Rumba Sin Fronteras
The Cuban-born percussionist Pancho Quinto, better known in the States as  the powerful hand drummer behind saxophonist/flautist Jane Bunnett, is an  artist devoted to tradition and innovation. He's master of Afro-Cubanrumbarhythms, but his uniqueguarapachangeostyle, which  combines the box-likecajonand the cylindricalbatadrums,  places him in his own category. On this CD, which translatesRumba Without  Frontiers, Quinto is joined by an impressive list of Cuban and American  musicians, featuring pianist Omar Sosa, Bay-area percussionist John Santos,  thebabalaosinger Octavio Rodriguez, saxophonist Enrique Hernandez,  and vocalists Lazaro Rizo and Guillermo "El Negro" Triana. They create a  splendid and syncopated recording that is ancient as Mother Africa's  ancestral anthems and modern as Americas 21sr century hip-hop beats. Tracks  like "La Gorra" and the kalimba-coded "Sosa En El Pais De Las Maravillas"  best represent that electro/folkloric fusion, while "Bolero En Medio Del  Carnaval,"  "A Esos Senores," and  "Aspirina" showcase the best of Cuba's  secular and sacred syncopations. With verve and vision, Pancho Quinto proves  that the African extension in the Americas provides an unending supply of  inspiration and invention.--Eugene Holley, Jr.