One of few outfits coming out of Cuba that place a high priority on jazzy vocal harmony, the Cuban
timba group
Bamboleo brings a fresh perspective to what the island can offer the
world music community. Their maiden voyage seems to have been made in a small boat. While bearing in mind that it was their first record, and that time would season these front-runners of the new
salsa movement, the rhythm section does not only sound thin much of the time, it also can sound disjointed. To recognize that the vocal talent present is definitely the focal point does not entirely excuse the occasional distraction of the less than tight instrumentalists. However, there is much musical invention present, and the ground work is laid for what will become one of the most visible ambassadors of
timba to the world community. Having been mixed more like a
Manhattan Transfer record than your standard gut-thumping
salsa project, the lead voice is dead center, and seldom needs to reach dynamically beyond luke warm to compete with the rest of the band. While many of their contemporaries transport listeners to the streets of Havana under a baking sun,
Bamboleo seems to prefer the shade of a coco tree. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez
