Customer Reviews

Sao Salvador

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have lived in Africa for 10 years, used to live in Colombia and continue to visit Latin America regularly. I like many types of Latin and African music and have a reasonable collection of both. I find this CD brilliant, joyful, uplifting. A beautiful blend of distinct Afro-Cubano music. We first learned of Ricardo Lemvo from a music video of Mambo YoYo on local television, but we think this is the better of his two albums. (Mambo YoYo is only very very good!) We bought this while in the States and played it endlessly during countless hours of driving. I can't remember doing that before! And we continue to love it. Of course, musical taste for most of us is extremely subjective, but, for us, this album is a real winner from start to finish.

Well, maybe I'm biased. I had the good fortune to be in Chicago during my birthday weekend at the end of Septmeber, and my mother and I had just come back from a insanely good dinner, and we had a mesmerizing view of Lake Michigan from our room at the Congress. We opened the windows and heard energetic Caribbean music wafting into our room. Thankfully we decided to go check it out, and there was Makina Loca. This joyful music under the moon bathing Lake Michigan was almost a religious experience. Even my six and a half month pregnant mother could not help attempting a salsa. Makina Loca's music, a magical upbeat blend of all kinds of influences, from African to funk to, of course, salsa, was the foremost thing that stayed with me from turning a spry eighteen. The whole album is well-suited for working out, which I actually tried out tonight. Of particular favor for me is the title song "Sao Salvador" and "Si Tu No Sabes (No Te Metas)." The liner notes are translated into different languages and include an essay on Makina Loca echoing the praises I have tried to sing here. I think in that essay the writer says that if you are not moved to dance by Makina Loca, you don't have a soul. Or something to that effect. Truly joyful and physical rhythm blended nicely with Lemvo's hearty voice.

Well, let me start out by saying that from the moment I pressed play on the CD player, my 2 year old began to dance madly about the house. Usually, that indicates a great CD.

I was so very fortunate to see Ricardo and Makina Loca a few years ago when they played the Montreal Jazz festival and may I say that it was one of the most mesmerizing and fabulous performances I have witnessed. The music, the singer and the dancers at their feet melded into one hot, grooving force. My husband and I stayed until the bitter end and we all screamed out for more!

I then rushed to buy their self released "Tata Masamba " and not a week goes by that I don't play one of my 3 Makina Loca CD's.

This 3rd CD does not disappoint - all that there is to love about Makina Loca is back in force ( and Ricardo even does a little English speaking on this one!)

If you like the Afro-Cuabn All Stars, or teh Buena Vista Social Club, give this a try. If you are new to Afro Cuban Music, you won't believe how good music can be until you are dancing around your house to Makina Loca.

and for god's sake -- if they play near you GO SEE THEM and bring lots of water cause you'll need it!

Last February I happened to visit a giftshop where they were playing his Mambo YoYo CD over the loudspeaker. The music automatically took me to a warm and fun place -- even though it was cold and snowing outside! Of course, I bought it and didn't take it out of my CD player for weeks. It is worth of repeat play. This CD does not disappoint. It still has all the lively grooves and mix of musical rhythms that I discovered on Mambo YoYo. I was also lucky enough to see Ricardo at our Latino Festival last month here in Columbus, Ohio -- for FREE! He and his band are awesome and I highly recommend this CD.

I bought this album wondering how the african music would combine with latin music. Having listened and hating Mundo by Ruben Blades I was hoping for something better and Ricardo Lemvo gave it to me.
While only a few of the tracks are actual danceable salsa, each and every one felt great. The combo rhythm songs have a great sound and good melodies even if not well suited for the dance floor.
The only bad thing here is the CD only has nine tracks with 40 minutes and it left me wanting for more.

Walking down a busy Seattle sidewalk on a sparkling spring day, I heard the strains of "Ave Maria (por Dios)" blasting out of an African import shop. I did a hard left into the doorway, and promptly bought the CD out of the player. It has not left my rotation since. I love following the diaspora of ideas, cultures, tastes in tunes from the Old World through Africa to the New World, noting how the music takes on the spice and heat and urgency of the new place in which it takes form. But this is something completely new, reversing the typical colonial direction back to its roots. And doing it brilliantly! Try this CD. Crank it up on a sunny day. As the dred-locked gent in the Seattle shop said, "This is happy music. Everybody needs this now." Amen!

OK, having heard a lot of latin artists over my lifetime, since I grew up in the Caribbean and South America, I will tell you This album is IT!

Ricardo brings his music to us in a kind of reverse Afro-Cuba evolution, since he is from Congo, but does Cuban music better than most Cubans! His mastery of several languages comes through in a common theme of meltdown rythym and soulful lyrics.

Cuban jams and Latin pop rhythms are presented in a lively cd which features a range of styles and sounds. This is a fine introduction for those interested in a range of Latin styles and approaches: it commits to not one but many grooves and creates a range of involving sounds.