Search - Hermanos Rigual :: Hermanos Rigual Los, Son Cubano, Cuando Calienta El Sol - El Pollo De Carlitos - La Del Vestido Rojo

Funky, Romantic, Old-Time Salsa - This Music Needs To Be Hea

05/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I picked up this CD used for three bucks not expecting what I'd find. It was perhaps the best three bucks I've ever spent, and now I wish I'd picked the CD up new, because it is one to cherish and handle with care. This music is pure joy - if I had to pick one word to sum this album up, I'd be torn between HAPPY and FUN. Hermanos Rigual is an unexpected combination of smooth Cuban balladeers with excellent three-part harmonies supported by a playful, funky, yet very tasteful, tight group of top-notch musicians. All the songs are pretty short (2-3 minutes), they are VERY catchy, and they feel innocent and naïve, upbeat, almost melodramatic at times. Two-thirds of the songs are love ballads with vibrant, funky arrangements by the band, while the other third are what I know as old-school Salsa ballads with full-on rhythm sections, horn sections, and all the syncopation and mesmerizing musicianship the Cubans are known for. Musically, all of these guys are tactful and skilled - they're clearly pros, perhaps even session musicians. While they absolutely tear it up on their instruments, they NEVER upstage the singers, as they ALWAYS support them very firmly from below. While the spirit of the compositions and melodies feel very Cuban to me (the first-two-thirds of the album, that is), the arrangements are very American in their spirit, particularly in their funkiness. Where other bands might play a ballad with a lilting, plain sway to the rhythm, these guys drive with backbeat at times, displaying wicked chops and fills, ripping little solos, licks and riffs, and the drummer in particular is as tight as they come. The music behind the band is, to me, way ahead of its time, often funkier than James Brown. I think this music was recorded during the 1950's, which I find hard to believe given the sophistication of the musicians. In the development of modern popular music, these guys sound like they would fit, historically, in the 1970's - the band is reminiscent of Herbie Hancock's funk period, and it's hard for me to believe that this music could exist in the 1950's.The only limitation to this CD is the quality of the recording itself. It is clearly primitive compared to today's technologies, but I actually think it adds to the feeling of the music. The sound mix is shoddy, and perhaps the idea of "mixing" didn't even exist when this music was recorded, but it doesn't bother me. I highly recommend this Hermanos Rigual CD, buy it, enjoy it, and see if you can possibly make it through a day WITHOUT one or more of the songs running through your mind's ears."