It’s been 13 years in the making – and now Horse Meat Disco’s deep-disco digging across Brazil is upon us. Mr Bongo proudly presents this new compilation of beloved Brazilian finds from the legendary London disco connoisseurs.

“It showcases a tantalising cross-section of disco, funk, boogie, samba and MPB, from past to present – unearthing tracks from the seemingly endless gold mine of Brazilian gems, featuring legends such as Jorge Ben, Gretchen, Marcos Valle and Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti, alongside unsung heroes including Zé Carlos and Carlos Bivar,” the label says.

For more than 20 years now, the Horse Meat Disco crew (James Hillard, Severino Panzetta, Jim Stanton and Luke Howard) have been the go-to selectors of that choice feel-good sound, having began their weekly residency at Eagle London back in 2003. That same year, Luke made his first visit to Brazil, beginning a musical love affair that is still going strong. 

“I had always wanted to go to Brazil since I was a kid, and when I finally had the opportunity to go with Princess Julia, I was just blown away,” Luke says. “I’ve visited Rio every year since 2003, and in that time, I’ve learned Portuguese and tried to discover as much as I can about Brazilian music and popular culture.

“I learned to dance samba with the Paraiso School of Samba in London and paraded three times at Rio Carnival. Brazilian music was a brand-new world for me to explore and get excited about—a whole universe of genius musicians, singers, and styles.”

And then, nine years later, Mr Bongo invited Luke down to their Brighton HQ for a listening session of some of his favourite Brazilian boogie and disco 7″ finds. A compilation was green-lit, but multiple licensing delays and the release of other HMD compilations meant that was shelved. Thankfully, no longer.

“Fast forward to 2024, and with the help of esteemed, Rio-based record collector Tee Cardaci, along with suggestions from HMD’s James Hillard, the dream of an HMD Brazilian compilation finally materialised,” the label adds.

It’s a carefully curated collection that includes the electronic-boogie/italo-disco-esque 1984 groover Venha (Remix) by the singer Źe Carlos, two cuts by Luiza Maura taken from her sought-after Deixa Girar 7″, and Gretchen’s sultry Ela Tem Raça, Charme, Talento E Gostosura written by Jorge Ben.

At its core, this compilation captures the disco and boogie and the spirit of a nation that will now enrich us all. There’s plenty of surprises on here, even for the seasoned aficionado of the Brazilian boogie – dig in!