Various Artists "25 CLASSIC VERSIONS OF 'EL MANISERO' " (Tumbao Records, 1998)
"El Manisero" ("The Peanut Vendor") was one of the first Cuban songs to become an international hit, having been popularized by Antonio Machin during one of his early swings through Europe. I haven't heard this disc, but I imagine it's good fun... when in small doses. The song is sort of like a Cuban "Strangers In The Night": everyone took a crack at it at one time or another, so there are plenty of high-powered artists on this album. But I'm sure after four or five versions at once, you might be ready to take a break for a while.

Various Artists "THE AFRO SOUND OF COLUMBIA, v.1" (Vampi Soul Records, 2010)

Various Artists "ANTOLOGIA DEL SON DE MEXICO: TIERRA CALIENTE" (Corazon Records, 1993)
An amazing 4-CD set that explores various regional styles of Mexican popular and folkloric music. This box set reissues material released on a multi-LP anthology by the Mexican government in the 1980s. Like the original LPs, these discs are divided into broad geographic categories -- my favorite recordings are the handful of songs from Veracruz, an intensely layered, hypnotic style which is entirely captivating and has a poetic structure unlike anything else I've ever heard. It's absolutely beautiful stuff! I think this box set is out of print in the US, but can still be tracked down with reasonable effort... It's certainly worth looking for, and includes material unlike any Mexican music you've ever heard before!

Various Artists "ARGENTINE SWING: 1936-1948" (Harlequin Records, 1989/2000)
Dude, I had to check it out... Particularly since I am a fan of the Harlequin label, and am always curious about their dips into the obscuro artists of the past. Anyway, this is a pretty solid set of rare, vintage swing and trad-jazz and gypsy guitar recordings from Argentina, all from roughly around the World War Two era... The musicians are a mix of homegrown and expatriate performers. Of particular interest are several tracks by saxophonist Booker Pittman, who had recently moved from Paris to South America, and one featuring French guitarist Henri Salvador, who came to Buenos Aires in 1943, along with Ray Ventura, and hung out for a while to jam with the locals. There was also a group called the Santa Paula Serenaders that featured a female vocal group (Baby Lamar & The Blackbirds) who did a pretty spiffy Andrews Sisters imitation. All of these tracks are top-flight, but it is disappointing that they are so completely North American-sounding... nary a hint of the tango or any other Argentine styles, and when there are lyrics, they are invariably in English. But if you like old-school, pre-bop jazz, this is a great collection, and a fascinating historical excursion.

Various Artists "BACHATA ROJA: ACOUSTIC BACHATA FROM THE CABARET ERA" (Iaso Records, 2007)
A gorgeous, stunning album. This is an utterly enthralling collection of early acoustic bachata music, a guitar-based style that grew up alongside the merengue, in the Dominican Republic. In its electrified modern form, Bachata has become a very popular style in the last couple of decades, but this collection focusses on the style's early roots, dating back to the early 1960s when it was looked down on by the Dominican mainstream, and features outstanding work by many artists whose work is quite hard to find. Like Cuban guajira and Puerto Rican jibaro music, this mixes the lush romanticism of the bolero with lively, dazzling acoustic guitar work, hypnotically dense rhythms and irresistible melodies: if anything, these recordings are even catchier than the jibaro and guajira music I've loved for decades. This is the kind of record that if you played it at a party, or heard it on the radio, people would stop in their tracks and ask what was on; if you listened to these songs on the way to work, the melodies would stay in your head all day long. This is particularly true of several standout tracks, such as Julio Angel's "El Salon," "Estoy Aqui Pero No Soy Yo" by Juan Bautista and Rafael Encarnacion's sublime "Muero Contigo," which starts the album off. This is music that echoes deeply with its own purity and warmth, made in an era before global fame came to regional musicians, and from a provincial subculture inside an already remote locale: this is art that was made directly for the people who loved it most, and it is electrically charged with that intimate joyfulness and passion. Each song leaps out at the listener, and I can't wait to hear more. Highly recommended!

Various Artists "BEFORE NIGHT FALLS" (Soundtrack) (Verve/Blue Thumb Records, 2000)
A first-rate soundtrack to a rather stunning (and highly recommended) film about Cuban novelist Reinaldo Arenas, a pro-Fidel true believer who ran afoul of the revolution, partly because he was gay, and partly because he was a free-thinker. At any rate, no matter what your politics are, you should love this soundtrack, as it contains a nonstop barrage of some of the greatest music the island has to offer: classic recordings by Bebo Valdes, Miguel Matamoros, Beny More, Orquesta Aragon and other greats. One interesting anomaly is the inclusion of Lebanese singer, Fairuz, although this Arabic gem seems to fit in just fine. An excellent sampler, thoughtfully compiled by director Julian Schnabel. (Note: the movie also has a beautifully designed, and very informative, bilingual website, at Before-Night-Falls.com.)

Various Artists "BIGUINE A LA CANNE A SUCRE: 1946-1949" (Fremeaux & Associes, 1996)
The perky, irrepressibly cheerful rhythms of the beguine are explored in rich detail in this set of post-WWII recordings, made by several bands that clustered around the La Canne A Sucre nightclub, on the Antillean island of Martinique. The groups included Sam Castendet's and Denis Ancedy's "orchestras" (neither actually had more than eight members on any of these recordings), as well as the Orchestre Typique Antillais L'Exotique Jazz, all of which shared overlapping memberships. A female vocalist, Moune de Rivel, lights up several songs with Ancedy's band; she had been a teenage star in 1930s prewar Paris, back when the beguine was still in vogue in Europe. The liner notes include tantalizing pictures of other female singers such as Jenny Alpha and Marthe Alessandrini (who are not included on this compilation) -- another entire Fremeaux disc is devoted Sam Castendet, as well as one to bandleader Pierre Louiss, who also performed at the club in the 1940s. The music on this collection is alternately exhilarating and slightly monotonous and rough... It's fast-paced, virtuosic and unrelenting. All in all, though, it's a cool set, worth checking out if you want to explore the roots of Antillean popular music.

