Ema Yazurlo y Quilombo Sonoro

Buenos Aires has long been a special musical melting pot, with the influences of Europe and the US vying with Latin American rhythms for hegemony. Ema Yazurlo, from the working-class suburb of Haedo, celebrates this cultural collision in his ensemble's name; quilombo is both a word for an Afro-Latin cultural space and a site of disorder.

Myriad elements on this European debut – reggae beats, cumbia accordion, folky charango, rock-oriented guitar and bass – are held together by tight percussion and Yazurlo's passion-filled, piercing vocals. There are predictable raps here and there – almost a signature of urban Latino music these days. But more engaging are the filmic steel guitars, Yazurlo's eccentric phrasing in English and Spanish and the keen swing of the brass instruments. A sometime collaborator with Gustavo Santaolalla (Bajofondo and soundtracks for Brokeback Mountain and The Motorcycle Diaries), he shares with his fellow porteño a joyously eclectic curiosity. This is basically cumbia with variations – but it is culturally aware, well-crafted and ultimately pretty cool.