Product Description Croatian salsa, Cuban ska, and Oregonian mambo!?!? These are three of the unlikely gems listeners will find on Afro-Latin Party. What started out as an effort to provide the perfect soundtrack to a Latin dance party became a tribute to the global appreciation and realization of the musical ricochet between Cuba and Africa. Central to the Afro-Latin phenomenon is Africando, who provide three songs on Afro-Latin Party, each with a different African lead singer. In the 1960s and 1970s, the biggest names in African musicincluding such heavyweights as Youssou NDour and Salif Keitawere performing Latin music, thanks to recordings that came over from abroad. Cultural exchange between Cuba and the socialist governments in Mali and other parts of West Africa was a regular phenomenon. Performers like the Fania All Stars and Celia Cruz toured Africa and became musical icons. In 1992, legendary Africando founders Ibrahim Sylla and Boncana Maïga traveled to New York to record with top local salsa musicians, many who were taken by surprise by these Africans performing and their phonetically learned Spanish lyrics. Interestingly, many of the band members on the three Africando tracks here, also play on other tracks on Afro-Latin Party. .com There's plenty of food for thought in Putumayo's delicious new Afro-Latin Party. Like the previous Putumayo compilations Afro-Latino and From Congo to Cuba, the 10 tracks here document the fascinating musical marriage between Africa and Cuba that has seen the original African rhythms brought to Cuba by slaves evolve and migrate back east across the ocean to influence a new generation of African music (and in the process produce offspring everywhere from Croatia to Portland, Oregon). But that almost implies that the disc is of interest to musicologists only, when quite the opposite is true. Afro-Latin Party is anchored by three tracks from Africando, the Cuban supergroup that records with different African lead singers, and their seamless blend of African and Carribbean spices nicely sets the tone for the disc. With Pepe and the Bottle Blondes' wry take on classic cha-cha, "Cuentame Que Te Paso" (featuring a former lead singer for Pink Martini) rubbing shoulders with classic-style salsa from Croatia's Cubismo ("Morenita") and Puerto Rico's Jose Mangual Jr. (the white-hot "Ritmo Con Ache"), the disc is an excellent primer on the global reach of salsa music, but more importantly one that sounds best blasting out of speakers that aren't too far from the dance floor. --Ezra Gale
A**N
Really Good!
I like the idea of combined music from Africa, Puerto Rico, USA, etc. I am old enough to remember when those songs werereally popular in New York. Enjoy the remakes of some of the oldies. Really good musical arrangements! A favorite in mycollection. Love the upbeat tempo. I've noticed that other reviewers use it for house work, etc. I use it to dance whilewalking on the sunny beach during my early morning workouts and/or just looking out at the blue sea. C'mon haters! lol
A**T
THIS ALBUM IS GROOVY AND CONTAGIOUS
First things first: I'm not a music officiando, I don't speak Spanish (at least not in any meaningful way), and this review will NOT be a histo-cultural analysis of every song on the album. My favorites are "Betece" (Track #1), "Mandali" (Track #5), "Morenito" (Track #6), and "Demal" (Track #7). The first three have great beats and horns, whereas the latter one has a fair amount of "Spanish Guitar" that makes it delightful. All the songs have a contagious quality to them and this album will make you want to get up and move.
A**Y
Afro-Cuban Music With a Solid Groove
This album is one of the better Putumayo offerings - and that's saying something IMO. The selection of Afro-Cuban music is reasonably varied but without exception, these pieces have a solid groove. As others have said, you may easily be moved to dance. I would add that this is great music for letting your imagination run free.
N**G
Lively tunes
You just want to dance to the songs on this album, even if you don't understand the Spanish. They have snappy tunes and lively instrumentals, and the beats are infectious. If I had a complaint it would be that the tunes all sound similiar to each other; there isn't a lot of variety in the songs. Still, I like the songs, so that wasn't a big problem for me. You can pick the album up for a few bucks, used, so it's a bargain as well as a good album.
R**R
Fun feel good music
Fun feel good music. You won't feel like sitting still or feeling blue with this CD playing. I have other Putumayo music which includes Café Cubano, Cuba, Salsa, and Rumba Mambo cha cha cha. My favorites are this one and Rumba Mambo cha cha cha
J**I
I just love the mix!
Beautiful mix
C**
Amazing!
This is not a cheap salsa CD. This is a Buena Vista Social Club level music! I can not tell you more than this... its is powerful, great musicians and all acoustic instruments...for those who can really play instruments. Your feet will move by themselves, guaranteed!
P**R
~~ Good Vibin Music ~~~
~~~ A lot better than rap ~~~ in my opinion~~~~
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