Various Artists "COLOMBIA: THE GOLDEN AGE OF DISCOS FUENTES" (Soundway Records, 2007)
A dazzling collection of latin-dance, salsa and jazzy gems from the vaults of Discos Fuentes, Colombia's preeminent popular music label. Founded in 1934, Discos Fuentes has been at the forefront of popularizing national styles such as the cumbia and vallenato, as well as numerous pan-American crossovers. Some of these tracks sound just like the top-flight salsa and boogaloo emanating from New York, Miami and Puerto Rico during the 1960s and '70s; other tracks feature the distinctive regional rhythms of Colombia and its Central American neighbors. As the chatty liner notes cheerfully inform us, many of the twenty tracks featured here come from impossibly rare records -- from leading artists such as Fruko, Wganda Kenya, the Latin Brothers and others -- albums that were popular in their day, but lapsed out of print decades ago. The set is powerful from start to finish, although fans who are looking for a "killer party record" may want to digitize the disc and pick their favorite tracks -- there's a wide stylistic variety and some tracks dip more heavily into jazz-oriented descarga jams, or jarring horn arrangements. It's all good, but not necessarily what you'll want to shake your booty to... This collection focuses on what many consider the peak years of Discos Fuentes, 1960-1976, and, indeed, it's pretty stellar. With about a bazillion other great songs in the vaults, there could easily be several more albums of equal calibre in this series (personally, I wouldn't mind hearing some of the older stuff from the 1930s and '40s, before the funky glory days that this disc covers...) Anyway, fans of Latin American dance music will definitely want to pick this disc up -- it's all killer, no filler.

Various Artists "CUBA - BAL A LA HAVANE: 1926-1937" (Fremeaux, 2006)

Various Artists "CUBA CON VOZ DE MUJER" (Ediciones Pentagrama, 2000)
A collection of classic-era female singers, including Xiomara Alfaro, Esther Borja, Maria Cervantes, Maria Fantoli and Rita Montaner...

Various Artists "CUBA: I AM TIME" (Blue Jackel Records, 1995)
A groovy 4-CD set with a wide variety of styles and many of Cuba's best musicians... If you want a quick crash course in the splendors of Cuban music, this might be a great place to start.

Various Artists "CUBALIVE! RECORDED LIVE IN CUBA" (Rounder, 2003)
Cuba's best modern bands, recorded in various live settings. The liner notes aren't too clear about just when these tracks were recorded, but at least a few performances date back to the 1980s (perhaps all of them). The sound quality is generally a little muffled, but for a wide sample of Cuban dance styles and a glimpse at what bands like Irakere, Estrellas Cubanas, Orchesta Orestes Lopez and Los Munequitos de Matanzas sound like when they cut loose in front of a crowd, this is a pretty cool record. [Note to completists: the songs on this collection all come from three previously released albums in Rounder's "Roots of Rhythm" series. If you have those discs, you already own this album...]

Various Artists "CUBAN BIG BANDS: 1940-1942" (Harlequin Records, 1995)
This is pretty swell. When they say "big bands," they're not just talking about the size of the payroll. All of these well-known acts (including Orqs. Casino de la Playa, Havana Riverside, and Hermanos Palau...) had their more "native" sides, but here the emphasis is subtly shifted into Cuban efforts to parallel the big band swing sounds from up in the States. Along with some lovely crooning vocals, there are also a few tracks which take on the sometimes-goofy, playfully ornate, semi-classical compositions of bandleaders such as Stan Kenton, Artie Shaw or even Robert Scott (the composer for many of Warner's best Looney Tunes cartoons). This disc is really easy on the ears, and well worth tracking down.

Various Artists "CUBAN DANZONERAS: 1932-1946" (Harlequin Records, 1998)

Various Artists "CUBAN GOLD v. 1: QUE SE SEPA, YO SOY DE LA HAVANA!" (Qbadisc, 1993)
This series of decade-based collections is nothing short of stunning. Qbadisc veers away from the standard Cuban canon - which often consists of either pre-Castro Cuban dance orchestras or later stuff recorded in the States, or the glossiest of the modern Cuban bands... Not that I necessarily have a problem with any of that material, but it is nice to hear something else, and boy, do these compilations deliver the goods! The hot, swinging, sometimes electrified, records from early-to-mid- '60s Cuba may be of particular interest, but even when they dip into new bands such as Irakere, etc., Qbadisc can do no wrong. Without reservation, I recommend you check out the entire series.

Various Artists "CUBAN GOLD v. 2: BAJO CON TUMBAO" (Qbadisc, 1995)

Various Artists "CUBAN GOLD v. 3" (Qbadisc, 1996)

Various Artists "CUBAN GOLD v. 4: FUEGO CANDELA - THE SMOKIN' '70s" (Qbadisc, 1997)

Various Artists "CUBAN GOLD v. 5: PA BAILAR - THE '80s" (Qbadisc, 1998)

Various Artists "CUBANS IN EUROPE, v.1: 1929-1932" (Harlequin Records, 1994)

Various Artists "CUBANS IN EUROPE, v.2: 1929-1934" (Harlequin Records, 1996)

Various Artists "CUBANS IN EUROPE, v.3: 1934-1954" (Harlequin Records, 1998)

Various Artists "DIGGIN' THE CRATES FOR AFRO-CUBAN FUNK" (BMG/Empire Records, 2001)
Erratically programmed and dubiously described, this disc is, in my humble opinion, somewhat of a sham. Taken from the vaults of obscure latin labels such as Sound Triangle, General and Studio 3, this is more or less a set of substandard latin dance material from the '60s and '70s, with a few soul- and rock-oriented tunes placed (almost at random) among the sones and boleros. There are some good percussive performances on several tracks, but also plenty of weak vocal performances and mediocre arrangements... hardly the slam-bang funkfest implied by the album's packaging and rather sparse liner notes. (If this stuff is really as "big in Europe" as the compilers claim, I feel sorry for those poor, benighted Europeans...) Devoted fans scouring the shelves for obscurities might wanna check this collection out, but I think it's fairly forgettable. You're much better off picking up the incredible compilations Harmless Records has been putting out recently.

