Customer Reviews

Mundial Muzique 2

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The latest tastefully compiled release from Chicago's Guidance is guaranteed to heat up your summer, even if you live in the southern hemisphere. Showcasing worldwide talents that have givenrise to a genre known as Tropicalia, mixing Jazz, Afro, Caribbean, and Brazillian rhythms into dance floor scorchers, creating a middle ground where both live musicians and studio tweakers are equally at ease finding their grooves. World music household names like Femi Kuti, Tom Y Joice, Tony Allen and Suba (featuring Bebel Gilberto) serve as introduction to a list of newcomers like Finland's Nuspirit Helsinki, Easydelics, Antenna and more whose name you may forget, but whose rhythms you will never forget. Producer Buscemi, Faze Action and Restless Soul ad a little western flavor with cleverly crafted remixes as suited for the martini lounge as for the bonefire party on the beach. The second installment of Mundial Muzique thinks global but keeps it local, and may be the next best thing next to a plane ticket to Lagos, St-Domingo or SaoPaulo.

Just in time for summer, Guidance returns with Mundial Muzique Volume 2, the latest volume in this acclaimed compilation series charting the evolution of the modern tropical groove. Once again, we've unearthed a sizzling selection of the most upfront Afro-Caribbean, Latin and Brazilian rhythms for your dancefloor and listening pleasure. This installment features sounds from some of the most talented and innovative artists to grace the global dance diaspora, including: Suba, Faze Action, Femi Kuti, Nuspirit Helsinki, Tony Allen and many more. Here they fuse a wealth of traditional Afro, Jazz, Funk, Latin, Samba, Salsa and Bossa Nova influences with modern production techniques to create a tropical blend guaranteed to heat up your nightclub, beachfront, or local futbol stadium. Caliente!!!

Guidance Recordings is a Chicago based label who struck gold when they released the first in this series not so long ago. With the increasing popularity of global flavoured beats this collection takes in Latin, Afro-Caribbean and Brazillian sounds to create an upbeat funky sound of its own. Combining traditional styles of Samba, Salsa and Bossa Nova over uplifting house beats has led to the creation of such sub genres as "Afrobeat" and "Latin/House". This compilation sees production and remix work by familiar and unfamiliar names alike including Truby Trio, Faze Action and Masters At Work. Warm, uplifting and at the same time soothing. If this sounds like your thing then read on. Funky guitar riffs and percussive beats both contribute towards the first two tracks, Makoomba by Nuspirit Helsinki & Leroy by The Allenko Brotherhood Ensemble, putting a kink in your knees and slight nod in your head movements. Perfect for the beginning of the night as the crowd comes arrives or a Sunday afternoon sitting back in a café. Faze Action add some oomph with their remix of the Femi Kuti track Do Your Best. However it is not until Bermbau De Osahna by Easydelics that some serious deep dance floor beats are introduced. The chanting like male vocal, soft brass and piano over a deep and driving beat make this perfect dancefloor material. Whilst not quite as deep the mix continues with this vibe for the next few tracks. There is no limit to the variations in rhythmic patterns on offer and tracks like Felicidade by Suba offer sweet soulful female vocals over the top of the tribal type beat. The album finishes on a mellow note with the combination of Latin acoustic guitar and once again sweet female vocals closing off the mix. I was just disappointed that on my copy of the CD this track is damaged and unable to be heard in its entirety. Unless a true fan, latin/house can sometimes seem a bit repetitive for a club type environment and is more suited to the café setting. However this compilation provides the necessary variation in going from the laidback to the deep and funky.

When you read a descriptor like tropical afro-carribean grooves, sizzling sun drenched beaches come to mind. You expect something to match the intensity that such an image evokes. Unfortunately, this compilation doesn't quite deliver. Sure, some of the tracks are satisying enough with predictable beats, instrumentation and arrangements but there is none of the passion that you would expect from afro / latin house. This is very sterile music fit for passive listening while lounging by the pool on a hot summer afternoon.

I think this second compilation from Guidance Records is really less interesting than the first.I love the first,very rarely I'm listening at this one...go out to look for Mundial Muzique Vol. 1,if you haven't it yet.