barnum - Tía Juana 2:10

14 Turbo Jets - Far East Cha Cha Cha 2:32

15 Corrado El 93 - Ali Baba Twist 2:00

16 Georgia Drake - Misirlou 2:27

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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