Various Artists "EARLY MUSIC FROM THE NORTHERN CARIBBEAN: 1916-1920" (Harlequin Records, 1996)
Another fascinating and impressive archival set from the Harlequin label... Musically, this may be pretty challenging to the average listener, even to devoted fans of classic, antique Latin American and Caribbean music... Many of these ancient recordings are in styles that are unfamiliar to modern ears, and some may challenge your notions of proper pitch and tuning. But you can hear the development of more recognizable musical styles, of the Puerto Rican plena, for example in a pair of primeval recordings by the Habanero Godinez Sexteto, and several tracks that follow. Hardcore devotees of old-school Cuban and Puerto Rican music will marvel at these historical recordings; particularly interesting is the prominence of the Italian-style mandolin (as opposed to the tres) in some of the earlier recordings, and how similar the improvisations on the mandolin sound to Brazilian choro music of the same era. I'll admit, a lot of the music on here is to irritating for me to listen to more than once, but if you give this a good listen, it will deepen your understanding of the roots of the Latin American popular music that was recorded in the 1930s and beyond. Worth checking out, for sure.

Various Artists "FIESTA EN XALATLACO: MUSICA DE LOS NAHUAS DEL ESTADO DE MEXICO" (Instituto Nacional De Anthropologia E Historia, 1984-?) (LP)
(Produced by Tomas Stanford)
The sort of random LP that still pops up from time to time in the California record bins... This is a hyper-trad folkloric collection from the Xalatlaco, Mexico, a small rural municipality located more or less between Mexico City and Toluca, and directly borders the capital. This album was part of an extensive set of regional recordings commissioned by the Mexican government -- this disc was number twenty-seven in that series, though I have no idea how many other albums were made, or the exact year this was made. No date on this album, but I'd guess early-to-mid '80s. Anyway, it's a pretty cool set of corridos y danzas, mostly very raw stuff, and not easily accessible, much like hyper-trad Celtic, or "old timey" Appalachian music. You have to work to get yourself on its level, and settle in to appreciate the squeaky violins, stark percussion and croaking vocals. But if you do, it can be quite rewarding: one track, "Son La Toreada" turned my ears with an odd pulsating rhythm, some sort of small drum accompanied by a dancing piccolo-like flute, a striking sound unlike any I'd heard before, one that took on a deceptively artificial, almost electronica-ish sound as note butted up against note, creating a fairly uniques acoustic drone. Interesting collection.

Various Artists "GOZALO, v.1" (Vampisoul Records, 2007)

Various Artists "GOZALO, v.2" (Vampisoul Records, 2007)

Various Artists "GOZALO, v.3" (Vampisoul Records, 2009)
(Various producers)
Another swinging set of rare, 1960s-era Latin dance and soul from various little-known or under-appreciated artists. The boogaloo scene incorporated classic salsa with teenybopper rock and soul; not all the tracks on here have such an overt influence, but whether it's straight latin dance material or rock-tinged crossovers, all the tracks on here are a treat. Some of the best artists, such as Coco Lagos, Alfredo Linares and Silvestre Montez, deserve wider recognition (and maybe collections of their own, if there's enough material of similar calibre out there to be found... This s**t's hot! Another great entry in this fine collection -- if you liked the first two albums, you'll dig this one, too.

Various Artists "GOZALO, v.4" (Vampisoul Records, 2011)

Various Artists "GUIRO, BONGO Y MARACAS -- CUBAN DANCE BANDS IN NEW YORK: 1932-1946" (Harlequin Records, 1999)
A nice collection of classic Cuban and Cuban-American bands recorded in New York during the 1930s and early '40s, featuring the bands of Don Azpiazu, Alfredo Brito, Enrique Byron, Augusto Coen, Oscar De La Rosa, Vincente Sigler, and Pedro Via. It's mostly very antique-y and genteel... Not the strongest collection in the Harlequin series, but if you've enjoyed the others, you'll want to check this one out as well.

Various Artists "HAVANA, CUBA - 1957: AFRO-CUBAN SACRED MUSIC FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE" (Smithsonian Folkways, 2001)
Various Artists "MATANZAS, CUBA - 1957: RHYTHMS AND SONGS FROM THE ORISHAS" (Smithsonian Folkways, 2001)
Old-fashioned Afro-Cuban religious music, recorded by Lydia Cabrera, a Havana-born Beaux Arts graduate who became fascinated by Cuba's Yoruba-based orisha and santeria worship and the religions of the countrysides. This music is probably a bit stark for most modern listeners, but fascinating and captivating nonetheless. Many of the rhythms and chants may be familiar to folks familiar with the work of modern bands such as Conjunto Cespedes, who work these bembe rhythms into their repertoire. The Matanzas CD concentrates more on drumming and percussion, while the Havana volume is more devoted to vocals and chanting.

Various Artists "HOT MUSIC FROM CUBA: 1907-1937" (Harlequin Records, 1993)
Another stunning release on the far-ranging Harlequin label. Remarkable for its historical scope, this disc presents some of the more primeval examples of Cuban "son" and tipica -- certainly there aren't too many 78s of Cuban music from the turn of the century floating around! These early tracks are compelling for both their eerie, aural old-timeyness, as well as for the immediacy and vigor which comes through from many of these long-gone, hazily-remembered musicians. Highly recommended!

Various Artists "INOLVIDABLES DUOS LATINOS" (Caney Records, 1995)
A fabulous set of lavishly corny, over-the-top romantic bolero duets. Features all of the biggest names from the olden days, such as Beny More, Libertad Lamarque and Jorge Negrete. The first time I listened to this, I though I could pass on it, but then I fell in love... A nice, highly recommended collection of pure Latin schmaltz, and a permanent part of my record collection!

Various Artists "LA LOCURA DE MACHUCA" (Analog Africa, 2020)
Kooky, but perhaps not kooky enough. This disc documents the often-idiosyncratic output of Discos Machuca, an innovative independent label founded in 1975 by Rafael Machuca, a tax attorney from Barranquilla, a city on Columbia's northern tip that has a strong Afro-Caribbean tradition, includes its huge, famous Carnaval celebration. Senor Machuca discovered some weird sounds coming out of the streets and decided to start a record company to capture what he was hearing, recruiting eager artists from the city's underground music scene, encouraging them to take a more experimental approach while giving them his full backing. This is rare, obscure material, for sure, and the opening track -- an insane, manic, challenging number titled "Eberebijara" by a band called Samba Negra -- is a real dazzler. It's just plain nutty. And great. The relentlessly manic, unreasonably exuberant riffs instantly evoke the afrocentric samba-funk of Brazilian superstar Jorge Ben (who must have been an influence for many of these tracks) but within seconds the track's tightly interlocked, super-precise grooves take on a modern, new wave-ish feel: I found myself thinking, "this is what the Talking Heads might have sounded like if they'd been into '70s cumbia and vallenato rather than African pop. As it turns out, the African thread was shared by these late 'Seventies Columbians as well: African pop records were wildly popular but hard to come by, so Machuca had the insight that if Columbians couldn't find the import records on their own, perhaps he could commission his own musicians to record cover version that could fill the void. Thus, several tracks on here are sideways amalgams of cutting edge music from two continents -- the label even gave some artists African-sounding pseudonyms to make it seem like the discs were actual imports, the most amusing being vocalist Amina Jimenez who was tapped to record an entire album of Miriam Makeba songs... with Jimenez redubbed "Myrian Makenwa" to fool the rubes. Although this compilation opens on a very strong note, it slowly lapses into what sounds -- at first blush -- like fairly standard Caribbean fare, the repetitive drive that propels the best tracks sounds more monotonous on the lesser ones. Still, the odd tonalities and deeply embedded playfulness favored by the label come through even on the more static tracks, and they will grow on you with repeated listens. Definitely worth checking out!

