EXECUTIVE BRIEFCASE
MAMBO SINUENDO
Album by Ry Cooder, Manuel Galb & #225;n. Nonesuch Records (New York).
Cuba has withered a lot under decades of socialism, but the island’s musical flare still thrives. “Mambo Sinuendo” pairs longtime American session guitarist Ry Cooder with Cuban guitar legend Manuel Galb & #225;n. The recording is an informal follow-up to 1997’s “Buena Vista Social Club,” in which Cooder went to Cuba to record with some of the country’s musical standard-bearers. Guitars rule this time around, as Cooder and Galb & #225;n dust off songs from the 1950s and ’60s that showcase Afro-Cuban rhythms, American pop and cocktail swing. The opener “Drume Negrita” is a bit of drum-heavy exotica with some Hawaiian guitar thrown in. “Monte Adentro,” with its spicy Spanish female vocals, is cocktail cool with a Latin twist. The kitschiest song: “Patricia,” a whimsical showpiece originally by Cuban bandleader Perez Prado. Galb & #225;n skillfully carries the song’s playful melody with flourishes from Cooder. “Mambo Sinuendo” should strike a chord with retro cocktail fans, world music enthusiasts and anybody else with a sense of adventurous streak. The recording quality is sharp, though Havana’s Egram Studios lends a warmth and spontaneity unique among most of today’s overproduced pop music.
,Michael Lyster
RATING: FOUR BRIEFCASES (out of four)
