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.

With Christmas closing in we’ve hand-picked a selection of special offer bundles from the Mr Bongo catalogue. Some serio...
14/11/2025

With Christmas closing in we’ve hand-picked a selection of special offer bundles from the Mr Bongo catalogue. Some serious heat for the winter months, including a range of our finest albums, compilations, edit 12”s, 7”s, reissues and more. Plus we have the Mr Bongo gift cards available and a whole host of merch. 

These deals are only going to be available over the Christmas period, so get stuck in whilst stock lasts.

Excited to announce a new set of Mr Bongo merch in collaboration with our good friends . It’s been on our list for a lon...
14/11/2025

Excited to announce a new set of Mr Bongo merch in collaboration with our good friends . It’s been on our list for a long time, and we’ve finally done it… a Mr Bongo 7” record bag. Designed specifically for the DJs and collectors out there. There’s also a Mr Bongo x Fruityshop collaborative coach jacket available in black and moss grey. Limited stock, shop them now on our website via the link in our bio.

Thanks to the team at Fruityshop, our stunning models and , and to .dj for his contribution.

Note - all products ship from Mr Bongo UK.

Continuing our spotlight series called Favourite Finds, we ask some of our favourite DJs, collectors and selectors to te...
12/11/2025

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 Rob Butler mastermind behind on of the finest reissue labels in the game, to give us an insight into a special record from his collection.

20+ years as a DJ, stints behind the counter at various record haunts including Piccadilly Records and a collection amassed through a lifetime of digging, Rob is no stranger to a good find. Helming the mighty Be With Records for over 10 years now, he’s put out countless prized reissues from the likes of Ned Doheny, The Ahmad Jamal Trio, Leon Ware, Bobby Caldwell, the KPM Music archives and many many more.

Swipe for the story behind Rob’s Favourite Find…

Big thanks to  for hosting another fantastic edition of their New York record fair. It was great to see it so packed wit...
10/11/2025

Big thanks to for hosting another fantastic edition of their New York record fair. It was great to see it so packed with eager diggers and to catch up with everyone across the two days. Next stop Den Bosch this weekend, come find us at Stall 780 + 781 in Hall 7.

Ahead of welcoming the incredible  to join us behind the decks this Saturday at , we asked her for a handful of selectio...
10/11/2025

Ahead of welcoming the incredible to join us behind the decks this Saturday at , we asked her for a handful of selections that will be making it into her bag for the gig.

Swipe to see what she picked out and head down to the Tate Modern on Saturday to catch her and the Mr Bongo DJs spinning in person, 18:00-23:00. Free entry - no ticket required.

06/11/2025

Wild Style - Part 2: The Unseen Footage (because we slipped up on the first post 😬)

Watch ’s first look at the extra elements of our Wild Style Special Edition package including the poster and flexi disc, plus hear more about the influence the original had on him.

Three fresh selects from the new additions to the store…A massive release for 2025 and one we’ve been waiting for. We’re...
06/11/2025

Three fresh selects from the new additions to the store…

A massive release for 2025 and one we’ve been waiting for. We’re big fans of .sessa.sessa and he’s delivered maybe his best album to date on . A stunning listen from start to finish featuring (SOYUZ), , and other fantastic musicians. One of the best albums of 2025!

Next, a huge first release on the new record label . Two sublime Brazilian boogie/disco nuggets by the São Paulo DJ & producer . A limited edition vinyl only pressing.

Lastly, present a sublime spiritual jazz album by the Swedish musician Gustav Horneij aka . A limited edition pressing, highly recommended!

04/11/2025

Last week we sat down with UK hip hop royalty and one of the best turntablists in the game, , to capture his first look at the Wild Style Special Edition package.

Having had a hand in helping decide what was included in the package, it was great to see his genuine reaction opening it up in real life for the first time. He also touched on the influence of the film and soundtrack on himself personally and his excitement at seeing ’s 4K restoration on the big screen. Swipe to see what he had to say - huge thanks to Mr Thing for welcoming us into his home to shoot this.

In three weeks time we land in Japan with DJ Nature () for our 2025 tour in partnership with . Swipe for the dates and d...
04/11/2025

In three weeks time we land in Japan with DJ Nature () for our 2025 tour in partnership with . Swipe for the dates and details of the gigs and pop ups we are hosting, we can’t wait to catch up with new faces and old.

Representing Mr Bongo, our own Gareth Stephens and will be behind the decks alongside a host of brilliant local talent and the legendary DJ Nature, all powered by Higo Beat speakers. Design by .studio

3週間後、 と伝説のDJ Nature ()を迎えて、2025年のジャパンツアーがスタートします。

スワイプして、PartyやPopUpの場所や日程をチェックしてみてください。新しい出会いも、懐かしい再会も、今からとても楽しみにしています。

Mr BongoからはGareth Stephensと が参加し、素晴らしいローカルDJ陣、そして伝説のDJ Nature と共にプレイします。

全PartyのサウンドはHigo Beatスピーカーによって届けられます。

Three fresh selects from the new additions to the store…First, ’s amazing mix of James Reese & The Progressions ‘Throwin...
30/10/2025

Three fresh selects from the new additions to the store…

First, ’s amazing mix of James Reese & The Progressions ‘Throwing Stones’ (as featured on Mr Bongo Record Club Volume Four) is now available on 7” over two parts. Well recommended. 

Next, present a wonderful album by the contemporary Brazilian artist Nunes Araújo from Pernambuco. Rich in the Northeast Brazilian traditions mixed with modern day songwriting it features Bruno Berle, Batata Boy and Byron Higor. 

Finally, present ‘Io E Mara’ a rare Italian soundtrack for a film that was never made. Composed by Alberto Baldan Bembo in 1969, it’s a blend of cinematic lounge, bossa, and jazz flavours with the ethereal vocals of Mara.

Address

6 Gloucester Yard
Brighton
BN14AF

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