REVIEW: Bio Ritmo, Rumba Baby Rumba! (Mercury)
- Joe Silva
This octet of mostly non-Hispanics may appear as if they're doing some pretty high-wire tap dancing by putting out an album of Latin jive, but at times these guys can actually manage this bit of sleight of hand.
Led by Cuban emigre' Rene Herrera, Bio Ritmo strike a compromise between Herrera's background and more marketable brand of big band merriment that live makes them a big hit with those who are just now making room for Salsa in their musical vocabulary.
Songs like "Ugly" and "Call Me Up" are jokey numbers and straight-up pop fare respectively that just happened have a Latin taint to them. And while their "Tequila" cover may just seem like easy filler, there are some breaks within its framework that show what savvy musicians these guys actually are. In fact "Un Carnaval En La Habana," "Una Palabra," and "Sientate Ahi" comes pretty close to servicing all of the genre's essential elements both musically and vocally. Herrera's voice might be a touch saccharine, but it's convincing enough at least for this tune to inspire the rest of the troops to some damn precise backup vocals.
While I might take Marc Ribot's ("Marc Ribot Y Los Cubanos Postizos") release over this despite it being even further removed from the real article, there's enough sincerity and genuine professionalism within Bio Ritmo not to dismiss them as big band opportunists. A few more mojitos and a visit to the old county might be in order however.