Various Artists "LAMENTO BORINCANO -- EARLY PUERTO RICAN MUSIC: 1916-1936" (Arhoolie Records, 2001)
If you want to delve even deep down into the primordial history of Puerto Rican acoustic music, this collection is pretty hard to beat. These recordings include some of the oldest examples of the various danzas, plenas and guarachas that immigrant performers brought with them in the interwar exodus to New York City... On the whole, this 2-CD set may be a bit too stark for all but the most dedicated fans, but it's certainly an amazing collection, drawing on dozens of rare 78s by bands such as Canario Y Su Grupo, Los Reyes De La Plena and the Sexteto Flores... Also of note are the rigorously political liner notes, which see the development of Puerto Rican pop in terms of cultural colonization and the like... Ah, Berkeley!

Various Artists "LATIN CROONERS -- SENTIMENTAL SONGS: 1930-1949" (Fremeaux, 2004)

Various Artists "THE LOST CUBAN TRIOS OF CASA MARINA" (Ahi Nama, 2010)
A rich, beautiful set of Batista-era recordings, made in 1958 by two Polish Jews, brothers Harry and Morris Schrage, who fled to Cuba as young boys, refugees who emigrated during World War Two and fell in love with the island's vibrant musical culture. The groups they captured were Trio Melodicos and Trio Zamora, who sang in the sweet, antique style of the tipica tradition -- romantic, sentimental, serene, corny yet emotionally resonant and quite sweet melodically. The all-acoustic repertoire mixes Cuban and non-Latin American standards (such as "Mona Lisa") and even old chestnuts like "Besame Mucho." I found this album totally satisfying, the kind of record I can have on in the background for days on end, drinking in the rich textures of tradition and time. Highly recommended!

Various Artists MAMBO A PARIS: 1949-1953 (Fremeaux & Associes, 2007)
This is a FUN, frantic 2-CD collection of homegrown Latin dance music performed by French orchestras in the post-WWII era. Parisian nightclubs and Riviera casinos had hosted a large Latin-American contingent for several decades before these recordings were made, with numerous top-tier artists moving to France from Cuba, Puerto Rico and elsewhere. The cabaret scene changed in the war years as American-style swing became the big rage; after the war, the newer, harder-edged mambo craze brought Latin music back into style, and several bands excelled at reproducing the crazy, cha-chadelic rhythms. You'd think there would be nothing but "ringers" in these bands -- Latin-American musicians propping up Gallic frontmen, but actually there were a lot of homegrown French performers who mastered the new music. A few, like Venezuelan-born Benny Bennet, had a natural Latin dance pedigree; others just picked up on it because it was cool. This collection concentrates on a handful of artists, including the prolific and dynamic German-born Eddie Warner (he emigrated to France in 1934, and fought with the French Resistance during the War), as well as playful practitioners like Sebastien Solari and Henri Rossotti, who was one of the earliest mambo maniacs. Most of these artists hewed pretty closely to the tight, muscular arrangements favored by Perez Prado, although they were often unable to get past the severity of Perez's style and find the more fluid groove favored by other bandleaders (contrast Henri Rossotti's "Almrendra" to Tito Puente's version, for example...) Although these Gallic cha-cha orchestras were comparatively rigid and sluggish, this is still a fun set and sounds surprisingly authentic. Indeed, the biggest disappointment was that so many of them sang strictly en espanol -- only one song on here is sung in French; I would love to hear more of this material with French lyrics. Overall, this is worth checking out, and not just as a historical curio. Although for pure mambo action you might want to go straight to the original source, this is still pretty groovy.

Various Artists "MAMBO MANIA: THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF MAMBO" (Rhino Records, 2000)
The folks at Rhino do a slam-bang job on this one, collecting some of the funnest, richest latin dance tracks of the classic '50s/'60s era. It's all brand-name artists on here -- Machito, Perez Prado, Celia Cruz, Tito Rodriguez & Co. -- but this is hardly a by-the-numbers collection. The pacing of the disc is flawless, the material is entrancing. If you're looking for a single-volume introduction to this style of music, you'd be hard pressed to find one that's better than this. Recommended!

Various Artists "THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION: CORRIDOS ABOUT THE HEROES AND EVENTS 1910-1920 AND BEYOND" (Arhoolie Records, 1996)
This is the kind of collection that, really, only the folks at Arhoolie could put out. Drawing on label head Chris Strachwitz's vast library of Mexican music, this includes recordings that date back as far as 1904, and also collects post-revolution recordings over the decades. The style is the corrido, a form of folkloric/political ballad that can be propagandistic as well as historical. An entire CD's worth of songs are dedicated to the legend of the revolutionary leader, Francisco (Pancho) Villa, and others cover less prominent leaders and mythic figures. You might expect some of this stuff to be pretty dry, musically speaking, but actually it's quite nice -- Mexican and Mexican-American folk music at it's best. A 4-CD set may be more than the average listener can sit through, but then again... Arhoolie isn't necessarily for the average listener! Cool stuff, with a thick,

Various Artists "MEXIQUE: LA HUASTECA - DANSES ET HUAPANGOS" (Ocora, 2003)
I have a special fondness for the densely patterned, hypnotic ballad style of the son jarocho which comes from the Huasteca region of Mexico's Eastern central coast... This collection covers the wider regional music known as the huapango which intersects with the jarocho tradition, but also includes a wide variety of Mexican folk musics. There is some of the driving, percussive, ornate melodic sound of the sones jarochos, but branches out into starker, more informal styles as well, streetcorner chants and the like. This is a fine selection of deeply traditional, authentic Mexican music, perhaps in parts not as melodically striking as other recordings that highlight harps and guitars, but still quite rich in feeling and tradition. Includes tracks by artists such as the Trio Los Campos De Valles, Danza De Moctezuma, Trio Despertar Huasteco, and others. Definitely worth checking out!

