Search - Clave Y Guaguanco :: Songs & Dances

Wonderful classic rumba

Christopher Fung | honolulu | 02/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Clave y Guaguanco are rough contemporaries of the much more famous (at least to US gringos) Munequitos de Matanzas. They have an equally rootsy sound but are more representative of the Havana style of rumba which is a little more suave but no less rhythmically complex.



This album is (as the liner notes say) the first authorized recording of the group, and it's a gem. Each track sparkles with virtuosity. My personal favorites would be tracks 3, 4 and of course the classic Que Viva Chango (the first commercially-recorded song which made explicit reference to the orishas).



Part of the group's appeal is the way in which they fuse together elements of different rhythms. Tawiri (track 4) for instance is a blistering fusion of palo and guaguanco, while Ve y Dile a Tu Mamita (track 3) juxtaposes a son clave pattern over a fat (and phat) yambu. The vocal work as always provides yet more layers of complexity such that this album is a joy to listen to from end to end."