Paola Puente
If Paola Puente’s records, portable turntables, vintage toys and ephemera were housed in a museum, it would be enough to make The Smithsonian envious. The fact that one individual has single-handedly amassed such a meticulously curated collection is extraordinary.
Rafa Jazz
São Paulo’s Rafa Jazz has become a ubiquitous force on the capital city’s scene in recent years. As a shop owner, label boss, radio personality, heavy-weight vinyl junkie, and purveyor of some of the creamiest sounds in town, what drew her to the world of wax began as a way to procure the jazz music she loved in an affordable format.
Kassin
If you spot Alexandre Kassin in Rio de Janeiro’s Botafogo neighborhood, you'd be forgiven for thinking he might work at a tech startup around the corner. There is little about his demeanor or outward appearance to indicate that he is one of the most prolific and accomplished musicians, composers, producers, and arrangers in the contemporary Brazilian music scene. Despite his impressive body of work, filled with legendary names like Caetano, Elza, and Jorge Ben, Kassin prefers to stay far from
Pierpaolo De Sanctis
There are reissue labels and there are archive labels. Somewhere in between, in a league of their own, lies Rome’s Four Flies Records. Specializing in lost Italian soundtracks and library records of the 1960s and 1970s, much of the label's output was never previously available outside the world of Italian film and television production.
Gustavo Aquino
Gustavo Aquino never looks anything less than perfectly put-together, always exuding an effortless Carioca cool and a sartorial panache that honors his Afro-Brazilian heritage with a distinctly modernist twist. His style is a visual metaphor for his approach to record collecting: a deep respect for Afro-Brazilian music’s history and culture combined with a perpetual desire to push things forward. The colorful beads he wears around his neck highlight his roots from the Umbanda religion while sp