With Notting Hill Carnival around the corner, thought I’d do a megapost of my favourite recent mixtapes to get you in the flag waving mood whether you’re going to carnival or not. I’m not going to waste your time, these are all certified rum and redbull accompaniments from Afrobeats to soca to pure latin rave.

So Shifty – Soca Jams

I mentioned So Shifty’s excellent recent mixtapes in the post below and keep coming back to this one where take the slower groovy style of soca and inject their firing energy. Starting with the classic ‘Tiney Winey’, the energy ramps up and can’t fail to get you whining hard.

Byron Lee and The Dragonaires - Tiney Winey
Taxi feat. Collin Lucas - Dollar Wine
Krosfyah – Sak Pase
Militant – Hot And Groovy (Remix)
Peter Ram & Shurwayne Winchester – Woman By My Side
Farmer Nappy – Chippin’ (With Me Own Woman)
Biggie Irie feat. Maximus Dan – We Nah Going Home Remix
Jamesy P – Nookie Tonight
El-A-Kru feat. Tizzy – Wuk Meh
Zoelah - Wine Up On Me
Blazer - Be Mine Tonight
Gyptian - Hold Yuh (Soca Remix)
Machel Montano - One More Time
Machel Montano feat. Mr. Vegas - Dance with You (Remix)
Alison Hinds – Roll It Gyal (Remix)
Alison Hinds & Peter Ram – Wave Wid Me
Denise Belfon & Ghetto Flex – Wine & Bend Over
Shurwayne Winchester – Don’t Stop
Isaac Blackman - To the Ceiling
Ronnie McIntosh - Rum and Coca Cola

The Very Best – Azanga mix for Pomp & Clout

Love this new mix by The Very Best who blend an awesome riot of jacking African electronic jams from Afrobeats to SA house. They say..

“In England you would probably call this a ‘Afrobeats’ mix, thats the new term that people use to bunch together all new contemporary African dance music. But at the end of the day its dance music from all over the world. UK to Nigeria. Malawi to Sweden. Germany to Ghana. Portugal to Angola. America to Kenya.
We called the mix Anzanga, because it means ‘friends’ in Malawi’s national language Chichewa, and this is the kind of mix you should listen to with your friends in the park when you’re having a few drinks and lighting the BBQ!
We hope you enjoy it! Love. Johan & Esau (The Very Best)”

1. A.J Holmes & The Hackney Empire feat Folo Graff – The Story OF The New Electric Highlife
2. Las Pas Sage – Yapa (Mo Laudi remix)
3. Winnie Khumalo – I Just Want To Live My Life
4. Hot Chip – Boy From School (The Very Best edit)
5. Diplo & Oliver Twizt – GO
6. Dj Cleo – Facebook (The Very Best edit)
7. Cash Unit feat Castro & Scareface – Ayooo
8. OH MY – Dirty Dancer (Unicorn Kid remix)
9. Azelea Banks – 212
10. Cabo & Snoop – Windeck
11. 5five feat Apietus – Move Back
12. Papa Ghana – I Am An African
13. Ajebutter22 x Studio Magic feat TaymiB – Senrenre
14. The Very Best – Rudeboy
15. Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band feat El Micha & Osdalgia – Agita (Switch & Sinden remix)
16. Sonye feat Nepman & tay grin – Mafilu
17. Dotstar & Afrikan Boy (Alhajis With Nairas) ) – Amala Azonto
18. J-Wow – Klang
19. Flavour – Sawa Sawa (Ashawo remix)
20. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Om Nashi Me

DJ Neptizzle – The Ultimate Afrobeats 2012

Other Afrobeat DJs in the UK may have had more press & hype than London based Vietnamese DJ Neptizzle, but in my opinion he is by far the best DJ in the scene. This is his second Azonto mixtape and his mixing and track selection basically shits on the competition. A highlight for me is coupe decale style beats in Iyanya’s Kukere.

DJ Neptizzle – The Ultimate Afrobeats 2012 (sendspace)

Lo Maximo productions – The Official Dominican Day Parade Mixtape 2012

Firstly I have to give props to Orion for finding this one. A great (and crazy) mix by Lo Maximo production’s of dem bow riddims, reggaeton, Hip Hop, Bachata, merengue, salsa y mas. Features one of my recent favourite Dominican dem box tracks ‘Dame Leche’ by John Distrito Ft. La Delfi.

No tracklist so here’s picture of a car.

Hipsters Dont Dance – World Carnival #3

London’s hardest grinding DJ/promoters/flag wavers, Hipsters Dont Dance drop their annual mixtape of tropical carnival killers. This one is brand new and takes in some classic Notting Hill carnival anthems like Scott Garcia’s ‘Its a London thing’ next to some future bangers from dancehall to Azonto to soca to garage and more. Some real gems on here like Trojan’s ‘Check Ya Weight‘ that the HDD crew have been hyping recently for good reason.

