Editorial Reviews

Nearly a decade into the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon comes the album to blow the doors off the whole Cuban nostalgia trip. Conguero Miguel "Angá" Diaz came to fame in Chucho Valdes's Irakere, the Latin fusion orchestra par excellence, and worked with jazzers like Roy Hargrove before settling into the BVSC groove. Echu Mingua acts for the most part like Buena Vista never happened, with the exception of support from fellow club members Cachaíto Lopez on bass and the late Ruben Gonzalez on piano. The core band consists of Angá, playing anywhere from five to seven congas (!) tuned for maximum musicality; Cachaíto; a flutist named Magik Malik; and the French turntablist DJ Dee Nasty. Over a sprawling set loosely constructed as a sacred ceremony, Angá and band dip into hip-hop, jazz, fiery rumba, and more. Reminiscent of Cachaíto's solo album, Echu Mingua is even more experimental -- the overall feel is like that of an electric Miles album gone tropical. There are a couple of audacious covers here, but they're not Cuban classics. Rather, Angá tries on "A Love Supreme," with strings, and "Round Midnight," playing the melody on seven drums. Adding to the dizzying array of sonic possibilities is "Tumé Tumé," with the Malian ngoni player Baba Sissoko guesting. There are moments of slinky lounge abandon here, but the real audience for Echu Mingua is the more discerning listener for whom the all-star hype behind the BVSC is finally paying off in revolutionary discs like this one. Mark Schwartz, Barnes & Noble

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