Fussible: No One Over 21
Fussible is big on percussion this time around, creating a heady lounge atmosphere where the pace quickens, slows and then teasingly quickens again.
Fussible: Odeyssea
Beyond merely providing banal extended dance remakes, Fussible's first solo release following Nortec Collective, is much more hypnotic and innovative, recycling traditional sounds of brass and accordion along with experimental techno beats and some jazz and house tossed in for good measure.
Ely Guerra: Lotofire
The bewitching Ely Guerra has finally released an album on American shores. Lotofire, her first US release, is gorgeous and captivating both lyrically and musically.
Kinky: Atlas
The pressure is officially on for the boys from Monterrey, Mexico and they again manage to convert it into pure energy.
Kinky: Kinky
Viva Mexico! Kinky, a grupo de cinco, hails from Monterrey, Mexico. Along with Moenia and Nortec Collective they are next in line to revitalize the current dance music scene. Traditional sounds like samba, batucada and norteño are poured into their electronic music, creating a percussion heavy, highly infectious sound.
Lhasa: The Living Road
If Bjork were to record a mariachi album, it might sound like Lhasa's latest release, The Living Road. In the realm inhabited by the Icelandic goddess, Lila Downs and Manu Chao lives Lhasa, an embodiment of musical fusion.
Luaka Bop: Zero Accidents On The Job
David Byrne's efforts to bring contemporary Cuban and Brazilian music to American ears deserve special recognition, otherwise recordings from singers like Silvio Rodriguez and Tom Ze could only be found during trips abroad. Luaka Bop went beyond Latin America, exploring Asian music as well. The latest release, Zero Accidents on the Job, is a fantastic 2 CD sampler to the uninitiated and an excellent greatest hits album for fans.
Los Niños de Sara: Gipsyole
Cousins of the Gipsy Kings, Los Niños de Sara combine tropical rhythms with a melancholy gypsy voice and guitars.
Jorge Drexler: 12 Segundos de Soledad
Delicate and transformative, Jorge Drexler's 12 Segundos de Soledad is a smooth follow-up to the resonant Eco.
Rock en Espanõl/Latin Music Reviews
Backstage Passes
