Palo Congo

This album congo fuck itself

3.5 - Some cool polyrhythmic, call-and-response folk songs. A nice palate cleanser from all the post-punk, British electronica and Neil Young.

Not heard this before. Because it's an older stereo recording you get things pushed real hard left and right and I don't love that on headphones. Also being older the recording is a touch on the raw side but it suits the sound I think. I'll listen again on speakers and will probably like it more that way. In a weird way this reminds me of krautrock in it's trance like repetition and jamming. I like the textured/layered rhythm and the tendency towards chanting. It actually sounds very experimental to me yet rooted in something that feels ancient and raw. The birth of the groove. Man, can you imagine seeing this being performed live in a jazz club back in the day?

Look, I'll be the first to admit that I probably just don't "get" this. But the plain fact was this was painful to listen to. It's repetitive noise. You would have to be just REALLY into conga drums to love this album. There's a 6 minute track that's NOTHING BUT CONGAS. And the next one is a 4 minute track of MOSTLY congas broken up by random yells and loud samba whistles. On the tracks where there ARE vocals, they're off-key shrieks accompanied by extraordinarily shrill "harmonies" (if you can call them that). It's. The. WORST. Hands down. Listening to this album makes me angry.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, before In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. But Cuban. This album is 65 years old and sounds like it was recorded down in the barrio yesterday. While it seems out of place for a Blue Note record, latin-jazz ushered the way in for the Bossa Nova craze that would come in a short decade. This was a fun listen and I plan on buying this on vinyl to have a dance party in my living room.

This might be one of my fav discoveries via using this generator. The Cuban rhythms on congo are very intoxicating and dancy. The chanty vocals add to a very nice atmosphere. Blue Note does not miss and this is a very very very good album.

I always hate rating world albums low because what the fuck do I know, I’m a white dude from the Midwest. But I just can’t vibe with this. I hate the main dudes voice. I hate how it’s just a bunch of drums. Even the album on this list about bongos had more than just bongos man. I like Afro-Cuban by Kenny Dorham. That’s my weak defense. I’m sorry y’all

Afro-cubano, muito bom, infelizmente tem poucos albuns q nao sao em ingles nessa lista...

I had to actively ignore Rudy Van Gelder's name to get on board with this one. The recording is the weakest part, at least in terms of pleasantness. There's plenty of information preserved, and the beat information in particular is of such density that I can't help but love it. I've only been affected by rhythms in this way by EDM records in the past, but this is all humans all the time. I took and left the often harsh tone elements, but there's enough variety on here to make me question the wisdom of that move.

Man, the haters can kick rocks. This album rules and the guitar parts are amazing.

Just the right amount of bongos

after listening to this album, i was a bit surprised to find that it seems to be pretty unliked. not just here but on other websites, etc. i was a percussionist in a past life, so i am not afraid of a drum-forward and rhythm-forward album. this was pretty cool. the conga playing was top notch and the songs here were very fun. it felt like a party at times. the one gripe i think i have with this album is that there wasn't anything that really gripped me. there was a lot of cool stuff, but not really anything i think i would come back for more than this listen. still, i appreciated this album - this is the kind of stuff i love this project for!

My SIL first moved over here from Cuba in the early 2000s. If you ever want to feel like cementing yourself as the most awkward white-guy dancer in a crowd, go to a Cuban party. The guy talking at the start of the 2nd track was sick. The drumming makes me want to slap a barstool for a pub conga solo

Just finished listening to Napalm Death and now this. I can't tell the difference to be honest! Only kidding of course but this is another world to what we hear nowadays and it's hard to be objective. It's good to listen to. Reading the reviews I'm dismayed at the random low marks so I'm randomly giving this a '5'

Loved to dance through such a historical day

A different spin from 1001, this gives us some Afro-Cuban jams that a very much rhythmically-focused. As the name suggests, prepare for the congas. It's a nice slice from another part of the world, though the vocals leave little to be desired. It's best to consider them as part of the rhythm, with their call-and-response style that grounds the music. Overall, it's pretty simple, so it's not much to be impressed by. Sometimes a nice little album showcasing music from outside of the usual countries is all that's needed.

This is the first time I've listened to a rumba album. I sincerely hope it was the last time I've listened to a rumba album.

