Mr Bongo

Mr Bongo Record label. Record store. Film label. DJ. Since 1989. Over the following years Bongo moved three times within Soho and opened in Shibuya, Japan.

We started life in 1989 as a small record shop underneath Daddy Kool’s Reggae Store on Berwick Street in London. We were the first shop to sell vinyl releases from independent hip hop labels such as Def Jam, Rawkus, Nervous and Big Beat outside of the USA. We also became an established bearer for hard-to-find, classic Latin music, particularly Brazilian, outside of the Americas. We moved our offic

es to Brighton in 1999 and closed all shops in 2003.

20+ years on we now have a recording roster featuring some of the best Brazilian, Latin, reggae, African and Jazz music by artists including Terry Callier, Jorge Ben, Joyce, Seu Jorge, Prince Fatty, Incredible Bongo Band and Marcos Valle. In 2004 we moved into world cinema, a venture that has grown to compliment the music. In keeping with the record label philosophy, we carefully select and source films from around the world and our catalogue now includes works by esteemed directors including Scorsese, Coppola, Has, Bertolucci, Rocha and Dovzhenko amongst others. We aim to unearth iconic, stylish, hard-to-find gems and cult classics and make them readily available to cinema lovers. We keep production costs relatively low by releasing the feature film without multiple extras allowing us to deliver the highest possible quality prints on DVD’s at the most competitive prices. We are modest compared to our competitors in the film world but hope that our rich history and knowledge has established us as an aficionado that punches above its weight (and is yet to reach its full potential). In 2011 we ventured into the realm of feature film production and theatrical releases with Justin Mitchell's Rio Breaks which premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in June. We look forward to working on more projects like this. We also have a publishing arm with an in-house team that produces and licenses music for use by third parties. Our clients include advertising, film and TV companies around the world; brands such as Bacardi, Nike, Adidas, Fosters, Nissan and Guinness have used our music. We also deal with worldwide royalty collection for artists and organisations.

Announcing the pre-order for the vinyl and CD of ’s second solo album, AFIM. One of Brazil’s most exciting talents and m...
23/07/2025

Announcing the pre-order for the vinyl and CD of ’s second solo album, AFIM. One of Brazil’s most exciting talents and member of Latin Grammy award-winning four-piece, , last month saw the digital release of Ibarra’s AFIM which has garnered wide ranging support from across the globe.

The eight tracks feature Ibarra’s own carefully considered compositions as well as cover versions of tracks by contemporaries and friends, , and . Across the album elements of MPB, jazz, pop and progressive rock are woven together in a bold, authoritative style. From stripped-down, intimacy to sweeping string and horn arrangements.

Head to the link in our bio to pre-order on black vinyl LP, limited edition transparent vinyl LP and CD. Released on Mr. Bongo (ROW) and .records (Brazil) - shipping 19th September.

This weekend we are back at the brilliant . Catch us spinning before the one and only  in the Chill Out tent on Sunday f...
22/07/2025

This weekend we are back at the brilliant . Catch us spinning before the one and only in the Chill Out tent on Sunday from 4pm.

Three fresh selects from the new additions to the site to kick off the weekend.First up, a big release for 2025 from one...
19/07/2025

Three fresh selects from the new additions to the site to kick off the weekend.

First up, a big release for 2025 from one of our favourite contemporary bands, .tamtam from Tokyo. They made our record of the year in 2024 and this latest album ‘Where They Dwell’, is a lush soulful-electronic record doused in beautiful textures and jazz / psychedelic pop influences. Highly recommended!

Their record ‘Ramble In The Rainbow’ which took top spot as last year’s Bongo record of the year has now also been thankfully repressed by . An innovative fusion of diverse musical influences, such as jazz, soul, psyche pop, new age, and exotica.

Lastly, Blue Note repress Donald Byrd’s masterpiece ‘Stepping Into Tomorrow’ from 1975, that features the amazing track ‘Think Twice’.

17/07/2025

Announcing a brand new collaborative EP from aka Paul Osborne and French singer, composer, and member of renowned psych-girl group , .

Having worked together on his 2024 album Colours & Light, Paul joins forces once again with Wendy Martinez for ‘Time Stands Still / Le temps s’arrête’. It’s a sonic exploration that shows a shared love of the progressive music emanating out of France in the ‘60s and ‘70s and the celebrated film soundtrack composers of the time. A more melodic and romantic excursion than Paul’s previous recordings, this EP marries his richly textured, cinematic psych rock with Martinez’s captivating vocal presence.

