SALSA CELTICA - El Camino
Discos León DSLCD001
El Camino is a thrilling mix of Latin rhythm and exuberance, effortlessly blended with Celtic tunes and instrumentation and Spanish lyrics. The result is inspired, full of flourish, and intensely enjoyable! This is a world fusion that works brilliantly, and the results are fun, energetic, the music full of life. Calum Malcolm's production ensures that the recording quality captures all the panache, humour and excitement of the band's live set.
Toby Shippey (trumpet/coro) has a hand in every one of these compositions, but other band members, most notably Lino Rocha, Phil Alexander, Fraser Fifield and Éamonn Coyne are behind some of the album's very best tunes. Salsa Celtica have perfected the art of writing instantly catchy tunes with anthemic choruses, their playing is tight yet vivacious, and they make it all sound so easy.
Cuando Me Vaya is wrapped up in a heady, lyrical swirl of whistles, fiddles and percussion, all kicked off by Éamonn Coyne's banjo riff and it's just fabulous! Córrela is a shimmering concoction where brass, accordion, fiddle, banjo, whistles and percussion fuse to create melodic perfection.
Eliza Carthy's truly majestic guest vocal performance sends shivers down the spine on Grey Gallito - it's the only song sung in English on this album. The band's willingness to expose their more fragile, emotional side becomes evident on songs such as the splendid Luna Llena and the emotive, very beautiful highlight song Fuego, Alma y Paz - a milonga underpinned by a slightly brooding piano melody and the gorgeous, sparkling harp playing of Catriona Mackay. There's a real depth to Lino Rocha's voice here.
The recording quality is superb and Salsa Celtica have cracked the secret of making music that sounds exciting and is fantastic fun to dance to. Bring on the next world tour, and the big, beautiful noise that this band creates!
Debbie Koritsas
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Buy this CD online from The Listening Post The Listening Post is the CD mailorder service of The Living Tradition magazine. This album was reviewed in Issue 71 of The Living Tradition magazine. |