Super fun listen wouldn’t have found this without the list.

album cover and sound are perfect poser record bar accoutrements. But do I like it? Well, yes the drums seem fun for cooking / party / typing. And the generla lack of intelligibility (to my ear) means it is great work music that wont distract. Except for the stereo seperation. and the cool sub call and response going on. and the cool mumbling and waling. hey maybe I really like this. At least a 4, so lets get binary. Either I hate it (1), am indifferent (3) or I wantot hear it again (5). Happy Easter Buona Natale, et Buena Note. damn I am starting to understand this.

I love when things like this come up that are completely unique and interesting and wash away the pain of the countless mediocre British indie bands

holy crap, fucking amazing. super swinging' and stuff. i love the sweet syncopated rhythms, and the panning of, say, a guitar all the way to the right - which usually annoys me - is more fun than anything here.

This is a great album - not the best of it's genre, but still very good. In fact, if this had been better recorded it would have easily got 5 stars. Having said that, the fact that it is still highly enjoyable to listen to now is testament to the original recording using the limited technology available in the 1950s. Anyone who isn't moved by the rhythms on this album needs to check themselves.

I didn’t love everything, and the vocals were especially rough at points, but some of the rhythms spoke to me on what I can only describe as a primal level. 7/10

I've never fully dived into latin jazz, probably as some of the famous albums I've checked out have been a bit clean/safe/chilled sounding. This one is WILD. Lots of hypnotic drumming and chanting. Very strong roots in African traditional folk musics, with the jazz and latin sounds making this a fusion feast. Would like more in this vein please. 4*

Sometimes you get the Incredible Bongo Band and sometimes you get the Not So Incredible Conga Band.

HA! Super diggin this. Crazy to think what Puerto Rico was like in 57. Lovin the congos and his black voice. They speak so unique. Fuckin love this vibe! 5 stars.

Judging by the cover, 5 stars. Yep, 5 stars. Would listen again, made me feel happy. No notes.

Listening to this makes me feel exactly as I would imagine Cuba in 1957. Such a pure and wild sound experience.

Authentic and pure music ! I could listen to this all day long !

Exactly why I love music.

This was a surprise! I really like the rhythm of hat record and the raw energy

Pretty easy to get 5 stars out of me, Spanish lyrics and Latin riddimmmms. Love it. Favourite song was the first track El Cumbanchero

I loved this. A real treat and a palette cleanser on the list. Excellent Xmas errands music - will 100 percent revisit!

My first listen of this was super early in the morning… sometimes I wake up and “pre-listen” to the day’s album while I snooze. Incredible move! I haven’t had a hallucinatory experience like that since college, and this time I was completely sober! I understand all the critiques about the repetition here, there is a great deal of drum jamming here that not everyone will appreciate (if that’s you, skip “Asabache”). I’ll admit I got frustrated during “Simba” because it has a certain “guy makes bird noises with road construction in the background” quality to it that I couldn’t connect with for 6 minutes. Aside from those two notable outliers, this album is very proto-Buena Vista Social Club and I'm glad to have found it. I also appreciate that we're holding strong on the original 1957 Blue Note recording of this and there aren't a bunch of remastered versions out there. I'll add this to my ever-growing fantasy vinyl collection.

Lets make a recipe Polyrhythm courtesy of the percussion Ocasional call and response vocals Sprinkled guitars at times The panning of the stereo brings down a bit, but it was something that was natural at the time 4/5

Now this is what I wanted to hear when I had the Incredible Bongo Band generated a while back! Incredibly interesting, almost trance like rhythm and percussion, and unique guitar playing that reminds me a bit of Khurangbin. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album and will absolutely come back for more!

