Conga Caliente

Conga Caliente

The veteran, California-born Chicano conguero Poncho Sanchez proved you don't have to be Cuban or Puerto Rican to play authentic Afro-Cuban-derived music. On this CD, the Grammy-winning percussionist celebrates his 20-year anniversary as a bandleader, following his long stint with vibes master Cal Tjader. This collection combines two previously released recordings--the first nine tracks of 1988's <I>Fuerte</I> and several cuts from <I>La Familia</I>. On all the tracks, Sanchez's articulate and thunderous conga cross-rhythms bear the imprint of the great Mongo Santamaria, especially on the cha-cha-grooved "Ixtapa" and Clifford Brown's Cubop-coded "Daahoud." Like all good Latin musicians, Sanchez is equally at home playing dance music, as evidenced by his funny cover of the James Brown-boogaloo-influenced Dyke and the Blazers hit "Let a Woman Be a Woman, Let a Man Be a Man" and Eddie Palmieri's La Perfecta classic "Cuidate Compai." This set shows that Poncho Sanchez is the real deal. <I>--Eugene Holley, Jr.</I>