Drawing inspiration from French soundtrack composers such as François de Roubaix, Francis Lai and Michel Colombier, as well as French female artists including Léonie and Laurence Vanay. Rather than a homage, these productions provide a fresh, contemporary take on a classic sound.

Pre-order now on 12” vinyl and digital. Out 26th September. Photo credit: Paul - .gardner | Wendy - .annelaure

16/07/2025

Ahead of .dj’s third ‘With Love’ compilation on Mr Bongo, of sat down with the man himself to get a deeper understanding of this latest volume. They delve into what’s special about volume three, some of the stories behind the records featured on the release and what the compiling process was like as a whole.

Swipe to see some snippets of their talk and head to the link in our bio to watch the full interview.

Video credit:

“This compilation isn’t just a collection of tracks; it’s a journey into the heart of Italian musical history, it’s a jo...
15/07/2025

“This compilation isn’t just a collection of tracks; it’s a journey into the heart of Italian musical history, it’s a journey of self-discovery.”

We caught up with following the release of his new compilation on Mr Bongo, to get an insight into the inspiration behind the comp, Gabriele’s connection to the world of percussion and Italy’s rich rhythmic history. Swipe to see what he had to say.

‘Ritmo Italiano: Unspoken Sounds of Italian Tamburo’ is available to order on vinyl LP, black or red, CD and digital.

The legendary Grammy award-winning composer / musician Galt MacDermot was as prolific and brilliant as they come. Having...
12/07/2025

The legendary Grammy award-winning composer / musician Galt MacDermot was as prolific and brilliant as they come. Having written thousands of songs, some got lost along the way. Kilmarnock Records now present a new collection of previously unreleased tracks recorded by Galt in the 1970s. The tracks feature Bernard Purdie on drums and Wibur Bascomb on bass.

As well as that, we have a wide array of deadstock copies of original Galt back catalogue releases up on the site that have come directly from the MacDermot family. These include copies of the official 2001 pressing of Galt MacDermot’s ‘Ripped Open By Metal Explosions’ and ‘Let The Sunshine In’ on 7”, as sampled by Public Enemy, Thirstin Howl III and co.

Next Sunday we make the trip to South East London, hosting a label takeover at the wonderful . Located in the heart of P...
11/07/2025

Next Sunday we make the trip to South East London, hosting a label takeover at the wonderful . Located in the heart of Peckham, it’s a brilliant hi-fi bar and restaurant masterminded by and that has the warmth and vibe of a loft space living room. With its single turntable setup, it’s all about the selection and we’ll be bringing a real spread of sounds from Brazilian, to gospel, jazz to boogie. See you there!

20th July | 7pm-11pm | Free entry

A year and a half after the release of their Latin Grammy-nominated album, Me Chama De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua, the award-wi...
10/07/2025

A year and a half after the release of their Latin Grammy-nominated album, Me Chama De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua, the award-winning Brazilian trailblazer, , returns with the first of two new singles: ‘A Sua Diversão’. Released in partnership between , and Mr Bongo.

Written alongside and co-produced by , it’s a laid-back sultry Brazilian-funk gem. With a breezy ‘80s tinged feel, the sumptuous bassline, funk strutting guitars and cosmic synths are the perfect match to Ana’s instantly recognisable vocal tones. A track with a nostalgic air but a contemporary flair, it includes guest backing vocals by three of Brazil’s finest, , and Patrícia Alví.

Link in bio to stream / download now. Photo credit:

The fine folk at  have invited us down to one of their signature parties this weekend at . It kicks off with a Q&A hoste...
09/07/2025

The fine folk at have invited us down to one of their signature parties this weekend at . It kicks off with a Q&A hosted by chatting to Mr Bongo owner and founder David Buttle. Following that the Mr Bongo DJs will be stepping up to the decks going back to back with .dj to soundtrack your Sunday afternoon.

Link in bio for tickets.

09/07/2025

It’s been amazing to see the global reaction and response to the compilation. For those that missed out first time around, the green vinyl version is now back in stock alongside the black vinyl and CD variants. Earlier in the year we caught up with to ask him a few questions about his connection to Brazil, what’s distinctive about the boogie and disco that emanated out of the country and how the compilation first came about. Swipe to hear more.

Link in bio to order your copy. Video Credit:

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