Highlights: El Chumbanchero. Billumpa-Palo Congo. Thapsodia Del Maravilloso Lowlights: Simba 4/5 What a refreshing and amazing set of Cuban rumba music. It sounds sophisticated and more advanced then I would have thought for the time period, so that’s one of the many surprise. The drums are fantastic on every track, which is good cuz there are a whole lot of em. If you don’t like this kind of music then I can see the album being a bust but every track was either okay, or fantastic The rhythm, the beats, the guitar, the shouting, everything added to make this such an awesome listen to.its an album that compels you to move, to dance and to experience and enjoy life, it’s not one to be listened to politely sitting down

old cuban dance music. the music is very moving and quick, the percussion and vocals doing most of the work to build up each song. this album is less about themes, stories or anything complex, simply a groovy collection of dance songs that encourage you to let your body get entranced by the music. very no nonsense. the album isn't afraid to get a little feral, especially with those congas. it feels a tad ritualistic at times, with the constant rhythms and the call-and-response chanting from the vocalists. an album that would absolutely hit harder in a tropical getaway on a wooden dancefloor.

- I think this is best listened to with really high-quality over-ear headphones -- not that the ones I have are exceptional; they just were $50 on Amazon -- mostly because I think the richness of the drums and the emphasis on the rhythms might be lost if it's coming through a phone's external speaker or car stereo. this is music I could easily see being dismissed as just quirky background music for a college town coffee shop otherwise - yet this came out in 1957, so individual listening wasn't a thing yet. jazz was being recorded for home listening on record players, sure, but I'm imagining this was meant for the context of people dancing to it in person at a club or some other music-oriented event. in that context, this is some really fun music that makes you want to move - some of the nonwestern musical features in this album (e.g., the rapid call-and-response songs and the shouting/vocalizing in "Simba") are pretty fun and feel more expressive than actual melodic singing. in a way, the latter feels just like a different version of scatting or whatever other jazz musicians were doing at the time -- expressing something musical without using lyrics or recognizable words - some of these songs feel more like a recording of a whole live performance as opposed to a specific "song" that can be written and performed exactly the same each time, which is probably in line with jazz traditions

This whole thing is so wild. Its kind of all human emotions. Or maybe that's just because I was listening to it on a very hectic morning where I was solo parenting before work and had a 12 month old screaming at me while I made her breakfast and cleaned her up? IDK, but the drums are next level on this thing. Its tribal and simple, but intense and complex. Its kind of full on. And as soon as you think you can't take the tribal drumming, it rewards you with a smooth brass melody. I love that they were recording this stuff in the late 50s. I love that they were documenting this style of music. Its pretty dang cool. Either way

Hell yeah, Brazil. The drums never stop and the guitar was catchy. I do not speak Portuguese, of course, so I don't know what the songs are about but they could be the saddest in the world and I would not know any better. These songs would not sound as good without the woman singing. Together it sounds like the whole neighborhood is out. I thought this was best during the call and response, such as Billumba-Palo Congo. I have no idea what that man was saying, but I was responding along with the chorus. I don't know how long I could have been satisfied and not tire of it, but this kind of music is enchanting. I cannot listen and not bounce to it and smile.

Luis ‘Sabu’ Martinez was a regular on the New York Jazz scene in the 50s, playing conga with greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. For his debut album as band leader on Blue Note he focused on music from his Cuban/Spanish heritage with a mix of rumba rhythms and traditional son styles. As might be expected drums are foremost on this album, with complex, hypnotic poly rhythms and some harsh percussion that sounds like someone banging a tin can, interspersed with yelps and some unusual call and response bits. Also making an appearance is the distinctive tres guitar of Arsenio Rodriguez. Fabulous, life affirming music to brighten your day.

A welcome change to the boring new wave/post punk/indie stuff that people take way too seriously. If you don’t like it maybe your bones are just not blessed enough to appreciate anything beyond a straight 4/4 rock then.

I felt like I was being raised in the air like Simba when I heard this album.

Really feeling this album. I like how you can hear all the distinct parts so clearly. The percussion feels like it's right there. Loved the guitar on "Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso."

I'm glad I heard this but I don't know if I'd listen again. It does go hard, I'll give it that

I have no way of knowing if this is good for its genre or just slop but I do know I nodded my head for 40 minutes so that's an advantage it has over many of the albums here. Never would've come across this album if it wasn't for this generator so that's a bonus.

I thought this was surprisingly cool. There's a couple tracks that rely a bit too heavily on percussion, but the ones with guitar and/or vocals are pretty cool. The guitar work reminds me a little of Mark Ribot. Highlights for me were "Choferito-Plena", "Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso", and "Tribilin Cantore". 3.5 stars.

