Canto

1	Siboney 5:20
2	Calle Dieceseis 2:57
3	El Que Siembre Su Maiz 4:25
4	El Pescador 4:30
5	Me Voy Pa'L Pueblo 5:25
6	Compay Gato 4:21
7	Qualquem Coisa 3:56
8	Teresa 5:28
9	Drumi Drumi Mobila 5:27
10	Campesino 3:15
11	Paloma Guaramera 3:02
12	Baby 3:34

Barnes & Noble

On this spirited second effort, that Grammy-grabbing gaggle of Tex-Mex troubadours Los Super Seven recruit new members from further South of the border and beyond. Veterans Ruben Ramos, Rick Trevino, and Los Lobos's David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas are joined here by Brazilian songwriter-poet Caetano Veloso, Afro-Peruvian diva Susana Baca, and Cuban-born frontman of the Mavericks Ruben Malo, making for a truly Pan-American supergroup. Fittingly, there's at least as much sabor Cubano in the pot this time as there is Mexicano. Malo delivers his wistful trill on the Cuban chestnut "Siboney," set in the spare, impressionistic haze that so marked the early '90s work of Los Lobos. The ether lingers on in the brisk "Calle Dieceseis," with Hidalgo casting his shadowy narration over spiraling, smoky guitars. "Me Voy Pa' Pueblo" is merry cha-cha territory, while "Compay Gato" bumps along like a cumbia and son montuno thrown in a blender with Marc Ribot's guitar. Baca proves to have a sweet and luscious way with a lullaby on "Drumi Drumi Mobila," with its soft swells of cello, box drum, and recorder. Veloso's quiet bossa, "Qualquem Coisa," further extends the rhythmic geography, and his organ-laden -- if tongue-in-cheek -- take on "Baby" makes a welcome tribute to Brazil's psychedelic heyday. Country crooner Rick Trevino injects some Tex-Mex doo-wop into the Trio Matamoros tune "El que Siembre su Maiz," and soars on the mariachi swing of "Paloma Guaramera." Brushed with strokes of whimsy, humor, and elegance, this is sprawling roots music that transcends borders and generations. Abraham Velez

All Music Guide

Canto, the second album from the all-star Los Super Seven, begins with a mellow, Habanera-influenced groove and the suave vocal incantations of Raul Malo. It's a luring introduction to a CD that offers up one superb song after another. The follow-up to their Grammy award-winning 1998 self-titled debut, Los Super Seven's Canto projects the sophisticated, enduring, and variegated sounds of Latin American music itself. From "Qualquem Coisa," a Brazilian ballad sung by Caetano Veloso, to "Teresa," a Los Angeles-infused songo, Canto's 12 tracks touch upon a number of traditional Latin American styles while retaining a sound all their own. On Canto, the stalwart Los Super Seven crew of Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo from Los Lobos, country singer Rick Trevino, and Tejano star Ruben Ramos welcome Brazilian sensation Caetano Veloso, Raul Malo from the Mavericks, and Peru's primary diva, Susana Baca. All the performers on the album, instrumentalists and vocalists alike, project a confident, smooth, and cosmopolitan sound. Even if you don't consider yourself to be much a Latin music fan, do yourself a favor and check out Canto. Los Super Seven have managed, once again, to defy simple market categories with a release that is Grammy material and, more importantly, great music through and through. John Vallier

Billboard

...the inspiration that led to this group's Grammy-winning first album is waxing rather than waning.