Search - Jose Conde y Ola Fresca :: AY! Que Rico

"Ay! Qué Rico is a quintessential Cuban phrase for anything delicious -- whether music, sensual pleasure, food or good times. And it pretty much says it all about this unexpectedly captivating, independently produced gem ?".(Jordan Levin, Miami Herald) , the debut all album by Cuban roots singer, songwriter Jose Conde and his band Ola Fresca. Produced by Conde and released in June 2004 on his own PiPiKi Records label, the album has been praised as "innovative, highly danceable, pleasantly cerebral" (Ed Morales-New York Newsday), the band has been called "superb" (descarga.com), and the songs are"sung by Conde with the natural grace of the best soneros with a touch of contemporary elegance" (Miguel Sirgado-El Nuevo Herald) "Using a tool palate full of afro-Cuban styles ? son, changui, songo-funk, mambo, and timba- sauteed with a modern twist on a low steady flame, Conde provides atmosphere and spice with a cool unwavering inteligence and vision (Descarga.com). Mixed by multiple Grammy winner, Jon Fausty, AY! Que Rico beautifully captures a live, natural sound and utilizes configurations of Ola Fresca that range from a quartet to a 15-piece orchestra. The album reflects Conde's broad musical vocabulary and eclectic aesthetics. AY! QUE RICO is a tour de force and homage to his dual musical legacies Cuba and the US. While 11 songs include familiar rhythms and the island's lesser-known Changüí, there are also 2 new rhythms and a additional bonus track featuring a remix of Conde's Perez Prado-esque mambo "Bolitas de Arroz con Pollo" by DJ Spam of the Spam Allstars. In "El Clasificado" (The Classified Ad) is a run on sentence which is a sort of neo-Buddhist quest for love and peace which integrates funk horns over songo rhythms (reminiscent of Fela Kuti) while accentuating the dance groove with hints of post-modern New York salsa.