It's obvious "Sabu" was one of the quintessential Congo players of his time. He has played sessions with some of the era's best jazz musicians and was even given the opportunity to front his own band. How exactly a Congo player can be a band leader is a bit of a curious situation but I think it only adds further intrigue to this album. While I enjoyed this, I am not completely sold that this album on particular stands out amongst other similar Latin Jazz recording of the time. After listening to this I ventured down a short rabbit hole of vintage Latin Jazz and thoroughly enjoy the sound, as a jumping off point this album makes sense but I do think there are probably other recordings that could be considered just as significant or influential.

This was a fun album, not something I would have searched out but a nice change up. 3/5

It's weird that such an old album made the list when there is so little information about it on Wikipedia. You would expect a long list of influenced artists or whatever. But it looks like it just is here to give people an idea about old Cuban music. It's fine for what it is, but why is this on the list.

Anyone who plays the congas, bongos, timbales, cajon, etc., is a goddamn sorcerer. How do they do it? How does it sound good? How do their hands not scream at them?

Can see returning to this one a bit. No surprise, Arsenio Rodríguez’ octave chord guitar work is an immediate attraction for me, slight Wes Montgomery vibe. As usual my immediate reaction with rhythm-forward music is that it’s very primal, trancelike stuff, which feels demeaning in some way, because it’s not sophisticated or something, but it’s not sophisticated to *my* dumbass.

Bongos! Drums! I thought the Latin American rhythms were very obvious, but what surprised me was that at times I felt like I was listening to African music also. Although there were some repetitive moments, I liked listening to the album; however, it won't be an album that I have on repeat.

This one is the hardest album for me to articulate my feelings on. Apple Music lists this as Jazz ( think because Sabu Martinez went on to make several Latin Jazz albums) but research says its cuban rumba. Its a type of music I have heard only by name. It certainly tickles a part of the brain, fervent conga percussion beats create a frantic energy with the vocals being in a language I, sadly, don’t understand bring me into a whole new world. I’ve listened to songs in other languages before, primarily some Mongolian Rock and some French Pop. Usually the beat is what brings me into those songs and the vocals become just another instrument. It’s usually after the fact I want to go look up the translated lyrics and this was no different. A lot of call and response makes this feel like a very communal album and the music makes me want to understand that community more. Simba was one that in particular I wanted to find the meaning in as the crying vocals were something that really stuck out in song. Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso is probably my next favorite on the album as the start just transports me to a beautiful beach and has such a vibe. I really have a hard time placing this on my rating, none of the songs really stick out to me for a relisten. It doesn’t fall as low as Tommy and certainly doesn’t get as high as Garbage or Tears for Fears. All of these songs are listenable and inoffensive to my ears but something tells me this will be the last time I listen to Sabu, no matter how good it is. All that being said, this listen is about how much I enjoy listening to the music. I can, however, appreciate how important this album is for multiple communities and genres and do understand why it should be on this list. 3 Calls out of 5 Responses.

Well, that was something. The sound quality wasn't great, which I guess is to be expected from the age of the album. I liked Choferito-Pleno and Tribilin Cantore. Probably won't listen again, but it added some variety at least.

𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘰 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘰 is a fascinating snapshot of Afro-Cuban percussion, with Sabú Martínez leading a fiery session of congas, bongos, and call-and-response vocals. It’s historically important and rhythmically engaging, but Blue Note’s early experiments with stereophonic sound haven’t aged well — hard panning and “ping-pong” effects make the listening experience more distracting than immersive today.

A cool Cuban Rumba album. What I particularly like about these kinds of albums is how old they are. Decades before the world music movement and at a time when rock music was in its infancy, jazz bands and crooners were reaching out to Latin American musicians. This was some of the most exciting recorded music of the era. Suba came to prominence as a member of Dizzy Gillespie's band and as a backing musician for others. Here he got his chance to shine in his own debut album, bringing more attention to Latin Jazz and Rumba to American audiences.

42/1001 Sabu - Palo Congo Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Afro-Cuban jams that put the conga drums at the very fore of the sound. It's very rhythm led album that for the most part have a call and response style vocal. The tracks that have fuller orchestration on share a direct DNA link to the various bands that Sabu previously played in and future Cuban records. There are a couple of almost congo led songs on this, which aren't my thing, but become these hypnotic, danceable tracks. The production on this is pretty raw and makes you feel as though you're part of a show, which kinda feels like the point. One of those where I wish there were half stars, as this sits between a 3 and 4 for me.

