Cajita de Musica
Largely overlooked by the global music
scene, Central America is diverse and rich in
its musical genres. Luckily for the music listener, there are people dedicated
to exposing this treasure trove. Central American Music Box 2 is the second
release contributed by Moka Discos in Nicaragua,
Stonetree Records in Belize,
Costa Norte in Honduras and
Papaya Music in Costa Rica,
under the collective name Central American Music Network. The first installment
came out in 2010 and laid the groundwork in exposing both traditional and new,
cutting edge musicians from this area. The new twelve-song CD is a welcome
companion, expanding the list of bands and musical styles.
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| Guillermo Anderson |
The album opens with “Si tu no quieres” by
Yomira John from Panama who
sings a style of Afro-Latin and indigenous music, mixed into her own unique
style, which was captured by Ivan Duran, founder of Stonetree, in his Belize
studio. Also from Panama
is Cienfue, with “Cosita Linda”, a song that blends traditional and folk music from
that country, meshed with straight-forward Rock. Honduran Guillermo Anderson turns in a nice
version of “La noche y su cancion” with his sweet voice accompanying his clean
guitar work in his trademark, upbeat Caribbean style. The touching “Canta mandolina”
by Malpais from Costa Rica
reminds us of how lucky we have been to experience the artistry of Fidel
Gamboa. Another highlight on the album is “Ineweyu” by Aurelio Martinez, who
has carried the Garifuna banner since the passing of Andy Palacio. Aurelio is
another discovery of Ivan Duran, who was responsible for mixing the entire
album. Nicaragua
is well represented by Katia Cardinal with her passionate voice and
Perrozompopo with his equally passionate delivery, which was also recorded by
Duran.
I enjoyed hearing The Calypso Limon
Legends doing their song “Stop”, with their authentic stamp of calypso in the
whimsical lyrics. The Garifuna Collective play the spellbinding, “Weiyasu”, a
reminder of the African-Arawat culture that is rapidly fading. And I believe
this is the goal for these music boxes: to preserve musical styles before they
disappear and to present new sounds from the area and make them both available
to the entire world. Lloyd Augustine from Belize seems married to these two
ideas with “Chatuye” a song that gives a nod to his Garifuna roots while
incorporating new vocal harmonies and guitar work.
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| Sonambulo |
New to me is Malacates Trebol Shop with
their song “Todo se pagara”, a Guatemalan rock band with four albums under
their belt, well known in their country for their uninhibited lyrics, and an
impressive contribution to this collection. And I was happy to see Sonambulo
included in the new Central American Music Box with “Bolero Carabali” from
their new CD. They are a signal of a new direction in the area, with their
infectious “psicotropical” music and deserve this recognition.
Central American Music Box 2 is the
perfect progression from its predecessor, unveiling new and traditional music
for a global audience. The result is a highly enjoyable serving of Central
American music in all its diversity. The CD is available at the Jaime Peligro
book stores in Tamarindo, Quepos and Nuevo Arenal. Any comments concerning this
article are welcome.