Various Artists "MUSIC OF PUERTO RICO: 1929-1947" (Harlequin, 1992)
One of my favorite discs on the Harlequin label. This should be a favorite of anyone who has already heard the entrancing jibaro style of Puerto Rican musicians such as Ramito or Pedrito Romero. These historical recordings lack none of the fluidity and lyrical warmth of those more famous, well-known artists. This is a jaw-droppingly good record, and a model historical compilation. Includes complete, bilingual lyric sheets and recording dates, etc -- but more than that, the music is really, really great, as is the sound quality. Originally came out as an LP, with about half as many tracks. Highly recommended.

Various Artists "MUSIC OF PUERTO RICO: 1929-1947" (Harlequin, 1992)
One of my favorite discs on the Harlequin label. This should be a favorite of anyone who has already heard the entrancing jibaro style of Puerto Rican musicians such as Ramito or Pedrito Romero. These historical recordings lack none of the fluidity and lyrical warmth of those more famous, well-known artists. This is a jaw-droppingly good record, and a model historical compilation. Includes complete, bilingual lyric sheets and recording dates, etc -- but more than that, the music is really, really great, as is the sound quality. Originally came out as an LP, with about half as many tracks. Highly recommended.

Various Artists "NU YORICA! CULTURE CLASH I NEW YORK CITY: EXPERIMENTS IN LATIN MUSIC, 1970-77" (Soul Jazz Records, 2015)
You can count my opinions about this collection among my any failings as a music critic and as a human being: I kinda hated it. Like, there's almost nothing on this 2-CD set that brought me joy, and a number of tracks I actively disliked. The exhausting album title itself provides a not-so-small clue as to why this compilation set me on edge: the emphasis is on avant-garde experimentalism, on stylistic "clashes" rather than groovy symbiosis. That's not entirely true, but close enough. It's track after track of a solid latin dance vibe lurching sideways into something either overly challenging, or overly stylized and fusion-oriented. Too much soul, too much jazz. You might not want to take my word for it, though: this is a highly-lauded collection and considered one of the iconic releases on the Soul Jazz label, and I am distinctly in the minority on this one. If you're into anything and everything related to 'Seventies soul, or if you dig modern jazz, or if you want to hear Eddie Palmieri indulge his most artsy-fartsy leanings, as on the rambling, seemingly-interminable prelude of his 14:50 minute-long "Un Dia Bonita," then by all means, go for it. It's a well-researched set of rare Latin American musical fusion. But for me, personally, this set embodies a lot of musical trends that leave me cold. I was hoping for a killer set of swinging 'Seventies salsa, but instead found my teeth clenching at the belabored arrangements and perhaps the slavish praise heaped on a set of tracks I found largely unenjoyable. Que lastima!

Various Artists "PACHUCO BOOGIE: THE ORIGINAL HISTORICAL RECORDINGS" (Arhoolie Records, 2002)
A great set of swinging, jazz-tinged California Chicano R&B from the height of the postwar "pachuco" scene. Most folks know this as a the music of the "zoot suiters" -- the latino hipsters who pioneered Mexican-American popular culture during the late '40s, and whose outlandish inhibitions met with a white backlash that became known as the "zoot suit riots." It's all fun and games as far as the music was concerned, though -- and this disc is a delight from start to finish. It all began in 1948 with the title track, "Pachuco Boogie," which was recorded as a goof by Don Tosti, a veteran big band bassist whose roots were in the barrio. The song features a super-catchy riff and a slang-filled rap in the barrio lingo known as calo, a forerunner of contemporary Spanglish. The song was runaway hit in the Southwest, touching off a fad that lasted a couple of years. This collection has some of the best, and rarest, of the pachuco jazz singles. Although the most famous track, Lalo Guererro's crosscultural stoner classic, "Marijuana Boogie," a couple of other Guererro tracks do make the grade, along with a ton of Don Tosti's follow-up singles. This disc is a real find -- chaotic and fun, great music saved from obscurity and lovingly curated by our pals at Arhoolie.

Various Artists "PALENQUE PALENQUE: CHAMPETA CRIOLLA & AFRO ROOTS IN COLUMBIA: 1973-91" (Soundway Records, 2010)

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: AFRO-LATINO" (Putumayo, 1998)
I know, I know... people in the know consider it obligatory to look down on pretty much anything that the Putumayo label puts out... But for the last couple of years they've had a pretty good batting average. This is a strong, groove-centric collection exploring the interlinking traditions of African and Latin-American dance music. Plenty of well-known world music celebs on here: Sam Mangwana from the Congo, Papi Oviedo from Cuba, Putumayo's star performer, Ricardo Lemvo, and others. This is one of the first of the "new" breed of Putumayo discs that made me sit up and pay attention to where the label was headed. Recommended.

Various Artists PUTUMAYO PRESENTS CAFE CUBANO (Putumayo, 2008)
A fine, rich set of contemporary Cuban (and Cuban-style) music, spanning a decade from 1999-2008. Emigres are included, as well as regional artists from across the island, younger artists and Buena Vista-style old-timers, large salsa bands and urgent acoustic balladeers, political singers and romantic traditionalists -- it's a nice cross-section of music and very little of it veers into the slicker, poppier jazz terrain of the '80s-era bands such as Irakere, et. al. Most of these artists will be new to US listeners, and they'll be welcome as well. Another strong release from the pleasantly revitalized Putumayo label.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: COLUMBIA" (Putumayo, 2001)
A good, solid set of Columbian dance tunes, bridging the gap between straight-ahead salsa and the hyperactive homegrown styles like cumbia and vallenato... This collection features huge stars such as Joe Arroyo, alongside lesser-known luminaries like Toto La Momposina and Tulio Zuloaga... This disc stays on a fairly even keel -- not a lot of rhythmic variety, but it's all very nice stuff. Definitely worth checking out!

