Amazon.co.uk Review
Nu Latin is a glorious 140 minutes of energy and grooves. As the Nu suggests, the music on this album is where Latin music is currently at. And just where is that? Everywhere it seems. The bands represented here are not only based in Latin America, but also Europe and the States. Scotland's Salsa Celtica give us an amazing Latin solo on the bagpipes and Barcelona's Ojos de Brujos take Latin music in their own exciting direction, adding flamenco and scratching to the mix. The Afro-Latin supergroup Africando, with its Senegalese singers, is pure joy, although you might not be able to get their vocals out of your head for a long time. These are just a few of the overseas bands giving the home-based Latin talent a run for their money.
Nu Latin is perfect for an open-minded listener, passionate about all kinds of music, who is ready for more than the Buena Vista Social Club. One compilation cannot hope to cover all the variety in Latin music. The emphasis here is on danceable fusion tracks, whilst still finding space for new grooves from old veterans like Ibrahim Ferrer. One quibble might be the lack of Brazilian music, but luckily the Manteca label also brought us the excellent album
Nu-Brazil.There are useful notes for each track, explaining which styles are being played and who the bands and singers are. Roll on, Nu Latin 2.
--Stefan Tobler