Inside Rocafort Records: the independent label uncovering lost Latin gems and funk-fueled masterpieces
“And Alexander wept,” so goes the fabled quote, “seeing as he had no more worlds to conquer.” As history has repeatedly shown us, though, there are always new discoveries to be made.
In the age of the internet and music streaming, it can often feel as though every lost musical gem has been discovered and uploaded somewhere in 4K, but if you are dedicated enough, there are still a multitude of discoveries and archaeological artefacts to uncover, as Barcelona’s Rocafort Records has shown on a multitude of occasions.
Reissue labels are not a modern invention, but there are a plethora of particularly incredible labels around at the moment that have devoted themselves to uncovering and repopularising lost, forgotten, and impossibly obscure masterpieces from decades past – the likes of Ace Records, Karma Chief, and Vampisoul being only a few that spring to mind. Since 2013, though, Rocafort has been one of the greatest.
Specialising in the kind of mind-expanding funk, soul, and Latin releases that have never really gone out of style, Rocafort is the brainchild of cousins Ivan Ivánovich and Philippe Rocafort, veteran DJs and vinyl obsessives who have devoted much of their lives to the pursuit of elusive masterpieces.
“We were each organising events in our respective cities – Barcelona, Spain and Lausanne, Switzerland, for me – inviting DJs and bands who rarely played there,” Phil shared, speaking exclusively to Far Out. “At some point, we felt the desire to get even more involved in this niche scene, and reissuing rare or overlooked records that we played seemed like a natural step.”
That fateful first release came courtesy of Latin percussionist and boogaloo master Johnny Zamot who, according to Rocafort, “kindly gave us his blessing to reissue the track [‘Are You Ready’]”, which Ivan and Phil dug out from 1969 and repressed onto a pristine seven-inch cut of wax – answering the long-standing prayers of DJs and northern soul obsessives across the land.
Exactly how Rocafort’s ever-expanding body of reissues comes into being differs from one release to another – the original artists, like Zamot, aren’t always on hand to grant their blessings to a repress. “Most of the time we are the ones searching for forgotten records or trying to track down the rights holders,” Rocafort explained. “But occasionally the music finds its way to us.”
Seemingly, that is how the label arrived at its upcoming release, The Booga Mambo Beat, originally released back in 1967 by Steve Hernández y Su Orquesta Latinoamericana and chased by Latin music obsessives ever since.
“We owe this incredible discovery to Andrew Yeomanson, also known as DJ Le Spam, based in Florida,” Rocafort shared, giving a glimpse at just what a global operation the independent label is. “We were already working together on another project when, during his own research, he came across these tapes stored in a warehouse.”
Then came the dreaded admin: “After that comes the long coordination process: identifying the rights holders, researching the musicians involved, transferring the audio from the tapes, and locating an original copy of the artwork in good enough condition to restore for the reissue,” Rocafort shared, before namedropping a few of the essential crew who helped to bring the release to fruition.
“We worked with several trusted collaborators,” he declared. “My cousin Ivan travelled from Barcelona to Miami to meet Andrew Yeomanson, who handled the tape transfer. Pablo Yglesias, based in Northampton, carried out fantastic research through interviews with musicians and collectors to help shed light on the story behind the record.”
Even once the music was taken care of, the label still had to track down a decent-enough copy of the original artwork, which they eventually found thanks to Japanese designer Yusuke Yoshinaga, who “carefully restored the original artwork using his personal copy of the LP.”
Rocafort gratefully added, “This project simply wouldn’t have been possible without their work.”
Whether it was that legendary boogaloo release back in 2014, or the much-anticipated release of The Booga Mambo Beat this year, Rocafort affirms, “Every release has been a new story and often a new encounter.”
Explaining, “That’s really what keeps us going: bringing attention to music that never had the chance to be properly promoted at the time, or highlighting new artists whose music truly resonates with us.”
