Super Disco Pirata - From Tepito To The World 1965-1980 [Analog Africa]

I am faced with a dilemma: how does the founder of an independent record label justify creating a project that highlights, and even praises, piracy—that plague which has brought many record labels to the brink of bankruptcy?

I first discovered "pirata" records in 2020 while crate-digging in Mexico City: their strange-looking, DIY sleeves, together with the edited, trimmed, EQ-manipulated, and pitch-shifted music they contained, hooked me. There was no denying it: the more I delved into the world of these illicit productions, the more intrigued I became; and it wasn’t long before it became clear to me that I would one day release my own compilation based on pirata compilations. But beyond my personal fascination with that parallel world, it was undeniable that the "pirata" movement had played a significant role in shaping the music scene in Mexico. So, how did it all begin?

During the 1980s, a group of music vendors and record collectors from Mexico City joined forces to create a series of illegally manufactured vinyls that contained rare and highly sought-after hits from Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and beyond. At that time, Mexico City's dance party scene was dominated by sonideros—a highly developed network of mobile sound system operators. The sonideros' popularity generated a growing demand for tropical music, as their fanbase increasingly craved the "exclusive" hits associated with particular sounds. Additionally, record vendors were frustrated with the music industry, which consistently "fed" them with streams of mediocre records, and from that frustration came the idea of compiling and manufacturing LPs where every song was a hit—"wherever the needle dropped, it had to be a song capable of lighting up the party."

These pirata compilations—known as “pirata”—were pressed during night shifts on recycled vinyl in editions of no more than 500 copies; they were cheaply produced and sold just as cheaply to people who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford them. They were extensively listened to in every corner of Mexico's densely populated neighborhoods, where, in addition to educating the ears of young people, they also promoted some of the best tropical music recorded in Latin America.

According to several first-hand accounts, these pirata records began mysteriously appearing in the early 80s at various market stalls in Tepito, Mexico City’s infamous barrio—a place where one can attend daytime salsa parties, score every drug imaginable, buy all sorts of weapons, and, of course, acquire pirata music in every format. It seems that the manufacturers of pirata LPs operated under the principle that “what happens in Tepito stays in Tepito,” and getting information about their counterfeiting operations was difficult and, moreover, dangerous. My accomplice—Carlos “Tropicaza” Icaza, who agreed to write the liner notes for this project—was quick to point out that: “We won’t be able to reveal any names. We’ll have to be careful when telling the story.”

At first, pirata LPs came in simple generic sleeves, bore fictitious company names such as Discos Music-Hall, Carioca, Garden, or Miami, and contained popular street dancing songs in nearly every tropical genre. As these unlikely compilations proved successful and new ones began to be produced at a rate of one per month, the piratas started to design and print interesting sleeves that often included the logos of some of the most popular sound systems, like Rolas, Pancho, La Changa, Arco-Iris, and Casablanca. The pioneer of this design style was Jaime Ruelas, who started as a DJ for the legendary mobile disco Polymarchs before using his illustration skills to design their flyers, posters, and logos. Drawing direct inspiration from sci-fi movies and heavy metal album covers, the graphics he created became a key element of sonidero culture.

The anonymous manufacturers may not have realized it at the time, but by daring to create pirata LPs, they were helping to consolidate and expand the love for tropical music and dancing among the population of Mexico City and beyond. The records themselves are a key element of sonidero culture, which was recently declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mexico City for the impact it has had on multiple generations who identified with the communal experience of the street party and for whom music and dancing became an essential part of daily life.

This double LP contains 23 floor-filling tropical tracks, selected from the best and weirdest pirata records produced during the golden age of Mexico City's mobile sound systems. It also includes a lavish booklet with extensive liner notes and photographs, and is dedicated to all sonideros for their groundbreaking role as ambassadors of tropical music within Mexican society.