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This eminently enjoyable soundtrack album gathers together a multigenerational collection of artists whose roots span South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa, underscoring the rich, dizzying variety of music that all too often simply gets labeled "Latin." The culture's telling sense of history is present throughout, from the Cuban son preservationism of Buena Vista Social Club singer-guitarist Eliades Ochoa ("Si en un Final") to the compelling reggae/rap/salsa cocktails of Sergent García ("Hoy Me Voy"). Bebel Gilberto updates traditional Brazilian jazz with contemporary production touches, yet never loses the music's cool sheen on "Sem Contenção," while Lila Downs puts an equally chic, smoky spin on the standard "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps." Venezuela's standout pop combo Los Amigos Invisibles wax loopy and lounge-suave on "Cuchi-Cuchi" and "Si Estuvieras Aquí," respectively, and even veteran Rocky scorer Bill Conti captures the tropical fever on his title track. And in what must be a soundtrack first, a series of individual menu cards relating to the film are inserted with the liner notes. --Jerry McCulley
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Artist:
Fernando Lima
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Artist:
Los Lobos
After their hit remake of "La Bamba," Los Lobos could easily have settled into the lazy, provincial groove of hometown heroes. But with producer Mitchell Froom's encouragement, the pride of East L.A. exploded all conventions on their one true masterwork. Their Latin roots are obvious, and so is their encyclopedic knowledge of American blues, rock, and soul. But they don't stop there, tossing South African mbaqanga into the mix of "Wake Up Delores," and fearlessly experimenting every step along the way. The more you listen, the more you marvel that the band fit so many weird, wonderful sounds into songs with deep roots in the past but perfectly suited for the future. --Keith Moerer
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Artist:
Guillermo Klein;Los Guachos
This CD is, in my opinion, the best group effort ever achieved by Guachos.
That quote by the incredibly talented, Argentina-born, Barcelona-based pianist/composer/bandleader Guillermo Klein about his new Sunnyside release, Filtros, featuring his long-standing large ensemble Los Guachos, is quite a statement, considering their previous groundbreaking releases. Indeed, since their emergence on the New York scene in the mid-nineties, Klein and company have redefined and expanded the harmonic, stylistic, and compositional possibilities of big band jazz.
Filtros finds Klein at the helm of a smaller version of Los Guachos that includes alto saxophonist/flutist Miguel Zenon, soprano/tenor/baritone saxophonist Chris Cheek, trumpeter Taylor Haskins, trombonist Sandro Tomasi, percussionist Richard Nant, drummer Jeff Ballard, and Sunnyside labelmates tenor/soprano saxophonist Bill McHenry, trumpeter/valve trombonist Diego Urcola, bassist Fernando Huergo, and guitarist Ben Monder.
The CD s ten tracks all penned by Klein with the exception of Vaca, Haskins s Memes, and Olivier Messiaen s, Louange a la L Eternite de Jesus showcases Klein s spare piano and affecting vocals....
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Artist:
Shakira
The English-language Oral Fixation Vol. 2 finds Shakira reclaiming some of the bite she showcased on 1998's smashing Donde Estan Los Ladrones? The Colombian rock goddess is making up for lost time: this is her second disc of new material in 2005. It's quite a feat, considering the four-year gap since Laundry Service, her scattershot, English-language debut album. Oral Fixation Vol. 2 is more mature and better focused than the spin-cycle pop of that 2001 disc. Kick-off track "How Do You Do" starts with a haunting reading of "The Lord's Prayer" before launching into a risky questioning of faith and religion. Shakira touches on the highs and lows of celebrity on a trio of tracks--the bittersweet "Your Embrace," the guitar-driven "Costume Makes the Clown," and the disco-fied, politically charged "Timor." Selfish men and failed relationships--two oft-mentioned topics of interest--anchor much of Oral Fixation Vol. 2. First single "Don't Bother" is a bitter ode to strength, jealousy, and survival; "Dreams for Plans" is a wistful collage of relationship memories; and Carlos Santana slides a sexy guitar riff under soulful standout track "Illegal." The pu...
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Artist:
Caribbean Jazz Project
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Poncho Sanchez
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Sheila E.
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Ed Calle
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Arturo Sandoval
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Pete Escovedo
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Jim Gasior
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Dan Warner
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Justo Almario
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Ray Obiedo
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Artist:
Lhasa De Sela
Lhasa De Sela has distinguished herself as a singer and storyteller with her debut album, La Llorona. The 25-year-old Montreal resident, who grew up traveling through Mexico while living on a school bus, sings of her tortured heart with the accompaniment of guitarist-producer-arranger Yves Desrosiers and a cabaret-style band. Already compared to those of Edith Piaf and Billie Holiday, De Sela's haunting voice is memorable on each of the 11 songs (only 3 are nonoriginal) that range in inspiration from Mexican ranchera to Eastern European klezmer. --Cristina Del Sesto
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Artist:
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias has sold 40 million albums in a little over a decade, becoming one of the most successful artists in the history of popular music. He has spent the past three years crafting his latest album. Entitled "Insomniac," a humorous nod to Enrique's sleepless nights and obsessive artistic persona, the record is clearly the most ambitious project of his phenomenal career.
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Artist:
Chayanne
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Artist:
Astor Piazzolla & New Tango Quintet
Astor Piazzolla lived and died as tango's bad boy, having almost single handedly invented the music's vanguard, the form known as tango nuevo. It took Piazzolla decades to reach his unequivocal apex, which is captured flawlessly on Tango Zero Hour. When this recording was cut in 1986, some of the compositions Piazzolla and his quintet cued up were standards for the band. Whether it was an epiphanic period or not, the recording captures an ensemble alchemically transforming seriously complex works into goose-bump-inducing electricity. Pianist Pablo Ziegler brings his jazz background into the mix with jarring urgency, just as violinist Fernando Suárez Paz makes quavering classical inflections sing amid Piazzolla's here tender and there blistering bandoneon. For a peak experience in music that challenges the ear to dance and the body to fully listen, look no further than this recording. --Andrew Bartlett
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