Melbourne Marvels

Joe Bataan

Suss'D

Not many can claim to have had a hand in developing rap via New Yorican disco and Latin soul. But then Joe Bataan has been ahead of the curve for 30 years, fusing musical styles way before they became the norm, and always keeping his ears to the street culture he grew up with. His breakthrough track 'Gypsy Woman' helped propel the emerging dance movement and his 'Salsoul' album remains a pivotal LP, mixing funk and Latin with orchestral maneuvers and predicting the future like a William Burroughs of disco. As if one landmark album wasn’t enough, his marinade of Brazilian influenced rhythms played by an afro-cuban back section under orchestral funk was also right on the money, and 'Afrofilipino' spawned another seminal early disco anthem - a version of Gil Scott Heron's 'The Bottle'. The Latin funk brother who's certainly no ordinary Joe.