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.

18/12/2025

Continuing our spotlight series called Favourite Finds, we ask some of our favourite DJs, collectors and selectors to tell us the story behind how they came across one of their most cherished records.

For the next instalment, we’ve asked esteemed DJ, producer and radio host, to give us an insight into a special record from his collection.

A key figure at the forefront of deep, roots inspired dance music in London for 25 years, Giles’ taste and talents are up there with the best. For 21 years before recently going solo, he was co-founder and one half of - one of the capital’s best loved and consistent parties and DJ duo’s. His sets draw from all manner of influences and genres, with a strong lean towards deep and soulful music be that soul, hip hop, street soul or deep house (the genre that he is most known for). He’s toured the world as a DJ, released under various monikers including as part of the duos Two Armadillos and Secretsundaze and put out two highly praised releases on the iconic imprint in 2025. Couple that with his much loved, bi-monthly residency on NTS Radio and it’s clear to see Giles’ breadth of musical knowledge is truly top tier.

Swipe for the story behind Giles’ Favourite Find…

17/12/2025

We’ve got our hands on a very limited number of five deadstock titles that now up on the site.

There’s two killer 12”s, the infectious boogie gem ‘100%’ from Caprice written and produced Leroy Burgess & Sonny Davenport and a rare old school rap / electro joint ‘Growing Up’ by the Heartbeat Bro’s on Elite Records. Alongside that there’s three fantastic albums, an Afro-soul, pop-infused LP and an awesome Soukouss album from Gabon and a beautiful French spiritual / modal jazz private press release.

Three fresh selects from the new additions to the store as we close in on the end of the year.First up, a lush psychedel...
16/12/2025

Three fresh selects from the new additions to the store as we close in on the end of the year.

First up, a lush psychedelic-pop album by . ‘Unclouded’ was produced by the Swedish don and features Dina Ögon members, Reine Fiske from Dungen, underground legendary British drummer Malcolm Catto and Josefin Runsteen on strings. Highly recommended. 

Next, an all-time classic from Trio Ternura gets the reissue treament. Blending mid-tempo grooves with percussive funk and soul it’s an infectious slice of feel-good Brazilian gold.

Lastly, the amazing from Stockholm are back with another outstanding vintage library-esque album. Fans of Sven Wunder check this out. This is a LTD edition of 300 copies with screen printed covers and stamped labels.

16/12/2025

Next up in our Cuban Classics series, one of the jewels of record label Areito’s extensive and sought-after catalogue. Ricardo Eddy Martinez’s Expreso Ritmico from 1978 is a prized album fusing funk, disco, and orchestrated influences with Afro-Cuban percussion, Latin breaks, and lush vocal harmonies.

A record that whilst maintaining its distinctive Cuban identity, is one of the more American / Western-influenced Cuban titles of the time drawing inspiration from jazz funk, disco, and library music. Masterminded by Ricardo Eddy Martinez, who was responsible for the orchestration of the Los Reyes 73 album, he would later go on to work with international musicians and singers such as Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, Chick Corea, and many more.

Pre-order now on vinyl LP and CD via the link in our bio - out 20th February 2026.

15/12/2025

Next up in our Record Club Mix series we welcome Polish DJ, promoter and radio presenter, .pieta. His reputation for deep cuts and soul-nourishing sets have taken him everywhere from Japan and Spain to some of the most respected venues and festivals around the UK. He also heads up the parties in Manchester - with some exciting plans in the works for 2026.

In Kacper’s own words: “As 2025 comes to an end, I have been reflecting on the incredible year that this has been: some wonderful memories made and incredible music shared. This mix, rooted in jazz and broken beat, is a reflection of the uplifting energy that has blessed me throughout the last 12 months.

I’ve carefully selected a handful of tracks that I’ve been loving listening to at home recently, accompanied by a few tunes that I’ve been playing on the dancefloor. You can expect music from Don Glori, Close Counters, 2000 Black, as well as a special preview of ‘Echo Danza’, an upcoming track from the wonderful Italian duo ”.

12/12/2025

In celebration of ’s new 4K restoration of the seminal hip hop film Wild Style, Azorean-Canadian producer and DJ steps up with a specially commissioned megamix cut across two sides of a 7”. Featuring recently discovered unreleased material, cut up with sections of the remastered soundtrack, expert turntablism, and added live instrumentation, Jorun shines a new light on this pioneering piece of hip hop history.

