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CD Review
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Time Out New York, CD Review >>
-by Cristina Black
American artists sometimes come off hokey (Ozomatli) or cartoonish (Yerba Buena) when they celebrate their Latin heritage. It’s just not enough to slap horns and hip-hop samples together with some Spanish lyrics and call it a party; crossing cultures takes finesse, subtlety and respect. Cuban-American bandleader Jose Conde displays all of those qualities on his latest album. Originally a Berklee College of Music modernist, he got back to his roots with an EP of Cuban classics in 2001 and has since forged a unique take on his ethnic identity.
It helps that Conde grew up in Miami, where the sounds of the Caribbean flow smoothly into American life. Scoffing at the strict rules of salsa, he found inspiration in everyday things like the sound of waves and the way women walk. Naturally, Conde’s multicultural flavor emanates from his beats. The Japanese-inspired “Oshiri Pan Pan” benefits from laid-back funk drumming by the Meters’ Zigaboo Modeliste, while “Café con Sangre” draws oomph from Puerto Rican bomba. These hybrids are products of the album’s utopian concept: to evolve beyond the Cuban Revolution to a state of harmonic coexistence across conventions. Neither too eager to show off his intrepidity nor too corny about his respect for tradition, Conde makes music as refined as his sociopolitical vision. 05/24/07 >> go there
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