Canopy is a Portuguese based label now in its fourth year, run by New Zealand born Emmanuel Dalton aka Sumosui. Reissuing forgotten tropical gems of synth infused 70s, 80s & 90s funk, disco, boogie and derivatives of these genres that emerged from the creative meeting pots of West Africa & The Caribbean. The other side of the label presents remixes of these vintage works, in an Afro-disco direction, through to contemporary house stylings as well as original works inspired by these motifs. Canopy artists include Captain Planet, Opolopo, Bosq, Aroop Roy, Kiko Navarro, Joi N’Juno and a host of colourful creative talent

Welcoming Lontra to the Canopy family, this release is the first in a number of exciting projects. Lontra is Brazilian born, Colombian based producer, and musician, Guille Katorzi. The inspiration and influences for this project were drawn from diverse sources, including disco, house, Nigerian boogie and Afrobeat. The instrumentals were written and produced in Bogotá with Guille laying down the guitar and bass parts which the songs were built upon. After sending the demos to vocalist Sir Jean (Voilaaa/Sir Jean & NMB Afrobeat Experience), he was thrilled to receive a warm response and travelled to France in 2023 to record vocals in the singers' hometown of Lyon. Returning to Bogotá, a selection of top brass musicians contributed their blazing horns to the project.

Opening up, ‘Money, Money’ serves up a lively disco beat with percussive Afrobeat highlights, funky guitar licks and Afrobeat inspired horn parts, backed by an irresistible bassline, setting the scene for Sir Jean's lyrical warning "money cannot buy your soul". Dropping some of the Afrobeat accents and staying closer to the centre line, ‘Life Is Movement’ is a dancefloor focused track where Katorzi's guitar hook pairs with a restless bassline over which Sir Jean's vocal delivery shines.

The flipside begins with a sensuous overture on ‘Mysterious’. A loose Afro-beat and guitar syncopation provides an inviting space for the horn section's refrains and solos. The arrangement allows plenty of room for the listener to become intoxicated by the groove, before Sir Jean opens his heart with the emotive ode to someone we learn of only as..."Mysterious". Closing out proceedings with ‘The Lyon & The Hunter’, Sir Jean sings a warning wrapped in metaphors while Lontra throws down a club focused punch that dances between funk, house and Afro while the scorching horns set the lot aflame. The culmination of different inspirations and intonations imbues the project with a vivacity and richness in colour that reflects the multi-cultural assembly of players.