By Jamil Oakford/managing editor
Vintage Latino presents a hit-and-miss collection of music from various Latin American artists.
With this album, jazzy and bawdy brass sounds run throughout giving the listener a fun and jovial vibe. And when it takes a couple moments to slow down the tempo, smooth classical guitars offer relief from the relentless fast-paced congas.
While this album is boasted to display lesser-known artists of the 1950s, the sound is hardly unfamiliar. It’s akin to much of the music Americans would associate with Miami.
Soulful vocals and staccato trumpets are the highlight of this album, but it fails to grip the listener completely.
The exceptional songs on Vintage Latino are fun tracks with just enough personality to jar listeners awake from their daze.
Opening track “Perfidia” starts off slow, mournful and dramatic. This song is probably the perfect introduction as it’s simple and not bombastic like many of the tracks that follow.
Republique Democratique du Mambo’s contribution to the album, “Cha Cha Cha Para Ti,” is a fun track that’s catchy and easy to sing along with after one listen.
And the track that offers a cool breeze to the heat the brass section creates is a classical guitar-driven number called “Juárez.” This track sounds very close to the traditional Spanish sound with fast picking and soulful sustains on the strings.
Overall, it’s a substantial collection of recordings with sounds that seem very familiar to fans of “The Girl from Ipanema” or “Mambo” from the musical West Side Story.
But despite it being solid, very few songs have enough punch to move onto the next track. Some just aren’t as strong as the other selections. At times, it becomes laborious to get through the entire album.
This album is currently available for streaming on Apple Music and will be officially released for purchase Sept. 4.