IT'S SABU! SABU! An album to appreciate, rather than enjoy. Fantastic polyrhythms and guitar work but not enough variation to feel like it's really going anywhere.

This list's jazz (or non-contemporary) selections seem largely unconsidered to me. I started my listening journey with a Louis Prima record, then over time some Mingus, a really long Ella Fitzgerald boxed set, Thelonius Monk, Keith Jarrett at Koln, some Brazilian samba records, and maybe one or two other 'old' records that aren't rock, pop, or hip-hop, so far. As much as I love a little so-called world music and enjoy this album, what is it about Sabu that landed this here instead of, say, Tito Puente to rep the Afro-Cuban sound? It's an easier line to draw from Puente to Santana. Where's Coltrane? Miles? Herbie Hancock? These editors clearly are dilettantes with jazz. This album is a fun palette cleanser from the stream of late 20th century rock and pop, but it's another example of a record leaving me with the question, "why is this on the list?" Get rid of the Korn, Slipknot, and Linkin Park and fill in the jazz section.

I know nothing about latin jazz, but appreciate the South American rhytmics. To me this sounds less like an jazz album, then again I know nothing about jazz and understand even less what makes any music jazz. The album actually opens up with a track (El Cumbanchero) that I did recognise from somewhere. I do not have the faintest idea where that somewhere might have been. I get it, I understand why it might be fun listen, but I just don't feel it.

I see a lot of reviews from people not liking this but I thought it was a bop. The vocals could be grating but they fit the style of music well once you get onboard with them. I am also into hypnotic repetitive music designed for dancing in a circle around a fire until you hallucinate visions from the ancestors and whatnot and this seemed bordering on that. I liked this.

A lot of reviews here complain that it’s just congas. While this is true, what’s wrong with a bit of percussion? I think you just have to go into the album wanting a fun time to enjoy it. It’s literally music made for dancing to. With that said, too much conga for me.

This is the type of music that probably plays better in a live setting that to sit and listen through a pair of headphones. It's all fine. Lots of energy, but pretty percussion focused in very specific niche of music (afro-cuban) that will probably only appeal to a certain audience. I enjoyed listening to it, but have no need to revisit this album anytime soon or ever for that matter.

A lot of these songs have very spare instrumentation (including some that are only percussion!), which is interesting, but I ended up gravitating and grooving to the tracks with a little more going on. Even just adding a little guitar riff was enough to flesh out the music into a song for me. Highlights: “Choferito-Plena” and “Rhapsodia del Maravilloso”

This is an album that definitely doesn't feel for me, as a white person of European descent - even more so than other things from around the world that have made more of an impact on mainstream music in the "West"/United States. Overall, I thought there were some nice vibes and feelings from the music, and I understand the intent of much of it, though the vocals felt unformed in a way that doesn't fit with much of my musical sensibilities and likes. So, I don't think this album really is for everyone, but I can understand its place and why it does make sense to people from a different background than me.

So here’s the highs and lows, very quick album to review. The highs, I really loved the instrumentals and the vocals were very charming and endearing. The percussion really takes the spotlight on this album. The lows, it’s very repetitive and the most repetitive songs are some of the longest. So this album has plenty of filler, like 50/50 margin.

My final album of 1957 has arrived, leaving me just four albums to go from the decade as a whole. I've never heard of Sabu before, but I think it's safe to say that this album will be Latin music to some degree, with a heavy dose of conga drums. Most of this type of music has been pretty middle of the road for me, but I'm hoping this album might blow me away! Like most of the albums I've reviewed from Latin America, I thought Palo Congo was fine. There were songs where I was sucked into the beautiful rhythms, but there were also songs that I thought were really repetitive, and I found myself tuning out. The first track, "El Cumbanchero," immediately grabbed my attention, and I was hooked on the conga drums that were playing. However, the next song, "Billumba-Palo Congo," was a bit grating to my ears. The call-and-response vocals were really repetitive and took away from the drumming. In fact, the whole song was really repetitive, and I didn't care for it much. The album lost my attention for a couple of songs after that, but I really loved "Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso," with its beautiful guitar playing. "Tribilin Cantore" was really great too; it had a really nice tropical sound to it that I really enjoyed. I loved the bright tone of the guitar on "Tribilin Cantore" as well. Overall, this album was pretty middle of the road. It was pretty enjoyable to listen to, and I appreciated getting to listen to another album that broadened my horizons.

