Ritual

It seems unlikely that a Dutch musician would lead a band specialising in Afro-Latin fusions. Yet that is the case on Ritual. Whilst Gomez certainly ticks the correct boxes in his interpretations of the chosen oeuvre, the general sheen of this album is just a bit too clean to entirely relax into its trappings. It has all the right elements, but lacks sufficient heat for music from a tropical climate. It definitely has its moments though. ‘Baila Chibiquiban’ has blinding percussion breakdowns and an edgy authenticity. The cover version of Perez ‘Prez’ Prado’s ‘Caballo Negro’ is raucous and fierce, with bubbling drums underpinning a Hammond organ duelling with a choppy horn section. This is counterbalanced by tracks such as the bland cover of ‘Samba de una Nota’, which has cocktail hour written all over it – and not in a good way. In addition, the title and artwork indulges in that European tradition of exoticisation of African music, which sticks in the craw somewhat.

Overall however, this is a well-assembled reissue, mastered from the original tape, allowing an LP previously only known to collectors and DJs a new lease of life.