I’m enjoying some of these suggestions! On the back of which…
This might tick some of the right boxes: dub x afrobeat =
This? (and I’d just like to point out that I don’t hold any shares in the Tru Thoughts record label)
An infectious groove, good for getting people in the mood:
Why don’t people play more ska??
@MusicForHangovers, you’re checking all the boxes!
That Che Che Colé Makossa is the bomb!
Gonna have links for the Hawaiian comps in a few minutes. Anyone interested, just send me a message.
Yeah like @JonathanE said that Antibalas record is a killer.
Been listening to some Brazilian stuff today, thought I’d flag up a couple in case they’re of interest.
A very classy sort of bossa/samba hybrid. There’s so much going on in this one:
I always associate this one with sunrise, but why not sunset too??
No introduction necessary:
Some super bossa-jazz from Dudley Moore. Was on the Bedazzled OST. Also got comped a few years ago by DJ Tom Middleton:
A bit of a slow-burning curveball. The vocal is based on Ella Fitzgerald’s version of the Cream track Sunshine Of Your Love. Some super percussion, with plenty of cuica abuse along the way:
I like prince fatty and also Nostalgia, how could i have missed this? Thank you for sharing
Africa goes to Hawaii, Hawaii goes to Africa. Gorgeous.
That’s a great track!
Strangely, it made me think of this one (which I love):
The rhythm section in particular is excellent. Great orchestration too.
The island where this wedding is taking place is actually Canadian, Bowen, just north of Vancouver and at the south end of what is known, appropriately enough given this track, as The Sunshine Coast.
My earlier intemperate remarks about Pacific Northwest islands and the limited appreciation of musical culture by their inhabitants were based on my experiences on our particular island, Whidbey. After living in the San Francisco Bay Area for 25 years, which, lets face it, sets a high standard. When I first lived up here, we used to go to Vancouver for a decent record store and more interesting city experiences than were on offer in our rural idyll or the strangely warped and confused city of Seattle.
The expression “Pacific Northwest island” is peculiarly USA focused. Vancouver and its surrounding islands are in the Canadian Southwest. And from the global perspective the whole lot of us our in the Pacific Northeast. Stay global is my preference, but one must go along with the vernacular expressions of one’s surroundings on occasion.
That Ené Alantchi Alnorem is absolutely stunning, thank you!!
I remember playing this at a Whidbey wedding years ago - and getting roundly abused myself, never mind the cuica. Always keep an eye out for the bride’s brother!
You think?
Well day by day
And night by night
Wanna learn how to love you babe
Till I get it right
Yeah day by day and night by night
Come on and join the dance
It goes round and round
Until the things you’ve lost
Become the things you’ve found
Day by day and night by night
Now piece by piece
And bit by bit
I can see the target
I’ve got to try to hit it
Piece by piece and bit by bit
I tell you sweet singing sister
Gonna love you till I’m blistered and blue
Cos you’re making what I’m shaking
Harder than the big bamboo
But although I’m digging singing babe
I really have to sing it with you
Sing it day by day
And night by night?
Kevin Ayers was a major influence on my louche approach to life. Some would say a bad influence, but I’d say a very enjoyable influence. Musically, he was rather adventurous.
That’s interesting. I just called the region what my friends called it, and never considered it was only the northwest to Americans.
Play the Scherrie Payne version and all will be good.
Oh yes! Like it!! 
Here’s another one that’s good for getting an audience in the mood - it’s an instrumental with a really nice jazzy funky Latin vibe. Some excellent playing too! Only came out as a b-side (to Half A Man, I think?)
Really like that, thanks
I’m currently engaged in pruning my record collection (a task which I seem to be perpetually engaged in 
) and I keep finding stuff that reminds me of this thread. I came across my copy of The Hoops McCann Band Play The Music Of Steely Dan, and recall you mentioning Steely Dan earlier in the thread, so maybe you could play a couple of interesting SD covers.
Here’s a nice classy jazz version of Black Cow:
And there’s a thread on this very forum which lists a ton of really excellent SD covers, bound to be something there you could use:
Much to my amusement, a saved search I have on eBay for Docteur Nico, African guitarist, just turned up an 8-Track of the Kevin Ayers’ album The Confessions of Dr. Dream from which that “Day By Day” song was taken.
Starting bid at $39.99!!! Jeez, the world is becoming a very strange place.
But, in case this is just the thing you’ve been looking for to add to your retro-hip absurdity collection, here you go:
I checked and the version I played was the G-Corp mix which is remarkably deficient in its cuica abuse. I like the Bigga Bush Batucada mix much more, although I suspect that if I’d played it at that wedding the abuse I received might have escalated to a lynching.
The bride has just informed me that she wants some “Woodstock vibes” worked in.
Edit: I’m still gonna play some of our ideas here.