Songs are a bit too long for my test, and tend to be repetitive. Other than that, it is really a refreshing and authentic album. Reminded me of Buena Vista, but with a more raw and plain sound. 7/10

Nando's music

Unique sounding percussion forward sound. Somewhat challenging musically but it seems pretty innovative for the time and manages to sound very good.

I liked this album more when it was instrumental, and obviously the conga solos are killer. I don't know if they need to go on for as long as they do but I do like them as a change of pace from the usual albums we've had. Hand percussion is incredibly difficult to master and this dude seems to have found a way to do it. Where it does fall apart a bit is the call and response style (Billumba-Palo Congo). I suspect this is part of the style, but the voices being out of sync combined with the instruments not being entirely in step with each other triggered something in me that made it sound annoying after a while. Either the voices or the instruments can be off but not both; it gets a bit cacophonous. That's probably just my upbringing though and my preconceived notions of what things "should" sound like. Like a lot of other albums I liked the instrumentals the most (Asabache), or the songs with just a bit of voice work (the opener). When it brings everyone in it's just a bit too disorganized for me. Still not as bad as everyone in the reviews seemed to make it out to be!

somewhat barren Latin jazz. the sound of listlessly lounging in a cafe in Central America in the summer afternoon trying to figure out your evening plans

Another one of those albums tt struggles to move beyond background music because of the language barrier. Still this more on me than the band.

Was fully in the groove with the final three tracks. Bonus points for the relentless bass that drowned out the jerk blasting music next to me on the train.

The homicidal, suicidal, genocidal… oh wait, not that Sabu? This was pretty cool, some amazing polyrhythms going on, but it certainly did get a bit repetitive after a while

This is not an album for a man who hates drums. That being said, I liked the songs where the percussion took a backseat, such as 'Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso'.

Ok, standard defence - I have no cultural connection or touchstone to this kind of music so cannot objectively say if it’s good or bad, just what it makes me feel. Firstly, the stereo mix is fucking horrible on headphones. Saying it is a mix is being generous, it’s almost like one set of mics went into left channel, and another went into right channel, and never the Twain shall meet. Horrid. Secondly, it is so repetitive. I like percussion as much as the next man, even if the next man is Neil Peart. I gave Bongo Rock five stars. I don’t think Moby Dick is the skip track on Led Zep II. But, fuck man, come on - give me a bit of a break, please! Please? Please.

While I do wish the 1001 albums to hear before I die list had more foreign representation, I am really glad there is at least some. One of those pieces of representation is the album I want to talk about today, Sabu's Palo Congo. For this project being made in the 50s it still has a lot of charm that can be felt through the musicianship on display from Sabu's band. Some of the songs here are a blast and feel very lively and quite engaging with the mixtures showcased in the compositions. Unfortunately not every song here gets the same amount of praise as there are a lot of songs here really missing an "oomph" element that helped drive some of the first songs on this album. The solo bongo bits are cool but get a bit tiresome by the end of the 4+ minute runs. There is a good bit of potential in this project but I feel it only gets tapped into every once and a while rather than across the board. Would definitely listen again but I definitely feel there are far better Afro-Cuban Jazz albums out there to enjoy.

I can’t tell you whether this is technically good or not. I’m not the intended audience, and I don’t get it. This sounds like accidentally wandering off the tourist trail, and into a Hispanic neighbourhood in the 1950s. There is a warmth to it, and I get the sense that it means something on a deep level to those who understand it. I found the bongos exhausting, and it reminded me of the consistent beat of Autobahn by Kraftwerk, but with emotion. On the whole, I preferred the tracks without singing, and I really liked the flamenco feel of Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso. I liked it more than I thought I would, but it’s not the album for me; it’s not the genre for me.

