Alfonso Lovo: La Gigantona

Here's a right proper musical curio reissued by Numero, which has made its name on the back of curating such oddities from the worlds of dusty grooves, private presses and long-forgotten gems. Lovo is a Nicaraguan guitarist who plays with rare skill and vivid flourishes. But the political turmoil in his native country largely scuppered his career. The son of a prominent Nicaraguan politician, Lovo moved to the US after he was shot and seriously injured by Sandanista rebels in 1971. La Gigantinona, originally recorded in 1976 with a band featuring Santana percussionist Jose "Chepito" Areas, is a wonderful example of Lovo's potent, freaky, psychedelic take on rock, funk and jazz. Even after all these years, tracks such as Los Conquistadores, La Bomba de Neutron and Neuva Segovia remain adventurous trips into other worlds. numerogroup.com

Download: Los Conquistadores, La Bomba de Neutron, Neuva Segovia