B

Women of Latin America

Putumayo

            There are some superb talents present on this 11-track salute to South American women.  Particularly strong are two women from Mexico who give traditional music a decidedly contemporary interpretation – Lila Downs’ lovely and sad ballad “Iconocuicatl” and Lhasa’s haunting ranchera on wanderlust, “La Frontera.”  Also exciting: Peru’s Susana Baca’s Afro-Peruvian fusion and Colombia’s Toto La Momposina’s mix of Spanish, African and Colombian music.  As with other of Putumayo’s, this is a lovely introduction to a diverse group of artists.

                                                                                                —ELLIS WIDNER