Salsa Bestial

The brief but intense number ‘Macabiónico’ gives a good idea of what to expect from Puerto Rica’s finest: solid hardcore salsa with no frills. At times, Orquesta el Macabeo’s urgent percussion, rasping horns and emotive vocals recall the legendary Nuyorican combo of Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe in its 70s prime.

The 12-piece orquesta was formed in 2008 and this CD is their first introduction to the world outside their native Puerto Rico. The individual band members’ backgrounds range from rock to ska, but the signature sound is the kind of classic Latin dance music that the island has long been exporting to New York and beyond.

Although neither particularly new nor genre-bending, their sound is classy and hard to resist. Slow-burners like ‘La Noche’ are the exception rather than the rule and the emphasis throughout is more on uptempo crowd-pleasers. So this probably explains why, reputedly, the group has been thrilling discerning audiences all over the island. The two albums from which this selection has been assembled, Salsa Macabra and El Entierro, were both self-released. One hopes that their new international label will introduce them to the wider audience the band clearly merits. 4»