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: DOMINICA REPUBLICA" (Putumayo, 2000)
A very solid collection, further signaling Putumayo's rise out of the "Wal-Mart of world music" pigeonhole that many have placed on the label. Although there are questionable chord changes here and there, for the most part this compilation focuses on straightforward Cuban-tinged dance music. Pleasantly melodic, these tracks veer sharply from the manic, hyper-charged merengues which typified Dominican pop in the 1980s. As far as I'm concerned, it's a welcome change of pace, and this collection was a real eye opener. It might be for you, too! Definitely worth checking out.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: LATIN BEAT" (Putumayo, 2011)
A nice, multi-textured mix of traditional Latin dance styles -- son, cumbia, reggae, flamenco, et. al -- mixed with traces of dancetronica, funk, pop, hip-hop and rock. I like that most of the songs seem to come from a more traditional, Latin-American base, rather than adding "Latin spice" to modern pop songs: the groove is both heavier and more subtle, and several tracks have a pleasantly narcotic, hypnotic groove. Some artists, like Grupo Lokito, play straight-up old-school son while others, such as New Zealand's Sola Rosa tweak things around and bend your ears a bit. Not surprisingly, Columbia and Cuba are the best represented countries, although Spain, the US and UK also get their licks in... I would have enjoyed a bit of Mexico's "Nortec" scene in the mix (some amazing stuff happening there!) but like many Putumayo sets, this can point you in some interesting directions. If you like old-school, but have new ears, you could give this a spin and see what happens.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: LATIN JAZZ" (Putumayo, 2007)
A swinging set of Latin jazz classics, featuring tracks by heavyweights such as Chocolate Armenteros, Ray Baretto, Machito, Manny Oquendo, Tito Puente, Hilton Ruiz and Tito Puente... It's a pretty solid collection and, interestingly enough, it concentrates on the slinkier, more groove-oriented "Latin" side of the equation, lingering on the hypnotic phrasing of salsa/son, rather than the big bandish blare of the "Jazz" camp. That's just fine by me -- other than the album's closer, a long track by Eddie Palmieri and Brian Lynch, nothing on here is "too jazz" for me, so it mostly sounds like a cool son set. Definitely worth checking out.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: LATIN PARTY" (Putumayo, 2010)
Contemporary Latin dance music from all across the Americas... This is newer stuff, mainly from the last decade (with one older track from 1995) and with a heavy tilt towards Colombia, with tracks from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Peru and elsewhere. It's slick, funky, fun modern stuff, and mostly from artists who are well off the radar up here in Los Estados Unidos... There's one track from Colombia's legendary bandleader Fruko Estrada, but other than that, these names will probably be new to most listeners. And in my book, that's a good thing! The music is slick, sensual and well-selected: this collection lives up to its name as a solid party album.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: LATIN REGGAE" (Putumayo, 2008)
Although the frenetic hip-hop-salsa-reggae hybrid called reggaeton took off a few years ago to become a potent commercial force, plain-old roots reggae has also been thriving in the Spanish-speaking world, as heard on this solid set of riddims from around the world. Spain -- and Barcelona in particular -- seems to be ground zero for Spanish-language reggae: over half the songs on here come from Espana, with additional entries from Argentina, Chile and Puerto Rico... North America gets a little representation, too, by bands from Brooklyn (naturally) and Canada as well, where Montreal-based Sarazino get a little of the tropical vibe going, evenwhen there's three feet of snow. This is a fine record for reggae lovers (and lover's reggae!) and for world music fans who really like hearing different cultures mixin' it up. There isn't as much musical influence from the salsa side of the street as you might imagine, but in some ways hearing straight-up old-school reggae being sung en espanol but otherwise unchanged is even cooler than a big reggaeton-style mash-up. Definitely worth checking out!

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: MEXICO" (Putumayo, 2001)
This disc is another surprisingly nice sampler, which runs a nice tight wire between the shrill tinniness many normally associate with Mexican music, and the saccharine folkie-fusion new age leanings of the older Putumayo discs. The material is tuneful and melodic, but not drippy or overblown, and overall this is quite pleasant. The recordings are all of recent vintage, mostly from the late 1990s, so if you want older stuff, you'll have to look elsewhere. But if you want a pleasant little surprise, then give this CD a try. It's nice.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: NUEVO LATINO" (Putumayo, 2004)
A sweet set of soft, sly, (mostly) Spanish-language pop from across the globe, including Cuban, Mexican, Brazilian and European artists, all linked together by a sleek, subtle style that foregoes the aggressive edge of both Afro-Cuban salsa and rock en espanol. Its a surprisingly strong set, mellow without being goopy, downtempo without drifting into any of the electronica/world beat cliches that are so prevalent these days. Plus, it has New York's Mosquitos on it -- a pleasant surprise that really made me sit up and take notice. Nice record... recommended!

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: RUMBA FLAMENCO" (Putumayo, 2002)
All these decades later, the Gipsy Kings still cast a long shadow on the world of popular flamenco, as evidenced by the forceful opening number on this fine collection, "Rankankin," by Maita Verde, which bears the stamp of the Kings' virile pop-crossover formula. There's a lot of variety, though, and other tracks on here are more subtle and lyrical, although many, inevitably, drift into easy listening-ish "world music" terrain. Almost all of the bands are Spanish or Catalonian, although it also includes entries by French groups such as the Gitano Family and Ricao, as well as American-based acts such as Ziroq and De Madera. All in all, a sweeping and effective overview of modern flamenco, which ably explores the style's rich Arabic and cross-cultural influences. Recommended!

