Traditional Afro Cuban, Puerto Rican & Venezuelan roots of Salsa & Latin Jazz. All star cast of 38 musicians, Michael Spiro, Giovanni Hidalgo, Jesus Diaz & Jimmy Bosch among many others. GREAT liner notes, nice comment on the healing energy of drumming, dance and traditional music. All tracks are FANTASTIC percussion and singing.
1: 4:38 traditional Yoruba orisha rhythm, male vocal call, male chorus response, starts slow, great faster percussion jam towards end
2: 5:00 a yambu ( early Rumba) male vocal call, female chorus response, great percussion
***3: 1:48 Afro Venezuelan,fast percussion female call, female chorus response
4: 4:17 modern guaguanco, piano intro. percussion, male vocal, fem chorus, ramps up to a fast percussion/vocal trance jam
5: 3:43 a bata, Yoruba orisha rhythm, slow to mid tempo percussion & vocal with chorus
6: 6:40 a bata-rumba adaptation of a Cuban pregon, mid tempo intro. then fast perc with piano & chorus, slower at end.
7: 4:48 bomba-guaguanco-bomba, mid to faster perc with male vocal
****8: 5:17 Yemaya ( Goddess of the ocean) Yoruba orisha rhythm male vocal, fem chorus response, mid fast
9: 5:41 Yuba variant of a bomba, slower to mid perc, male vocal & female chorus, picks up @2 min in
10: 5:39 Cuban Carnaval rhythm, fast perc., fast male vocal, chorus, soprano sax
*****11: 5:09 tribute to drums, fast fast percussion, WOW! fast chorus vocals
****12: 4:35 a plena, fast fast perc, fast fast chorus & accordion
13: 5:50 fast fast percussion and male spoken word. BIG bass.
D  Farrell   11/2008