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Sample Track 1:
"Bionic Boogaloo" from Bio Ritmo
Sample Track 2:
"Lisandra" from Bio Ritmo
Layer 2
Concert Review

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Style Weekly, Concert Review >>

At the Capital Ale House release party for its new CD, Bio Ritmo was both convincing and constrained. Convincing in the meshing of its various moving parts — a vertiginous tumble of crisp Latin rhythms, tight ensemble horns, percussive keyboards, sharply focused solos and vocals that slide through and drape over the beat. Constrained in that in the limited room onstage, the band was as crowded as the dance floor.

The same challenges apply in translating the smart, democratic and musically omnivorous appeal of a salsa show band into digital bits on a plastic disc. Salsa song forms are only the superstructure Latin for the band, which incorporates jazz improvisation, rollicking piano runs and psychedelic electronics into the mix. The selections are all upbeat and danceable; the closest they come to a ballad is the slightly subdued "Dime Vide," unless you count the opening of the closing, Zappa-esqe "Bonus Track."

In past recordings various facets of Bio Ritmo have been captured to good effect, but "Bionica" may be the most balanced and successful of the lot. Even with its salsa-oriented material, clave beats and lyrics en Espanol, the band’s reach and appeal transcend genre.

— Peter McElhinney

 11/04/08 >> go there
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