I bet they were fun live. Like you show up to the dancehall and they are just going for it. So older recordings are difficult. On my headphones it's a lot, you can tell they recorded this on the best they could use. I spent some time tweaking different levels but this record shows it's age in a bad way. The music isn't bad, some parts are more repetitive than I like but I kept going back to them playing in dancehalls and not on albums and it made sense. Unfortunately I'm going to have to rank this one lower simply because it's a painful listen when they are singing.

Conga overload. Maybe a bit too repetitive for me to really enjoy it. It kind of sounds like they setup something to repeat early on in the song and then just repeat it for like 5-6 minutes. I heard so much music like this when I lived in the Dominican Republic and that usually makes me feel some sort of nostalgia but this one just didn't really do it for me. I think this would be way more fun to dance to since it's so rhythm based. The guitar in Choferito-Plena and Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso was great.

Firstly I had a morbid thought going through my head listening to this in the car. All these musicians are most likely dead. Oh well, we all have to go sometime, and hopefully leave a legacy. This is theirs. I found the repetative rhythms rather hypnotic at times. The vocals were in a class of their own. I doubt I will ever listen to this again, but what a ride!

I think this is just wide of the mark for me. It’s a little too slow build, instrumental and it’s only when the brass, drums and vocals all come together that it piques my interest. Under the right circumstances and live I reckon this could hit differently.

01) El cumbanchero - 7,0 02) Billumba-Palo Congo - 5,0 03) Choferito-Plena - 5,5 04) Asabache - 3,0 05) Simba - 3,0 06) Rhapsodia del Maravilloso - 6,0 07) Aggo Elegua - 5,0 08) Tribilín cantore - 6,0 TOTAL: 5,06 (51/100) Current ranking: 502/544 It started promisingly, but by the fifth song it felt like someone was deliberately trying to irritate me with a banging sound that sounded like someone hammering nails. And screams that didn't contribute to anything except my increased irritability. God, give me the strength for three more songs... Here comes the banging again.

Sabu's 1957 album, *Palo Congo*, is an undoubtedly important and vibrant record that deserves respect for its earnest and forceful celebration of Afro-Cuban culture, rhythm, and what the liner notes describe as the "Congo sound," moving away from strictly traditional jazz structures. However, while I deeply appreciate its historical significance and the intense, hypnotic drumming that defines the work, the album's repetitive, chant-heavy structure and dense percussion, though authentic, ultimately failed to fully captivate me with the melodic or dynamic variety I typically seek in a full-length listen.

I feel like there's gotta be some other album(s) in the same genre that are more "must hear"

I feel like this is quite context dependent. I can imagine enjoying this live, on a hot humid night, in a outside bar under corrugated iron roof, dancing around plastic chairs and drinking cheap rum. As it is, I quite enjoyed listening out of interest but can't ever imagine myself listening to the album again. I think it deserves more than 1 star on the basis of artistic merit and being an interesting historical recording of folk culture. Personally, not my thing though.

I really tried to go at this with an open mind, but I just don't like this. The congas get old quite fast. The call-and-response thing is cool for about a minute, but then it drags and drags and drags. I like some of the guitar work, I guess. This is not an indictment of rumba. This is just definitively not for me. Fav track: El Cumbanchero

I am just a white guy from Western Europe so what do I know but I can not appreciate this album unfortunately. The conga drums are fine until they use it for 40 minutes straight. Terrible vocals that border on screaming (though this does make it more authentic-feeling so that's good I guess) combined with nothing really interesting going on whatsoever makes me not be able to really give it any points.

I try to be as open minded as possible with the albums we get to listen to but this just sounds like me practising on my congas while some random bloke shouts bollocks at me! Not impressed.

No private session used for this one, though a little trepidatious about based on the title and cover. I started playing it as the first album of the day, the franticness hit me early and I quickly realized needed to wait until after the second cup of coffee. Drums, yelling in a foreign language, whistles and single notes on a guitar. This album would be great for dancing naked around a pubic hair singeing bon fire in the Spanish speaking parts of Latin America, beyond that, not much else.

Fun latin vibes

10/10 fricken amazing!

A gate way into sound, into that Cuban rumba for the soul.

5 seconds in, 5 stars, GIMMIE MORE!

That good rhythm had me grooving. Stuff this old still gets passed around for good reason.

Really enjoyed this album

sevojno gif