PIRATES AHOY!

The founder of independent music label Analog Africa, Samy Ben Redjeb, had a dilemma when he was compiling the label's latest compilation Super Disco Pirata - De Tepito Para E Mundo 1965-1980 (released in November 2024).

- ■ JOHN CLEWLEY

All of the 23 tracks were pirated copies of tropical music hits — often Colombian cumbias but also hits from other countries in the region.

These bootlegged songs (pirata in Spanish) were taken by mobile sound system operators called sonideros, who boosted the high frequencies in keeping with the cumbia sound, edited out bits or just looped riffs and grooves of songs they liked; sometimes they slowed the rhythms to cater to Mexican music fans tastes.

The bootleg compilations were then taken a pressing plant where they would use recycled vinyl and press just 300-500 copies; they were cheap and locals snapped them up.