On the topic of new artists, Rocafort’s expertise doesn’t lie exclusively in the realm of reissues. Over the years, largely through their Discos Martos imprint, the label has expanded to include a litany of incredible contemporary artists, including the likes of Pyramid Blue, whose Rocafort-released single ‘Amal’ made it into Far Out’s Best Songs of 2025 last year.
“Rocafort initially focused exclusively on reissues,” the co-founder clarified, “but over time we also started releasing music by contemporary artists that we loved.” This soon led to the formation of that incredible imprint: “We connected with Óscar Martos, a Spanish multi-instrumentalist and producer whose work we admired. We eventually decided to create a sub-label called Discos Martos dedicated entirely to his productions.”
As for what, if anything, makes up the DNA of a Rocafort release, the answer is relatively simple. “Because Ivan is a professional DJ, we probably always had a slight bias toward music that works well in a DJ context,” Phil shared. “Something rhythmic and made for dancing. That’s also why we initially focused a lot on the 45rpm format.”
Dance-focused 45s still remain at the heart of Rocafort’s operations, but the realm of the label has certainly expanded over the past decade, too.
“Today we are simply looking for organic music that moves us, whether it’s something for the dancefloor or something you might listen to on a quiet Sunday afternoon,” the co-founder explained, before adding: “That said, we definitely have a soft spot for the sound of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It’s a period that later became heavily sampled in hip-hop, which was actually our first musical love.”
Rocafort certainly aren’t the only music fans consistently looking back towards the 1960s and 1970s, either. For the label, though, it isn’t just nostalgia that is dragging them back to the age of analogue: “I think great recordings transcend their original context, regardless of the year they were made,” Rocafort explained.
Still, though, the allure of that golden period back in the 1960s and 1970s is difficult to ignore, particularly for music obsessives. “The 1960s and 1970s were a remarkable period for the music industry,” Philippe gushed. “It was also a time when musical styles were constantly blending and evolving, which led to a lot of experimentation and some truly unique recordings.”
Nevertheless, the label boss was dismissive of any notion that, eventually, every musical discovery will have been made. “Reissuing music isn’t a goal in itself,” he says. “Every time I think everything must have already been rediscovered, a new label suddenly uncovers an incredible forgotten record. It’s quite amazing.”
On top of all those rediscoveries, Rocafort has the added bonus of now attracting a wealth of equally revolutionary modern-day artists, too: “We are just as excited when we hear a great demo from a new artist as when we bring an obscure album back to life,” Rocafort shared. “The current scene, especially in jazz, is extremely vibrant, and it promises many exciting years ahead.”
It is no surprise, then, that the Barcelona-based label doesn’t show any signs of winding down their output any time soon. Almost as soon as The Booga Mambo Beat hits the airwaves in a haze of retro Latin-infused excellence, the label will be digging through crates and obscure archives to secure their next discovery.
Not wishing to give too much away, Rocafort told us that they are currently “preparing a reissue of a Cuban musician who emigrated to New York, also from the original master tapes.”
Without naming the artist explicitly, some hints were certainly dropped: “He played with some of the biggest names in Latin music like Tito Puente, Machito, Celia Cruz and many others, yet he remains relatively unknown as an artist in his own right.” In other words, it sounds like a perfect Rocafort release.
In this digital age, where it is easy to allow algorithms to determine your listening habits, labels like Rocafort are more essential than ever. Not only are Ivan and Philippe appeasing the needs of the collectors who have been chasing these obscure releases for decades, but they are also instrumental in introducing them to the next generation of music fans for the very first time.
Without them, it isn’t difficult to imagine records like The Booga Mambo Beat becoming lost to the obscurity of time. Whether it’s in uncovering those essential lost gems or supporting the contemporary artists creating original work in that same spirit, Rocafort Records is an utterly essential haven within the realm of independent music, and as long as there are still discoveries to be made, its reign will surely continue.
