Hugo Mendez - Mix + Interview + Playlist (english version)

Hugo Mendez is the man behind one of the most respectable compilations of 2009 : "Tumbélé" released on the Soundway label and devoted to french caribbean sounds between 63 and 74.
Hugo is also part of the collective sofrito sofrito.
He will be playing at the Soul Spektrum party at the Djoon the 26th of march.















In the interview i connected music & food as i always do and Hugo was very receptive to that. So he did an exclusive mix for 716 that he called "Musique Pour aider La Digestion", "Music to help Digestion" (i'm a french guy translating in english a french expression used by an english boy, funny no?)
So hop, you play the mix and then you sit and relax and can read the interview peacefully and in good conditions.
Don't miss the dope playlist at the end.

Musique Pour aider La Digestion

Tracklisting
1) El Recuerdo - Catalina y su Gran Combo
2) Tabu - Cyril Diaz Orchestra
3) Maracaibo - Beddoe's Limbo Orchestra
4) La Batatona - La Sonora Cordobesa
5) Mateau - Ibo Combo
6) Ecoute Ma Melodie - Eskill & Vicky avec Orch. Poly Rythmo
7) Soy Boricua - Super Combo
8) Calypso Music - Elsworth James
9) Imo - Black Truth Rhythm Band
10) Macakki - Etoile Number one

1) Basic question : how did you get into music?
I bought a bootleg tape of Jazz club classics that had Grant Green's 'Sookie Sookie' on it from Camden Market when I was about 13 years old - it blew my mind and I never looked back!

2) Since how long can you make a living with music?
That's a tricky question! I've been working with music as my main occupation for about 6 years, both working for labels and running events, although it is not necessarily the road to riches...

3) Have you always been into West Indies Sound? Otherwise how did it come?
I've always been into Latin music so when I started to dig into other sounds from the West Indies it was a natural progression. There has been so much musical mixing between Caribbean islands that many of the styles from different islands come from similar sources and relate to each other very closely.

4) How did you find the records which figure on the Tumbélé compilation?
The records were found all over the place - some in brocantes in France but mostly in Guadeloupe and Martinique.

5) Did you go to the West Indies? Which countries or islands? Do you have any personal connections with Haiti?
I have some good friends that run a sound system in Dominica (La Dominique, not Republique Dominicaine) so I have visited Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Ste Lucie and Marie-Galante several times to dig for music. I have never been to Haiti.

6) I run also 716 for nice authentic restaurants from all over the world and i like asking artists their favourite places. Do you have any places in West Indies you can recommend (even a small roots spot, everything if its good and friendly)? And in London?
There are countless great little spots to eat across the Caribbean - great poulet boucanné etcetera.... One of my favourite places to eat is probably Rudy's bar in Castle Bruce on the Eastern coast of Dominica - amazing food (cooked by local legend Philly) and a huge selection of home-made bush rum (rum arrangé) Some of the best calaloo and Braff (A Dominican fish stew) on the island - not easy to get to but worth the trip... Of course nothing beats catching your own fish and cooking it in the back yard!
For London Peppers & Spice on Balls Pond Road in Dalston does great Jamaican food and Tienda Tropicale on Holloway Road does some great Colombian food - the best Empanadas in North London.

7) Can you tell us a bit about Sofrito?
Sofrito started as some warehouse parties in East London - using old factory buildings for venues and playing the best Tropical sounds. We've had many great bands play at the events - people like the Poets of Rhythm, Quantic and Saravah Soul. The parties have always a great vibe - they're underground parties that attract music lovers and people that want to dance all night.
It has grown into a label and sound system (along with DJ Frankie Francis and MC Kwasi) that plays at many clubs and festivals across Europe, promoting heavy Tropical rhythms.

8) What's next for you? a new compilation?
I'm working on a compilation of Caribbean afro sounds (mainly from Trinidad) at the moment and slowly putting together Tumbélé volume 2, but I am also very busy with 12" releases for the Sofrito label - I have lots of stuff waiting to come out! There will hopefully be a Sofrito CD at the end of the year if we have the time....


Hugo Mendez Playlist : 10 Tropical dancefloor classics

1) Je ne bois pas beaucoup - Les Ya Toupas du Zaire (Congo/Benin)
Un son funky soukouss/rumba qui ne rate jamais sur le dancefloor.












2) Rift Valley Groove - Tropical Treats Edit (Kenya/Sweden)
Du son funk d'Afrique de l'est, réédité par le crew Tropical Treats de Stockholm












3) Mawu wo Asie - Safoheni Djene et Appolos International (Ghana/Cote d'Ivoire)
Du highlife dancefloor avec un twist pyschédélique des années 80 - marche fort en club!

4) Tabu - Cyril Diaz Orchestra (Trinidad)
Timeless deep & jazzy calypso from the late '50s that still sounds fresh today.












5) Ohue - Victor Uwaifo (Frankie Francis & Simbad Edit) (Nigeria)
Amazing edit from Frankie and Simbad - afro dynamite!

6) Popilation Basse-Terrienne au abois - Ti Celeste (Guadeloupe)
Hot Gwo Ka with saxophone and bass - a Sofrito anthem!

7) Sabroso bacalao - Adolfo Echeverria (Colombia)
Salsa! Bass heavy dancefloor burner










8) Roulé Bossé a ou - Les Maxel's (Martinique)
Serious Cadence action

9) Semba Braguez - Os Korimbas (Angola)
Great slice of Vintage Angolan semba

10) Macakki - Star Number one (Senegal)
Deep Latin classic from one of Senegal's top bands

London with Hugo Mendez - Food & Music

Ok so here we are. After our food & music ride video in Paris, Hugo Mendez of Sofrito invited me back to London for the Sofrito party and also to make me discover some authentic food places he likes. Before putting the whole feature about my London's adventure, here are some pix as an appetizer.


