Does the job
Alan Nitikman | Oklahoma City, OK USA | 11/09/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one more dependable entry in the DanceSport "Strictly Ballroom" series. It's a good, consistent set of Rumbas, at a medium tempo, without Cha Cha's or Boleros thrown in. It's great for ballroom dance practice, which is, I think, what the series was designed for.
They're all competent covers, the singers decent, but at least one female singer here shouldn't be singing Spanish. There are no originals here. For that, something like the UltraLounge series is great, but, then again, it has that problem of some oddball tracks that are actually a Cha Cha or a Mambo or a Bolero. So, for general practice, this CD is actually better: you can just focus on the dancing, not running over to the player and skipping tracks.
A nice thing to have for a ballroom dance student."
Inexpensive rumbas for practice
J. Wakefield | SLC, Utah | 07/30/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The "New 101 Strings Orchestra" shows some variety here, with a nice mix of male and female vocalists. With one exception, the tempos are appropriate for either American or International rumba. Track 13 is faster, and feels more like a samba to me. As you can tell from the titles, most of the lyrics are in Spanish.
Oddly enough, there are almost no strings in these tracks, and what sounds like strings, sounds synthesized to me.
CAUTION FOR COLLECTORS: The Ballroom Dance Collection: Mambo & Rumba, 2006, Produced by Mastertech in Australia lists this orchestra as the 101 Strings Orchestra. The rumba disc lists the same tracks, in the same order, and yes, they sound like the same recordings. Beware of buying them twice!
Here are the titles, durations, and suggested dance, and vocal notes:
Taboga, 2:59, Rumba, male vocalist
Cherry pink and apple blossom white, 2:20, Rumba, instrumental
Ultima noche, La, 2:59, Rumba, female vocalist
Besame mucho, 3:56, Rumba, female vocalist
Burbujas de amor, 3:23, Rumba, male vocalist
Solamente una vez, 2:51, Rumba, female vocalist
Perfidia, 2:33, Rumba, male vocalist
Rompe Saragüey, 3:34, Rumba, male vocalist
Media vuelta, La, 2:50, Rumba, female vocalist
Sabras que te quiero, 2:32, Rumba, male vocalist
Till there was you, 2:36, Rumba, female vocalist
Emborrachame de amor, 2:02, Rumba, male vocalist
Pollera Cholora, La, 3:11, Samba, male vocalist
Cuando vuelva a tu lado, 3:13, Rumba, female vocalist"
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
