Search - Omar Torrez :: Dynamisto!

Freshly shorn and making a splash in world and mainstream music circles, Omar Torrez returns with a new self-produced CD blending flamenco/Gypsy/Latin influences with a touch of rock and hiphop and whatever else this nimble-fingered guitarist has absorbed in his world travels. He gets political on "Hold On," a call to action on which he sings and raps about the need for change: "Why don't we challenge this fate / send him packing back to the Lone Star State..." Most of the lyrics (if not the emotions) are more subtle. His voice soars on the Afro-Cuban cover of the traditional Mexican song "Llorona." Eclectic literary and musical references (including a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Big Brother) make this mix good for the head, but Torrez's delicate (often speedy) guitar and emotion-laden singing pack a strong wallop for the heart. Somewhere between Santana and the Gipsy Kings, Dynamisto! is an engaging mix of what Torrez calls "Latin soul & groove." Earball Media world music reviews, June 2005