HDD – World Carnival 3 (Sendspace)

Tifa Champion Bubbler (Produced by Dre Skull)
Murlo Krakatoa
Busy Signal Real Spender$ (DJ Theory Refix)
Lexx Blake ft Serocee & Rubi Dan Make Your Booty Riddim
R2Bees ft Sarkodie & Nana Boroo Agyeeei (Dubbel Dutch Re-riddim)
RDX Bend Ova
Leftside Booty Clap
Blaxx Jusso
Sarkodie Ft. EL Dangerous
Naeto C Ten Over Ten
Ward 21 Fyah Wyah Riddim
J.O.E. Whine
Jumping Back Slash I’m So Confused (Dub)
Black Rose Anthem
5Five Garganntuan Body
EL & Donaeo Lifesaver
Revolution Vulolo
DJ Sbu ft. Zahara Lengoma (Murlo remix)
Riva Starr Dance Me (feat. Trim)
Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band Chekere Son (Seiji ReRub)
Todd Edwards This Generation
Scott Garcia A London Thing
Master Room Pam Pam (JP’s Ragga House Mix)
Walter Ego Ahora
Trojan Check Ya Weight
Denise Belafonte Dance & Dingolay 360 Road Mix
Blaxx Tanti Woi
Mr Vegas Bruk It Down (So Shifty Remix)
Dubbel Dutch No Futuro
Sergio / Chuckie Magalenha paul devro edit
Spooky Joyride 2
Fantasy Thrilla Here I Come OG Dub
Kakal Salt Fish
Kes Your Body Working

The Heatwave – Five million Rewinds

This could be one of my favourite Heatwave mixes ever. Celebrating 50 years of independence, a truly epic historical mix of Jamaican music and those UK carnival classics that it’s influenced. No stone is left unturned with 83 tracks in just over an hour. I’ve you’ve never been to Notting hill carnival, this is what it sounds like. Brilliant.

TRACKLIST

1. Jimmy Cliff – Miss Jamaica
2. Millie Small – My Boy Lollipop
3. Prince Buster – Al Capone
4. The Techniques – Queen Majesty
5. Slim Smith – My Conversation
6. Marcia Griffiths – Feel Like Jumping
7. Eric Donaldson – Cherry Oh Baby
8. Desmond Dekker – Israelites
9. Max Romeo – Wet Dream
10. Trinity & Marcia Aitken – Three Piece Suit
11. Althea & Donna – Uptown Top Ranking
12. Junior Byles – Fade Away
13. U Roy & The Paragons – Wear You To The Ball
14. Bob Marley – Is This Love
15. Janet Kay – Silly Games
16. Louisa Marks – Caught You In A Lie
17. Mad Professor – Kunta Kinte
18. Augustus Pablo – King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown
19. Mighty Diamonds – Pass The Kutchie
20. Horace Andy & Tappa Zukie – Natty Dread Weh She Want
21. Jacob Miller – Tenement Yard
22. Culture – Two Sevens Clash
23. Aswad – Warrior Charge
24. The Specials – Ghost Town
25. The Specials – A Message To You Rudy
26. Sugar Minott – Good Thing Going
27. Dennis Brown – Revolution
28. Barrington Levy – Murderer
29. Triston Palmer – Raving
30. Papa Levi – Mi God Mi King
31. Sister Nancy – Bam Bam
32. Tenor Saw – Ring The Alarm
33. Wayne Smith – Sleng Teng
34. Half Pint – Greetings
35. Smiley Culture – Police Officer
36. Tippa Irie – It’s Good To Have The Feeling You’re The Best
37. Beres Hammond – What One Dance Can Do
38. Admiral Bailey – Punaany
39. Super Cat – Mud Up
40. Shabba Ranks & Krystal – Twice My Age
41. Cutty Ranks – Limb By Limb
42. Chaka Demus & Pliers – Murder She Wrote
43. Mr Vegas – Heads High
44. Beenie Man – Who Am I
45. Glamma Kid – Moschino
46. Shaggy – Oh Carolina
47. Ratpack – Searching For My Rizla
48. SL2 & Jah Screechy – On A Ragga Tip
49. The Prodigy & Max Romeo – Out Of Space
50. Dawn Penn – No No No
51. Deep Blue – The Helicopter Tune
52. Gregory Isaacs – Rumours
53. Leviticus & Jigsy King – The Burial
54. Top Cat & Congo Natty – Love Mi Ses
55. Congo Natty & John Holt – Police In Helicopter
56. General Levy & M Beat – Incredible
57. UK Apache & Shy FX – Original Nuttah
58. Ritchie Dan – Call It Fate
59. Zed Bias, MC Rumpus & Nicky Prince – Neighbourhood
60. Ms Dynamite & Sticky – Booo!
61. So Solid Crew – Oh No
62. Pay As U Go – Know We
63. More Fire Crew – Oi
64. Kano – Boys Love Girls
65. Dizzee Rascal – I Luv U
66. Benga & Coki – Night
67. Richie Spice – Marijuana (Coki Remix)
68. Serani – No Games
69. Mavado – So Special
70. Mr Vegas – I Am Blessed
71. Sean Paul – Get Busy
72. Tony Matterhorn – Dutty Wine
73. Donaeo – Party Hard
74. Lil Silva – Seasons
75. Lil Silva – Different
76. Gracious K – Migraine Skank
77. Damian Marley – Welcome To Jamrock
78. Cham – Ghetto Story
79. Gappy Ranks – Stinkin Rich
80. Gyptian – Hold Yuh
81. Vybz Kartel, Popcaan & Gaza Slim – Clarks
82. Beenie Man & Future Fambo – Rum & Red Bull
83. Stylo G – Call Mi A Yardie