Eliseo Pech was a saxophonist born into a family from Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, with deep musical roots. He later settled in Quintana Roo, in southern Mexico, close to the border with Belize. From there came the strong influence of ska and reggae. <\/p>\n
In the early 1970s, he formed the band Ely Combo, which was soon joined by Belizean singer Anthony Jones. Together they recorded only a couple of albums, packed with covers of reggae and funk hits. This single brings together two of those tracks: Isaac Hayes’ classic \u2018Shaft,\u2019 the worldwide hit from 1971, and the dancefloor favorite \u2018Express Yourself,\u2019 originally recorded by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band. <\/p>\n
Ely Combo was one of the first Mexican bands to incorporate Jamaican rhythms into its repertoire, a remarkable anomaly within the Latin American music scene of the 1970s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Inspired by the ska and reggae sounds crossing the border from Belize, the Mexican band Ely Combo was among the first in the country to incorporate Jamaican rhythms into its repertoire in the early 1970s.<\/p>\n
This single pairs two reggae and funk classics: Isaac Hayes’ \u2018Shaft\u2019 and the dancefloor anthem \u2018Express Yourself,\u2019 originally recorded by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band\u2014a remarkable anomaly within the Latin American music scene of the 1970s.<\/p>\n