SATURDAY
Here i am London, i'm back.









A jamaïcan curry goat to celebrate my venue.









Let's go to the Sofrito office, just above the club.












The fabulous artwork of Lewis. Originally from Nottingham he started to work with them after he did this poster for a Sofrito gig in Nottingham.
The Sofrito team just said : ok, let's work with this guy !












He also did artworks for Soundway and Analog Africa.












The club












Before & After













Now it's time to work.
Grant, the barman, is preparing his special Sofrito cocktail with 4 types of Rhum.
















Party time, it's hot but i'll put some videos asap because my pix are not so good.









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SUNDAY
Next day, we meet Quantic & Jack Yglesias from The Heliocentrics. While i'm inside their house, my attention focused on the concert in the park just outside, I recognize the sound of Bombaestero.
Wouahou I did a subject about the new colombian music scene for Radio Canada, speaking about Quantic & Bombaestero. And now i just meet the two at the same time : life can be nice !










So I just went out and listened to their great show.
























Ariana (Quantic's wife), Luzmira (Jack'wife), Hugo, Quantic & myself in the park.









Quantic & Hugo speaking about music.









Now let's go to eat ! The famous pakistanese place : Lahore Kebab House.









You got to arrive just before the rush, 19.30 is a good time.









So many great meals and there are some specials on Sunday, miami !












Even the policemen don't know which one to choose.









Starter : lambchop









A festival of plates
Chicken









Lamb









Look at this rice !









This is the end...









Then the Bar 23, a cool bar in a turkish area.









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MONDAY
Monday, we go back to Sofrito's office. There is a cool bar on the top of the building, it's called The Second Floor.













Time for a sane breakfast.
It's hold by 2 italian brothers, Luigi & Enrico, originally from Sardenia.









They do a super nice Bruschetta which is rare in Paris cause people like to make money with selling bullshit for 7 euros.









And a greek salad.


















Monday night is turkish time : the special mixed grill from Mangal









With an Efes Draft














TUESDAY
End of the trip, before I leave, Hugo takes me to a good Fish & Chips "Fish Central" which now does not only the Fish and Chips but also some nice grilled fishes.









Super top calmars









On our way back, we just passed in front of the swimming pool where they shoot the hammam fighting scene in Eastern Promises.












I am writing now all the reviews about each restaurant and some cool videos are about to come.
Et bien sûr, je vais envoyer la version française. Mais je voulais que les personnes citées dans cet article puissent le lire rapidement.
See you soon !

Lahore Kebab House - London

Lahore Kebab House
The french version is → here
2 Umberston Street (off Commercial Road)
London E1 1PY
Tél : 020 7481 9737 - 020 7481 9738
→ website










A video shoot in the kitchen is being edited and will be posted soon.

This is my english, it's not perfect but I guess it will be enough to make you understand how good the food is :)

Le pitch
On of the most famous pakistanese restaurants of London. Hugo Mendez & his friends confirmed that Brick Lane was full of crap indian restaurants.
Lahore has been opened in 1971. It's often busy and croweded so sunday night around 19, 20 is a good option.
They serve also certain dishes only from wednesday to sunday.
Lahore is the capital of Penjab and the second biggest city of Pakistan after Karachi with 7 million of inhabitants.


















Le restaurant
It's spacious and clean. Without being very warm, it's not cold neither. For the decoration it's close to some asian restaurants of Paris : clean but no fancy.


















It smells like everyone is happy here. There are lots of pakistanese people but the general crowd is very diverse like those two policemen having their break.









Le repas
You could easily get lost because everything sounds so good but the menu is quite short. I let Hugo Mendez choose for us cause he knows the menu as much as his record's collection.
For the veggies, there is a green V in front of each vegetarian meal.
























Entrées
Let's start. A vegetable plate : tomatoes, onions, peperroni, cuncumbers, you grab vegetables with one hand and you put one of the two salsas on the chapatis.









The real entry is here : grilles lambchop : mamma mia !
It has some flavours of honey, apricot, spices, wood.









Plats
It's a while carrousel !
Sorry for some pix but the light came from little bright spotlights and it was hard to get the focus.

- Spinachs with cheese (Saag Paneer)
It's a mix of spinaches and spices wit some some Paneer (cottage cheese).
This one was one of the best, the flavour of spinach was just incredible.









- chicken curry









- The recommendation of Sajid, our waiter : the "lamb curry" which is only served from wedensday to sunday.










-Bindi (Okra)
Okras, also called "lady fingers".









- Unfortunately I didnt taake any pictures from the Chana Masala which is a super good meal with chickpeas.

One rice for all us 5 was enough.


















With that kind of dinners, nothing is left in the plates.









Dessert
For the dessert, it was also recommended by Sajid : Ras Malai, but he told me it was complicate to tell me precisely what was inside
I checked on the web and found a recipe. It's a bit hard for me to translate so i put you the recipe here.
Its true that indian or pakistanese desserts served in restaurants are often very sweet and creamy. Around the table people weren't big fans and that's why i was the only one to have one (also because i couldn't leave London without trying everything possible in that place).
It was sweet but quite original and light. I iked it.









The conclusion
Well, I'll pass the address to all my friends who'll go to London and I hope this post will contribute to the success of your next trip over there.
Honestly I already talked around me about this address and lots of people told me : "great ! because this is hard to find a good place to eat in London." I have to say, this is not because "english food" would be bad, it's mostly because when you wanna eat a good meal in London, it's often too much expensive for tourists. Lots of travellers will be very happy to get that kind of tip.
If you live in London, you can also take away the specialties.
Long life to Lahore, 40 years more would be great.