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Concert Preview
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Time Out New York, Concert Preview >>
American artists sometimes comeoff hokeyor 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 ita party; crossing cultures takes finesse, subtlety and respect. American bandleader Jose Conde displays all of those qualities on his latest album. Originally a Berklee College of Music modernist, he got back tohis 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 rulesof 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 "Cafe1 con Sangre" draws oomph from Puerto Rican bomba. Thesehybridsareproductsof thealbum's Utopian concept: to evolve beyond theCuban Revolution toa stateof 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 Cristina Black.
05/30/07
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