The Paths of Pain: The CAIFE Label, Quito, 1960-68

London record shop/label Honest Jon’s is never short of rare musical treasure and what a treat they have served up here: 36 recordings made by Quito’s CAIFE label across the 1960s, none previously reissued before. As always with Honest Jon’s, this release is a stunning package – beautifully designed, a fascinating essay by Ramona Stout (in English and Spanish) that details how these recordings were made, the milieu they existed in, who the artists were and why they were not heard for more than 50 years, excellent remastering of the sound and, most importantly, some beautiful music. Ecuador is a nation whose music has never got the attention its neighbours Peru and Colombia have but what is on offer here suggests plenty of sonic riches existed (that is, the notes emphasise, before Colombian cumbia swept Ecuador in the 1970s).

Here there are pan pipes and guitar instrumentals and simpering ballads and dance tunes and much else. Interestingly, CAIFE appears to have been a label dedicated to vernacular music – there is no rock/pop here – yet its owner Carlos Rota was open to musicians from abroad: Brazilian, Mexican, Argentinian and even an Italian Roma artist appear here. The music is deliciously fresh and, having been mastered from the original tapes, sounds very well-preserved. This compilation is a delight!