Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca
São Salvador
Putumayo (www.putumayo.com)

Congolese rumba-master Lemvo gives us another churning mix of soukous, rumba, salsa, and son on his third release. The sounds of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic are spread out over sparkling soukous guitar and rumba bass. Lemvo's casual vocal delivery belies the meaty party grooves laid down by Makina Loca. The horns are, as usual, as juicy as can be, the percussion crisp and driving.

"Dans la foret"

"Nganga Kisi" is a deeply funky piece with just a trace of hip-hop. Here the sexy lyrics flit between English, French, and Spanish. Contrast this one with "Dans la foret," a contrapuntal, almost a cappella (with the exception of a repeated guitar line) number in which Lemvo overdubs vocal effects such as swishes, whirs, clicks and other percussive sounds. It's a departure for him, but it works. He treats the Latin classic "Capullito de Aleli" with something approaching reverence. His almost retro performance of this one is as smooth and crooning as anything you'd find on a Latin dance floor.

He brings the party spirit to a lull just once, with the title track. It's a quiet ballad, accompanied by only acoustic guitar, accordion, and soft percussion. This unassuming song, based on historical fact, ties the rest of this fine release together. - Peggy Latkovich

Audio: "Dans Le Foret" written by Ricardo Lemvo, published by Mopiato Music
© 2000 Putumayo, used by permission