Amazon.comThere was a time when it wasn't cool for South American pop-rockers to appreciate the folklore of their native lands. Musically speaking, England and the U.S. were the places to be. But in the mid-'90s, Colombian actor-turned-singer Carlos Vives changed all that by blending foreign rock idioms with hot local styles such as cumbia and vallenato. These innovations are a given for 24-year-old Cabas, who, like his fellow countryman Vives, relishes in equal measure the opportunity to perform a rootsy porro ("La Cantaleta") or a sinuous bit of--in his own words--electronica-friendly porno-pop ("Tu Boca"). Throughout this infectious debut album, the Barranquilla-born Cabas engineers clever sonic collisions between the clarinets, tiples, and tamboras of his native land and the highly combustible touches of the electric guitars and Hammond organ he grew up listening to. Better yet, Cabas has a knack for coming up with infectious pop hooks and playful, easy-to-hum lyrics, as in the bona fide hit single "Mi Bombon." The future looks bright indeed for this remarkable singer-songwriter. --Ernesto Lechner