Canto
Formed in 1998 as a loose collective of (mostly) Texas musicians with a love for traditional Mexican melodies, Los Super Seven took exactly one week to producea self-titled debutthat was an offhand marvel of norteño tradition and intimacy. Three years later, four of the original members--including David Hidalgo andCesar RosasofLos Lobos--return forCanto, but their musical ambitions have broadened from Tex-Mex house party to pan-Latin musical summit. Boasting guest appearances by BraziliantropicalismoheavyweightCaetano Veloso, Los Angeles-based Cuban pianist Albert Salas, and Peruvian divaSusana Baca,Cantofeatures some of the old-world romantic charm ofBuena Vista Social Club(listen, in particular, to Raul Malo croon the album-opening "Siboney"), but the CD doesn't shy away from the subtler, breathier charms of Veloso or Baca's sophisticated Afro-Latin pop on "Drumi Drumi Mobila."Cantoreaches its pinnacle on "Teresa," a Hildalgo-sung gem that mixes the rock experimentalism of Los Lobos with the percussive piano attack of Salas and a complex undertow of polyrhythms. At times like these,Cantosounds both like a logical extension ofRy Cooder's multimedia global juggernaut, and a not-so-subtle reminder that new musical traditions are often carved out by ignoring geographic boundaries.--Keith Moerer