Berlin, Germany, São Paulo, Brazil — August 20, 2025 — Tropical Diaspora Records® proudly announces the landmark vinyl release of the first three albums from São Paulo's groundbreaking Afro-Brazilian collective Höröyá – a transformative trilogy that redefines Pan-African musical dialogue in the 21st century. This meticulously crafted collection represents the culmination of a years-long collaboration between the German label and Brazilian artists, bringing forth Höröyá, Pan Bras'Afree'Ke Vol. 1, and Pan Bras'Afree'Ke Vol. 2 as premium gatefold editions pressed on colored vinyl symbolizing West African heritage: yellow, red, and green.
Breaking Chains Through Sonic Innovation: The Höröyá-Tropical Diaspora Partnership
Tropical Diaspora Records®, active since 1999 and established as a formal label in 2015 by Brazilian DJ and producer DJ Garrincha, has consistently championed musical narratives that explore African and African Diaspora experiences. Based in Berlin, the label emerged from the city's underground party scene and has developed into a platform for "creating a strong musical narrative about Africa and the African Diaspora living in Brazil nowadays. Their partnership with Höröyá represents a philosophical alignment that goes beyond typical artist-label relationships, rooted in what label co-founder Dr. Sócrates describes as a commitment to "empower the people we work with by means of giving them the chance to control their own narrative".
Höröyá stands as a revolutionary force in the Brazilian musical landscape, consciously rejecting superficial Afrobeat trends that have often veered into cultural appropriation.
As Dr. Sócrates articulates in his penetrating analysis of the band's significance: "It isn't right to pick the heritage and creativity of oppressed cultures without thinking about the repercussions. This is appropriation. But Höröyá has taken a different path. The band from São Paulo does not imitate Afrobeat or Afrojazz. It makes a conscious use of these". In a country with the second-largest Black population globally, Höröyá's approach constitutes a radical political stance against Brazil's pervasive racial and class segregation.
Album Trilogy: Visual and Sonic Architecture of Resistance
1. Höröyá [Red Vinyl] - The Foundation
The inaugural album establishes the band's foundational philosophy of blending Brazilian rhythms with West African instrumentation. Pressed on red vinyl symbolizing the bloodshed and resilience of the Diaspora, this gatefold edition features extensive liner notes tracing the band's formation in São Paulo's peripheries and their early explorations of Afro-Brazilian identity.
2. Pan Bras'Afree'Ke Vol. 1 [Yellow Vinyl] - The Bridge
The first volume of the Pan Bras'Afree'Ke series represents a deliberate musical bridging between Brazil and West Africa. Pressed on yellow vinyl evoking the sun connecting continents, this album features collaborations with musicians from Guinea, Mali, and Senegal. The gatefold packaging includes stunning visual art that maps the cultural and geographical connections between São Paulo and West Africa.
3. Pan Bras'Afree'Ke Vol. 2 [Green Vinyl] - The Flourishing
Completing the trilogy, the second volume pressed on green vinyl represents growth and the fertile cultural exchange between Africa and its Diaspora. This album deepens the band's collaboration with West African musicians, recorded between São Paulo and Bamako, and features guest appearances by legendary Brazilian singer-songwriter Chico César and the all-female vocal group Clarianas, who focus on "ancestral woman's voice in the popular music of Brazil.
Table: Höröyá Vinyl Trilogy Specifications
| Album Title | Vinyl Color | Symbolism | Featured Collaborators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Höröyá | Red | Resilience and blood of the Diaspora | Höröyá and African Musicians based in São Paulo |
| Pan Bras'Afree'Ke Vol. 1 | Yellow | Sun connecting continents | Musicians from Mali, Senegal |
| Pan Bras'Afree'Ke Vol. 2 | Green | Growth and cultural flourishing | Chico César, Clarianas, West African musicians |
Beyond Appropriation: The Political Core of Höröyá's Project
Höröyá's frontman André Piruka understands intimately what it means to be Afro-Brazilian in contemporary society. His musical compositions demonstrate "deep respect and understanding of a cultural tradition that differs from certain stereotypes that still shape how Brazil understands its relation to Africa. This approach stands in stark contrast to Western musical trends that have often appropriated African rhythms without acknowledgment or context.
As Dr. Sócrates observes: "In the West, the independent music scene was in crisis, and Afrobeat seemed to offer a good opportunity to redeem Western musicians who, before an empty and depoliticized present, thought that 'becoming Africans' could give them a surplus much needed in the industry." Höröyá rejects this empty appropriation, instead choosing to "go back to Africa, of working with the masters, and of bringing Africa back to Brazil".
The band's latest album, Gri Gri Bá (meaning "the great spell, the great sorcerer" in Malinke), represents the culmination of this approach. The music conspires "to bring back to Brazil its own heritage and revive its own past, the very foundations of its culture". This musical project becomes a form of cultural decolonization, making plain "the cultural alienation of Brazilian society" while creating "the soundtrack of this reality".
Cultural Bridge Building: Instruments and Influences
Höröyá's sound represents a sophisticated fusion of African and Brazilian musical traditions. Their recordings feature African instruments like the kamele ngoni and djeli ngoni (played by Malian musicians Adama Koeta and Barou Kouyate) alongside Brazilian instruments such as the zabumba and berimbau. This creates what Piruka describes as "an incredible sound proposal of unusual instruments heard together" that unites the Sahel region near the Sahara with Brazil's Sertão region, which share surprising cultural and geographical similarities.
The band's work extends beyond musical experimentation to address "today's Diaspora, the reality of economic and social displacement of contemporary Africans in Brazil". This focus on contemporary experiences creates a living, evolving cultural dialogue rather than treating African influences as historical artifacts.
Limited Edition Collector's Items: Availability and Distribution
These premium vinyl editions are available through Tropical Diaspora Records' website and Bandcamp page or selected record stores world wide.
A New Chapter in Afro-Diasporic Musical Dialogue
This vinyl trilogy represents more than just a reissue of previous material; it constitutes a deliberate re-contextualization of Höröyá's work within the broader framework of Pan-African resistance and cultural exchange. As Tropical Diaspora Records states in their manifesto: "Music always was and is a way of resistance, a political and social instrument that can unify and uplift people of African ancestry worldwide".
The label's commitment to this principle is evident in their careful presentation of Höröyá's first three albums as a cohesive philosophical statement rather than separate commercial products. This approach aligns with their larger mission to create "a musical narrative about the people who crossed the Atlantic from Africa to the Americas, the encounter with the original people and gave rise to cultural expressions that reflect both the horror and hope of that experience".
About Tropical Diaspora Records®
Founded in Berlin by DJ Garrincha (São Paulo, Brazil) and joined by cultural scholar and DJ Dr. Sócrates (Vigo, Spain), Tropical Diaspora Records® has evolved from its origins in Berlin's 1990s underground party scene to become a platform for musical exploration of African Diaspora experiences. The label takes its name from their event series "Tropical Diaspora," which began in 2008 as a space for celebrating and critically examining the musical traditions of the African Diaspora