Authenticity is a tricky construct in pop music. In Rumba Argelina, guitarist and composer Fain DueÃ±as, wind player Vincent Molino, and vocalist Benjamin Escoriza, the core of the Spanish

Rumba Argelina

Authenticity is a tricky construct in pop music. In Rumba Argelina, guitarist and composer Fain DueÃ±as, wind player Vincent Molino, and vocalist Benjamin Escoriza, the core of the Spanish group Radio Tarifa, blend traditional North African music, flamenco, and a dash of rhythms from the New World, most notably Cuba, with a contemporary pop sensibility. The results sound surprisingly organic--even when some of the mixes take disorienting turns. "Oye China" suggests a son or guajira--until an accordion and a mysterious wind instrument (bansuri?) come in. When the song turns again, however, it evokes a vallenato. "Soledad" alludes to flamenco but also to Brian Eno. Then again, as DueÃ±as & Co. define it, this is border music, the music of an imaginary radio station in Tarifa, the southernmost point in Spain. What it suggests depends on your point of reference--but leave that for musicologists. Most important, Rumba Argelina is a delightful, rich, sensual experience, armchair traveling at its best. --Fernando Gonzalez
Country USA
Brand Nonesuch
Manufacturer NONESUCH
Binding Audio CD
ReleaseDate 1997-06-27
UnitCount 1
UPCs 075597947229
EANs 0075597947229

Rumba Argelina