A remarkable revolution is taking place in Latin music these days, as electronica and remixing meet the more traditional rhythms of Argentinean tango, Afro-Cuban son, Brazilian bossa nova and Colombian cumbia. On Latin Lounge, artists such as Sidestepper, Natalia Clavier, and others prove that there can be a magical blend of modern musical trends and traditional Latin styles.
Among the better known groups featured on Latin Lounge is the UK/Colombia/Cuba collective Sidestepper, renowned for fusing electronics and traditional Afro-Caribbean rhythms.Their featured track, “Dame tu Querer”, is a dub-flavored love song recorded in Havana with Cuban vocalist Ronald Infante.
Roberto Poveda, a Cuban musician and composer based in Miami is a new voice whose subtle updating of traditional son is heard by a wide audience for the first time on Latin Lounge. From Argentina come Andrés Linetsky and Federico Aubele who, along with Italian duo Alacrán, are each taking the tango-electronica fusions pioneered by Gotan Project in exciting new directions.
Two Europe-based Brazilian artists who make an appearance on the collection are Luiz de Aquino, who comes from São Paulo by way of Paris, and the eclectic Wagner Pa & Brazuca Matraca. A Rio de Janeiro native who has lived in Barcelona for more than twenty years, Pa mingles his own polyglot influences with the help of Spanish, Argentinean and Venezuelan musicians.
Rounding out the surprises on Latin Lounge is a refreshingly unexpected track in which Mexican singer Adriana Castelazo joins with alternative healing guru Deepak Chopra to give a seductive Latin remix flavor to lyrics based on ancient Indian love poems.