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: RUMBA, MAMBO, CHA-CHA-CHA" (Putumayo, 2011)
A swinging set of highly danceable music... one of the most flat-out fun albums in the Putumayo catalog. If you want to get a party started, but this disc on and start to sway. Latin dance bands from Cuba, Colombia, San Francisco, Chicago, Scotland and Eastern Europe all get funky and sleek, with classic-sounding salsa and rumba riffs. What more can I say? This is a really nice collection, well worth checking out.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: SALSA" (Putumayo, 2009)
A rock-solid set of modern salsa music, mainly from the US and Cuba, but also with popular South American bands such as Colombia's venerable Fruko y Sus Tesos or Juanito y La Agresiva. Although these are all songs recorded in the last ten years, the sound is pure New York-style salsa, derived from the 1970s Fania Records template: catchy melodies, syncopation and unrelenting, sexy rhythm. One through-line is the elegant, inventive piano playing highlighted on most tracks, from delicate, complex improvisatory passages to the thunderous keyboard pounding on Eddie Palmieri's "Sujutate La Lengua." Other old-timers such as Pocho Sanchez and Orchesta Aragon are represented, as well as relative newcomers like Ricardo Lemvo, Grupo Gale and Son Boricua. Unlike previous Putumayo collections that made a point of showcasing salsa bands from unlikely locales, this album opts for power over novelty -- if you want a strong set of dynamic, old-school latin-dance music, this is a pretty strong set. Recommended!

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: SALSA AROUND THE WORLD" (Putumayo, 2003)
An excellent set of Cuban-style salsa music recorded by groups from lands as disparate as India, Italy, Finland and Morocco. With the decades-long cultural interchanges between Africa and the Carribean Basin, the bands from Senegal and Cameroon are no surprise, but entries by bands such as Apurimac (from Greece) and Salsa Celtica (a Scottish group that intertwines Gaelic melodies with Latin rhythms) will give you pause to think. The performances are uniformly strong, though a few dip into slicker production styles. Holds up well to similar collections out earlier on the Tinder label... recommended!

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS TANGO AROUND THE WORLD" (Putumayo, 2007)
Tango music, which was one of the first great global dance crazes, was born in Argentina and is inextricably linked with the history and soul of that country. But, having spread across the planet nearly a hundred years ago, it has had ample opportunity to gestate elsewhere, and it is no surprise that a collection of modern tango music that spans the globe would yield such rich results. To be sure, Argentina is well-represented, by artists such as Hugo Diaz, Federico Aubele and Florencia Bonadeo, but the sampling of songs from other nations such as Serbia, Senegal, Norway and Portugal, will be as eye-opening as it is rewarding. Finland, one of the great European strongholds of tango, has its own distinct tango style and is represented here by a single track by M.A. Numminen and Sanna Pietiainen, while Brazil, a neighboring country that resisted the pull of tango in favor of its own, homegrown samba, contributes a fine song as well, "Tango Ishede," by Fortuna. Tango fans will enjoy this set, as will newcomers who may welcome the way these crossovers and variations often dilute the innate severity of the genre. As with many of Putumayo's best collections, this serves both as a fine album itself and as a signpost for deeper exploration of many fine artists who would otherwise be far off our radar. Recommended!

Various Artists "RITMO AFRO-CUBANO" (Fantasy Records, 2004)
Jazz and soul-jazz meet heavy Cuban rhythms in this fine, well-selected collection, drawn from the vaults of the Fantasy, Milestone, Pablo, Prestige, Riverside and Tru-Sound labels. The lineup includes brand-name biggies such as Ray Baretto, Dizzy Gillespie, Chico O'Farrill, Joe Loco, Manny Oquendo, Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers, Cal Tjader, et al, along with less well-known artists like Montego Joe, Andres Hernandez, Alfredito Valdes and Benny Velarde... The music is uniformly slam-bang and satisfying -- this disc may not be revolutionary or unique, but it is a real earth-shaker, packed with sizzling examples of the best in latin jazz. Recommended!

Various Artists "THE ROOTS OF CHICHA: PSYCHEDELIC CUMBIAS FROM PERU" (Barbes Records, 2007)
This collection mines a style of music that, by the compiler's own admission, has never had much of a following outside of the poor barrios of Peru, where it first emerged in the late 1960s. Chicha is a Peruvian variant on Columbian cumbia, in which manic accordions are replaced by gritty electric guitars, and the tempo is kept relatively slow. The style evolved during the acid rock era of the 'Sixties, when American and European rock made huge inroads into global indigenous cultures, particularly in the introduction of cheap, loud, portable modern instruments such as the Farfisa organ and electric guitars, which lent the sound of yanqui rock to local scenes, but were also easily adapted to local styles. The tracks on this album were all recorded between 1966-78, when rock-flavored experimentation was exploding across South America -- In Peru it was the Andean immigrants into the big cities, primarily Lima, who latched onto electric instrumentation and made it their own... Calling this music "psychedelic" is a bit of a stretch, although the influence of surf rock is evident, and some of the extended guitar riffs were very improvisational and unusual; there's also a distinctly Andean huayno influence, particularly in the contracted tonal scales, that sounds kinda cool. Like the cumbia it stems from, this was party music, made for people to dance to, and although it was frowned on by urban sophisticates and never made it beyond a limited regional influence, the good-timey vibe persists, all these decades later. Put it on, crank it up, and you'll find yourself tapping your toes and wiggling your hips in no time at all...

Various Artists "ROOTS OF MAMBO: 1930-1950" (Fremeaux, 2006)

Various Artists "THE ROUGH GUIDE TO CUBAN SON" (Rough Guides, 2003)
Pretty nice. One of the best samplers of Cuban dance music you're ever likely to find on the American market, packed with solid performances by classic artists such as Beny More, Orquesta Aragon, Ignacio Pineiro, Nico Saquito and others. Even if it isn't all "son" per se, and even if it includes a few tunes by slick modern groups such as Los Van Van, there's a perceptible tilt towards older, rootsier acoustic styles and artists that I find appealing. Sure, maybe all of the artists aren't brand-name, dyed-in-the-wool legends, but this is a very strong, no-nonsense sampler of some of the sweetest music Cuba has to offer, and one of my favorite RG discs to date. Definitely recommended.

Various Artists "THE ROUGH GUIDE TO PSYCHEDELIC SALSA" (Rough Guides, 2015)
Meh. I knew, going in, that this collection wasn't going to live up to its premise, but I hadn't expected it to be so generic and unchallenging. The music isn't bad, but it definitely isn't "psychedelic," by any stretch of the imagination. Mostly it's just slick modern stuff, with varying degrees of pop-rock affectations, and some of the tracks indulge in an egregious use of echo effects. That's about it. I had been hoping for the inclusion of three or four vintage boogaloo-era tracks with groovy fuzz guitar, etc. but this is mostly much more modern and more closely linked to rock en espanol than, I dunno, Carlos Santana or Larry Harlow. Misleading.