Having released music since the mid-‘80s on labels such as Soundweight, Diggers With Gratitude, and JBOR Records, Jorun also produces and scores music for film and television in the USA. Given the opportunity to remix such an iconic slice of hip hop’s heritage, he has delivered a respectful, authentic and inspired homage to the legacy of the film and its soundtrack.

Pre-order now on 7” vinyl and digital - out 13th February 2026.

11/12/2025

Stepping up next in our Mr Bongo 12” Edits series, we’ve invited another legend of the game, DJ Nature, to craft a special EP of signature edits. Following editions by Dan Tyler and Nick The Record, Luke Una, and Danny Krivit, and fresh from joining us on our Mr Bongo x Higo Beat Japan Tour, selects four prime cuts spanning modern soul, psychedelic funk, boogie, and leftfield disco, giving each his trademark tweak for today’s dancefloor.

Reflecting his love of raw, independent disco, jazz fusion, and early house music, DJ Nature has chosen four tracks from the Mr Bongo archive that he felt had club-ready production ripe for an rework. Housed within are re-edits of an ultra-rare P.J. City modern soul/disco joint, Cuban cosmic brilliance courtesy of Grupo Los Yoyi, a lesser-known gem from the Elite Records catalogue and quirky leftfield disco from Marxist Love Disco Ensemble. Pre-order now on 12” vinyl and digital - out 6th February 2026.

Continuing our spotlight series called Favourite Finds, we ask some of our favourite DJs, collectors and selectors to te...
09/12/2025

Continuing our spotlight series called Favourite Finds, we ask some of our favourite DJs, collectors and selectors to tell us the story behind how they came across one of their most cherished records.

For the next instalment, we’ve asked Venice-based DJ and producer .records to give us an insight into a special record from his collection.

Sparked by a love of listening to live mixtapes and radio shows as a child, and with an aunt who owned two important Italian nightclubs located in the province of Venice from the ‘70s to the ‘90s, Zaffa has always had a keen interest in musical exploration. It’s a passion that has stayed with him ever since through his DJing and producing, sharing his discoveries and creations with dancefloors across Italy, Europe and beyond.

Swipe for the story behind Zaffa’s Favourite Find…

With Christmas fast approaching we’ve outlined our key opening hours and shipping dates for the festive period.Opening T...
05/12/2025

With Christmas fast approaching we’ve outlined our key opening hours and shipping dates for the festive period.

Opening Times:

24th December - Final day for shipping and order enquires before Christmas
25th-29th December - We are closed
30th December - Open for shipping / order enquires
31st December-4th January - We are closed
5th January - Business as usual

In order for you to receive your Christmas orders before the 25th December, please take a look at the guidance from Royal Mail via the link in our bio. Please note this year is exceptionally busy for online orders, and these dates are not a guarantee.

Ethiopian music company , presents a truly iconic set of recordings from Tilaye Gebre, one of Ethiopia’s most soulful sa...
05/12/2025

Ethiopian music company , presents a truly iconic set of recordings from Tilaye Gebre, one of Ethiopia’s most soulful saxophone giants. With a musical legacy that’s hard to surpass, he was a founding member of the Equators, later renamed the Dahlak Band, and a key figure in Ethiopia’s vibrant hotel music scene. Tilaye also became a sought-after musician and arranger for artists like Aster Aweke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Tilahun Gessesse, and Muluken Melesse.

No saxophonist in Ethiopia influenced the sound of popular music more than Tilaye in the 1970s, yet his recordings have been hard to come by for ages, until now. Muzikawi now re-release Tilaye Gebre’s Tilaye’s Saxophone with the Dahlak Band (የጥላዬ ሳክስ ከዳህላክ ባንድ ጋር), originally recorded as a one-take live cassette at the legendary Ghion Hotel in the late 1970s. One microphone at the front, no EQ, no reverb, just some delay - which became the signature recipe for the Dahlak Band’s characteristic Ethiopian rare groove sound.

Pre-order now on 2LP housed in a gatefold sleeve via the link in our bio - shipping from UK and USA, 6th February.

US EXCLUSIVE…we’ve just got our hands on a range of limited edition Cleo Sol t-shirts and posters for the US site. There...
04/12/2025

US EXCLUSIVE…we’ve just got our hands on a range of limited edition Cleo Sol t-shirts and posters for the US site. There’s four t-shirt designs to choose from in sizes S-###L and three A3 posters. These completely sold out at both the NY and LA shows, and stocks are very limited so grab them whilst you can. Link in bio to order - US site only.

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6 Gloucester Yard
Brighton
BN14AF

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