JANUARY 22, 2007
A fascinating
musical mash-up
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 CD: Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective |
We’re used to the idea that the best musicians and producers working today tend to take an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to mixing genres. But the songs on the glorious new CD Wátina represent a musical mash-up that’s indigenous and historic rather than forced five minutes ago in an American recording studio.
The album (not out until 2/27, but you can stream 12 minutes of it right now, free, using the link below) is a collaboration between Belizian superstar Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective — performing legends whose musical tradition blends Spanish, French, Carib, Arawak, and West African language and instrumentation.
Wátina will surely bring new fans to a heretofore somewhat obscure musical subculture in the way Paul Simon’s Graceland did in the ’80s or Buena Vista Social Club did in the ’90s — but you definitely don’t need any ethnographic backstory whatsoever to groove to this transcendent, infectiously rhythmic music.
HEAR streaming samples of tracks from Wátina (click the orange “Sample All Songs” button)
BUY Wátina
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