Various Artists "SALSA WORLD SERIES, v.1: VENEZUELA" (Walboomers, 2010)

Various Artists "SALSA WORLD SERIES, v.2" (Walboomers, 2010)

Various Artists "SEXTETOS CUBANOS v. 1" (Arhoolie Records, 1991)
Various Artists "SEXTETOS CUBANOS v. 2" (Arhoolie Records, 1995)
The sexteto was once the classic Cuban ensemble: guitars, bass, trumpet and percussion; although stylistic innovations and changes in popular taste led other sounds to take over, the sextetos remain at the root of much of the Cuban popular music. These CDs predate the late-'90s resurgence of old-school Cuban son, and not coincidentally are of very high calibre. On Volume One, Antonio Machin is heard in 1929 with his Havana ensemble, on the eve of his departure for New York and, ultimately, for Europe. "Vengan, Vengan" may turn the ears of blues fans who recognize its playful theme; Volume Two features even earlier recordings by venerable bands such as Sexteto Bolona and Sexteto Nacional. There are dozens of similar releases available on import labels such as Harlequin and Tumbao, but there is certainly no faulting these outstanding CDs for their quality and depth. Recommended!

Various Artists "SON CUBANO NYC -- CUBAN ROOTS, NEW YORK SPICES: 1972-82" (Astralwerks, 2005)
This swinging set of New York salsa/son cruises through the sweet, summery sounds of old-timers such as Chocolate Armenteros, Henry Fiol, Rey Roig, Roberto Torres and several less well-known (but no less thrilling) Cuban-American dance bands. It's great stuff, a collection that easily holds its own next to all the other salsa and boogaloo reissues out there these days. The liner notes are funny, though, with two parallel perspectives on the "salsa" vs. "son" nomenclature -- there's one strident argument that says the word "salsa" was all marketing/public relations BS, and another, mellower version that says, Who cares? It's the same music, and it's all really good. I guess I slide into the second camp: when you've got stuff that sounds this sweet, why get all hung up on the name? This is a great collection, definitely worth checking out.

Various Artists "TRIOS PODEROSOS EN 3 CD" (Sony Music, 2008)
Wonderful music -- fab Cuban and Latin American acoustic trios such as the legendary Trio Matamoros, Trio Servando Diaz, Trio De Oro, Los Guaracheros de Oriente, Los Tres Ases, and others... What I don't get, though, is why they packaged this collection on three separate CDs, each with only nine songs on them, for total of twenty-seven songs. There are countless collections out there that have that many songs on a single disc -- this version just takes up too much shelf space. Oh, well. It's still a good introduction to a lot of great old music.

Various Artists "UMALALI: THE GARIFUNA WOMEN'S PROJECT" (Cumbancha, 2008)
The Garifuna people, who live in enclaves along the Caribbean coast of Belize and other Central American countries; they have strong, vibrantly alive African roots and, up until modern times, their own distinctive language and dialects. Because of external economic and cultural pressures, the Garifuna culture was in danger of dying out in the 1980s when a group of younger artists seized it back from the precipice, embraced it, and brought it into the 20th Century. One of the most prominent artists, Andy Palacio, delved into the wellspring of Garifuna traditional music, both preserving the fading oral tradition and combining it with rock, jazz, and other outside influences. He led several bands, and more recently released solo albums including his last one, Watina (also on the Cumbancha label) which brought widespread acclaim, just before his untimely passing away early in 2008. Despite the loss of its great champion, Garifuna culture appears to be healthy and thriving, at least if this fine compilation album is any indication. This is a set of music featuring several women from Palacio's own region of Belize, with keening vocals set against sleek, velvety modern arrangements. Sofia Blanco, Desere Diego, Bernadine Flores, Damiana Gutierez, Sarita Martinez -- none of these are famous musicians, indeed, their singing style is marked by its roughness and authentic rural character, a sharp, distinctly African vocal style that's rather similar to the roda de samba sung by older women in Bahia, Brazil. The pairing of the contemporary pop production and their other-worldly chanting seems potentially perilous, but much to the producers' credit, they don't subsume the women's vocals, don't remix or gussy them up, but rather play off of them, and support them delicately and with admirable restraint. Although the rugged core of their pre-modern culture is left intact, the album is surprisingly rich and engaging... Another nice one from this up-and-coming new label!

Various Artists "!VIVA CUBA LIBRE!" (Amiata, 2000)
A handsomely packaged set, with a hardbound booklet featuring over sixty pages of vibrantly colorful photographs, and a 14-song CD that spins through several of the best-known contemporary Cuban son singers, mainly artists associated with the Buena Vista Social Club. Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzales, Omara Portuondo and Compay Segundo are featured, as well as some older acoustic guajiro players such as Guillermo Portabales and trovador Carlos Puebla. To be honest, this album didn't blow me away, perhaps because it's mostly stuff you can hear elsewhere, and in some cases (particularly with Puebla and Portabales) it's not the strongest work by these long-lived artists. But it is a strong, representative set, and certainly would be a fine addition to the library of anyone looking to learn more about this music. The beautiful pictures, taken in 1999 by Italian photographer Stefano Bilioti, are really what make this a unique release.

Various Artists "VIVA CUBOP 1: JAZZ THE AFRO CUBAN WAY" (Ubiquity Records/CuBop, 1999)

Various Artists "VIVA CUBOP 2: DANCE THE AFRO CUBAN WAY" (Ubiquity Records/CuBop,2000)
Offhand, I can't say as I've ever been a huge fan of latin jazz, per se, but this is a pretty swinging sampler of the best artists in the Ubiquity stable. This collection ranges from straight up jazz guys like Jack Constanzo (whose thunderous "La La La" opens the album...) and Dave Pike, to folks closer to the salsa side of things, like Arturo Sandoval and Bobby Matos, as well as electronic/DJ types who also want in on the action, such as Snowboy, who contributes "Oya Ye Ye" from his new album. Pretty cool disc, really!

Various Artists "VIVA CUBOP 3: MORE JAZZ THE AFRO CUBAN WAY" (CuBop/Ubiquity, 2003)
This set is even stronger on the Latin Jazz side of the equation, and if that's a style that appeals to you, then these young'uns wailing their little hearts out will probably strike a chord. Too jazz-oriented for my tastes, but it's cool to hear modern artists putting so much energy and enthusiasm into this music!

World Music Index