About the album
Cuban Dance Party – Routes of Rhythm Volume 2: makes you want to move. When Arsenio Rodriguez wrote one of the first mambos in 1936 he described the rhythm that drove the dancers as “ritmo diablo”. The hypnotic repetition of this rhythm can lead to a euphoric state. Practitioners of Afro-Cuban religions achieve a similar state when they enter a trance-like state of “possession” in order to commune with one of the orishas (deities). As Arsenio knew, you don’t have to be a religious initiate to feel the power of this music. Out on the dance floor the passionate essence of these rhythms can infuse your being with pleasure. All of the music in this album has been recorded live at a variety of locations: from neighborhood dances in the heart of Havana, to Saturday night community dances in the country, to colossal street dances during the Carnival. The authentic music has been 100% dance tested by people who learned how to dance as soon as they could walk.
Reviews
“….one of the best compilations of Afro Cuban music ever released in the U.S. Most of the cuts are original songs some of which were recorded on location in Cuba. Others include such standards as Xavier Cugat’s “Siboney” and Dizzy Gillespie’s Manteca” as well as music by contemporary Cuban groups such as Irakere and Los Van Van.” –Carlos Agudelo, Billboard
