Review: DJ KOCO aka SHIMOKITA - Cuban 45 Boxset (Mr Bongo)

Over the years, Mr Bongo has released some sort after 7" box sets, like 'Brazilain Beats' and 'Wild Syle' for starters so keep your eyes pealed on Record Store Day for this fantastic 'tribute' to Cuba as DJ KOCO (aka SHIMOKITA) compiles ' Cuban 45 Boxset'.

I remember a well known digger telling me that Cuba is a tresurer trove of unknown Latin jazz-funk 45s that are dirty cheap: the only problem was once bought, you had to smuggle them out passed the Cuban security as there was an export ban.   

So here's more than a great compromise as DJ KOCO has not only down the diggin' for you, he's got these ten golden nuggets on RSD vinyl release.   Japan's DJ KOCO curated the tracks for you (as he did for the Brazil 45 Boxset, 2024) and with this turntablist ear and reputation as a DJ's DJ you can be sure that there's no duffers included here.

If fact, quite the opposite as Juan Pablo Torres y Algo Nuevo's track, 'Rompe Cocorioco' is worth getting in itself.  And then there's the disco soul ballad of Farah María ('Ámame Y No pienses Mas') which is pure joy as is, the totally dubbed out DJ Koco edit of 'Amancer' by Grupo Ismaelillo that's Mexico Herb Alpert goes leftfield.

There's another Edit he's done, FA-5's 'Muévete Con Las Fuerzas Del Corazón' to maximise the "funky dancer" appeall with it's "heavy b-boy/girl break from 1976".

Taking of mid-70s, 'Orquesta Riverside' do Fania on the the heavy 'En Casa Del Tromp No Bailes', the serious trombone on 'Y Viva La Felicidad' (reminds me of Raul de Souza) and the incredible 'Tema Para Un Amanecer' (by Rembert Egües) as we get Roy Ayers vibes mix with Lalo Schfrin orchestration.

Hopefully, this will see a new dawn in interest for Cuban music, especially as there's a hip-hop 'sample' element to all the tracks here as his thing is rare and groove fit for the dancefloor - kinda the inverse of Japanofiles like Higgins/Peden types (see HERE).  Or even fans of the recent Luke Una Presents É Soul Cultura Vol.3 (see review HERE) and, indeed Vol. 2 (see reviw HERE) that know how to more a dancefloor.

I remember seeing the Brazil 45 Boxset for sale in Southampton on RSD (shop since closed) and thinking no one will buy this, I've got time to get to another shop and back and if I've still got some cash, I'll get it later (I think this was the 2021 DJ Marky boxset); clearly, it was sold before I got back and it still rankles - so don't make the same mistake if you see this boxset on the 18th at a Record Store near you.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: RSD release (https://www.mrbongo.com)

Artist: Various Artists

Title: DJ KOCO aka SHIMOKITA - Cuban 45 Boxset

Release date: 18h April, 2026 

Label : Mr Bongo 

Catalog Number : MRB7235

Format : Vinyl 7" boxset