Sao Salvador
Congo-born Ricardo Lemvo and his super-sexy red-hot multiracial band Makina Loca smoke! Taking Afro-pop to an all new high, Lemvo and crew have been said to be the future of salsa, and don't you know it's true! For 10 years these fellows have been bringing down the house in their home base of Los Angeles and on the world's most popular Spanish-speaking television variety show,Sabado Gigante, as well as points from D.C.'s Kennedy Center to San Francisco's Great American Music Hall. Swinging as hard as a John Henry-wielded hammer, as tight as a pair of Levi's in 1978, and with as much sass as any redheaded debutante, Lemvo's third release,São Salvador, kicks the band's signature blend of soukous, rumba, andsoninto high gear, outshining even 1998's critically acclaimedMambo Yo Yo. The funk infusion of "Nganga Kisi" recalls the Cuban and American soul invasion of Lemvo's native Kinshasa; the political title track borrows from the mournful Portuguese ballad tradition; and "Si Tu No Sabes," featuring a blaring horn section, blends soukous with merengue. People, get ready!--Paige La Grone