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New fusion spices up salsa on every beat (Ay! Que Rico review)
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New York Newsday, New fusion spices up salsa on every beat (Ay! Que Rico review) >>
-by Ed Morales
Miami transplant Jose Conde isn't alone when he voices his critique of the current state of salsa. "So much of it disappoints me because it's so layered. You stick in the hook, it's so cut-and-dried that it bores the hell out of me," the singer-songwriter said bluntly. "And the lyrical content doesn't say much."
So, Conde, whose parents immigrated from Cuba, took matters into his own hands. After a musical education that included stints in the Greater Miami Opera Choir, local rock and Europop dance bands, and a sojourn to Boston's Berklee School of Music, Conde settled in Brooklyn and has self-produced a new album, "Ay! Que Rico" (Pipiki Records).
"It's always been my goal to respect tradition, but to take it somewhere else," Conde said. "My goal was to incorporate all these influences, like Debussy, Coltrane, jazz, funk, and blues and create a new fusion."
With the help of his collaborators, collectively known as Ola Fresca, Conde has created an innovative, highly danceable and pleasantly cerebral album.
A prolific songwriter, Conde plays with traditional elements of the Cuban son and the even more rustic changui on the title track and "Goza Mi Changui." "Bolitas de Arroz con Pollo" has the feel of an old Perez Prado recording. And "El Bombo" is a full0blown descarga (Latin jazz jam), with legendary engineer Jon Fausty adding a finely textured Fania imprint.
But probably the most innovative (and most fun) track on the album is "Do U Dance on 3," a tune that takes on New York's often rigid salsa dancing codes.
"I took the pattern of the son and accented the third beat, the 3," said Conde, "and put it all in the context of funk. It's based on this story I have about going to the Village Underground and asking a girl to dance, and she said, "I'm sorry, do you dance on 1 or do you dance on 2?" Naturally, as a Cuban I want to dance on the 1 but I can dance on the 2. Any good dancer can dance on 1, 2, 3, or 4. After all, dancing is not so serious, you just have a few drinks and move your butt."
While "Ay! Que Rico" will have considerable distribution, you can get more information about it at www.joseconde.com, or you can go to the record release party at S.O.B.'s (212-243-4940) Monday and dance on 1, 2, 3, or 4. 05/23/04
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