Putumayo Presents Latin Party
April 6th, Putumayo World Music released another of its music compilations. Putumayo Presents Latin Party is just that, a collection of Latin party music from acts that represent varied locations such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Peru, Columbia, Mexico, the US, Jamaica, and even France and the UK. It serves as a great introduction to Latin Party music describing to you the acts as well as the songs. It certainly is a great jumping off point for anyone who is interested in learning more about Latin music. But it also incorporates acts that fuse genres.
The Quantic Soul Orchestra is the brainchild of British musician and DJ Will Holland. The Quantic Soul Orchestra’s contribution is “Regi Bugalo”. Bugalu, or Boogaloo here in the States, is a fusion of African-American R&B, Soul, Mambo and Son Montuno. Holland adds a distinctively non-Latin bass and guitar combination to a more Latin sound. The beginning could serve as an intro to any American or European dance track. The two main parts of the song are a Trumpet played by Regi Boyce, which carries the Latin flair, and the sax, played by Regi Johnson, which has a Jazzy feel to it. The horns trade shots playing one after another. Its delightful to the ears, and makes you want to move.
Meanwhile, A.B. Quintanilla III & Kumbia Kings feature a sound that infuses Mexican-style cumbia with American styles such as R&B, Hip Hop, Pop, and Dance. Their track “Mi Gente” features fellow Mexican-American act Ozomatli. The rhythm, percussion, and horns all have that Mexican feel to them. And the high pitched yelping, for lack of a better description, at the beginning and throughout are staples of Mexican music. If you’ve heard it before, you know what I mean. The singing is more indicative of R&B though the lyrics are all in Spanish. Some rock style guitar solos followed by a trumpet solo continue to show the multiple influences of the band.
The compilation also displays Latin styles of music and how they differ from one region to another. Cumbia is a style of music and dance that originated on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Colombian act Fruko y Orquestra share their cumbia “Cumbia del Caribe”. The track has a strong, smooth trumpet sound. The cowbell and percussion is particularly nice and reminds me of the Beastie Boys track “Son of Neckbone”. But the kicker has to be the sweet interplay of the saxes with the trumpets. They play off each other, almost calling for the other and getting an immediate response.
Raul Paz’s “Buena Suerte” is a Cumbia with a Cuban twist. The horns are very much similar to that of “Cumbia del Caribe”, but Paz’s track utilizes the accordion, and what can be called more of a hip hop beat on the percussion. The standout of the whole song is the guitar plucking that really adds something Cuban to the style of music. The guitar parts easily steal the song for me, and they come in at the most opportune times.
No matter what you’re interest in Latin music is, Latin Party will have something for you. Or perhaps you just like to dance. There’s plenty in the album to discover, along with info on the acts and songs in the liner notes. There’s even a recipe for Scallop Ceviche and Cleriquot, which is a Argentine version of the white sangria. Putumayo Presents Latin Party is a great intro to Latin music from around the world. Its bound to keep your party moving.
Rating: 7.0/10
MP3: Raul Paz “Buena Suerte”
Buy: Insound
Putumayo Presents Latin Party
