Moving along their trail of café music from around the world, Putumayo put together a compilation of relaxed, sentimental Cuban music that packs a pretty serious punch. There are a few heavy hitters on the album, but very few will have any name recognition outside of a few dedicated aficionados. After an opening track from Miami-based
José Condé,
Afro-Cuban All Star Ignacio Carrillo dusts off a beautiful old
Miguel Matamoros number with a perfect tone.
Pedro Luis Ferrer (now making a name on the world market) contributes a number, as does
Rene Ferrer, with an outstandingly touching bit of nueva trova. After a quick
Buena Vista-style piece featuring
Adriano Rodriguez, German Obregón contributes a lilting guajira, with its characteristic string work.
Armando Garzón's bolero evokes the nightclub exoticism of the 1950s, the younger
Asere contribute a mix of bolero and son, and one more bolero in the vein of a
Beny Moré track brings the album up to the end of the classic stylings. To finish off the rounds,
Kelvis Ochoa presents something more in the realm of the singer/songwriter style gaining ground in Cuba bit by bit. It's a completely relaxed album, and a completely relaxing one, with outstanding musical quality throughout. This isn't the
Buena Vista Social Club sound that many may be expecting from a compilation of Cuban music -- there is very little son, and essentially no rhumba. Just plenty of soul. ~ Adam Greenberg