Compilation CD by various artists. Soundway Records.
The most striking thing about “Panama! Latin, Calypso and Funk on the Isthmus 1965-75” is how such a mosh of styles can represent the soundtrack of a nation. But this is Panama we’re talking about,a country carved from Colombia to create a hub of global commerce with heavy U.S. influence. In that sense, the compilation’s pairing of Latin jazz, bebop, urban American rhythm and blues and Caribbean beats seems to make sense.
At first listen, there seems nothing uniquely Panamanian about the songs. Yet by the end you realize that the musical crosscurrents on “Panama!” are what define the country’s music. If there is a prevailing theme, it’s Latin jazz,with heavy doses of the Cuban, Brazilian and Mexican varieties. But even then, there’s something Panamanian about it, perhaps in the unpretentious, accessible way the songs are presented.
“Soy Solo Para Ti” by Victor Boa y Su Musica features an intricate piano solo sandwiched between catchy melodies and refrains. It could have been done by Cuban showman Xavier Cugat and is likely to bring a smile to even the most jazz-averse listeners.
Other songs have folk tints to them, including “Nana Nina” by Bush y Sus Magnificos and “Rocombey” by Lord Cobra and Pana-Afro Sounds.
“Viva Panama” reflects the culturally schizophrenic nature of much of the music. In the song, Papi Brandao y Sus Ejecutivos extol their homeland in verse, though the music is decidedly Mexican norte & #324;o with its lively accordion riffs.
The most intriguing songs borrow not from other Latin American countries but from the U.S.,more specifically, Harlem and the Bronx. “Exciters Theme” by The Exciters is a lively bit of R & B;, drenched in reverb with hints of psychedelica. It shares more in common with Isaac Hayes than anything south of the border.
“New Bag,” also by The Exciters, is a groovy number that could have been put out by iconic U.S. 1960s soul label Stax Records. “Let Me Do My Thing” by Los Dinamicos Exciters is pure Wilson Pickett.
Then there’s “Viva Tirado,” originally a homage to Mexican matador Jose Ramon and later a Chicano anthem. It’s given a soulful, Santana-like treatment by Los Mozambiques.
As a whole, “Panama!” is a fun glimpse into a country that has no problem expropriating styles and making them its own. It’s even more fascinating given Panama’s history, where the U.S. backed landowners in their break from Colombia to forge a state around a canal started by the French. Or you can just sit back and enjoy a lively mix of music that somehow ties together well.
,Michael Lyster
