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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Loved to dance through such a historical day

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*

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."

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

Everything about this is wonderful.

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'

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.

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.

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

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

Exactly why I love music.

i loved it

So so different. Excellent rhythms. I don't even know how I can classify this album.

Finally, some good fucking music

Loved this. Can't go wrong with Blue Note really. Wouldn't have given it a listen without this app.

Yes yes yes! Already love the first song. Love having a chance to hear the whole album. Truly, this is exactly what I was hoping to find on this list. Everything about this is perfect.

I haven't heard this in forever! 5 stars for the beat, random shouts and animal sounds and 5 stars for the synchronicity: I just listened to a podcast about Rafael Hernandez this morning.

I love cuban music so much

Congo’s are now a vibe

RIGHT up my alley! Afro Caribbean music is the best.

Like I was at a warm street party into the late hours of the night, just beautiful.

Years ago I tried to work my way through the 1001 albums. I didn't get far, but this was my one mind blowing discovery. Bloody love it. It's so fun and funky and summery.

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

Love how loose this feels

very beautiful

Loved the heavy reliance on percussion. The songs were driving and worth listening to.

Enjoyed it, although it didn’t blow my mind or anything

Aí sim, baita sonzao

É um ótimo álbum para se sentir animado e contagiado numa noite de sexta-feira! AMEI!

This is so good to listen to while working, hypnotic and energetic, a+ flow

Loved it. Very energetic

this was so different than any other music I ever listen to and I loved it!

Great great great! Music that makes you swing your hips and move your feet! Probably a good thing no one else was around when I listened... injuries may have occurred...

This was fun, quick, easy, loved it. It’s a nice little record to put on when you’re getting some things done around the house. I can only hope that it’s even better if you can understand what they’re saying. Not sure how original it is, but I’ll say it’s unique. Stands out and I enjoy it. 4/5

Loved it !

Gek album weer, zitten in een bijzondere hoek! Dit is waarschijnlijk toegevoegd omdat er nou eenmaal meer muziek is gemaakt dan alleen Britpop. Prettige afwisseling en ik kan altijd wel genieten van de muziek op dit album, maar de recording is helaas vrij matig en er zijn wat nummers die gewoon niet goed lopen. Als het wel goed loopt dan swingt het ook meteen lekker en vibe ik dit album heel goed! Nummers zoals een Simba trek ik gewoon niet zo goed, het is een soort jazzy nummer met hier en daar een soort oerkreet. Andere nummers hebben meer de Call and Response die bekend is van deze stijl muziek. Ik snap dat dit een cultuur ding is en probeer ze hier niet op af te rekenen en ben oprecht blij dat de nummers die wel bevallen ook echt leuk zijn. Daarnaast; GOD wat ben ik blij dat dit geen rock/Britpop/Neil Young album is, krijgen ze bij dezen een sterretje van me erbij. FAVO: El Cumbanchero, Choferito-Plena, Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso, Aggo Ellegua

Look, I can recognise it is good music. It’s not for me. But it’s good.

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!

Never would have listened to this without the generator so for that I'm grateful. It's a weird album. Felt like I was sitting around a campfire during a ritual in some indigenous tribe.

very african. I've heard this before I think. It's intense and high energy. 4 maybe?

Good, I'd pick this up if I saw it.

Congo bongo songos.

cry harder, guitarwank enthusiasts

With some polish that could have been really nice. Obviously talented, let down by the recording.

Afro-cuban jazz hey? Cool, I'm not sure I've heard anything like it. Lots of variety and focus on trumpets and hand drums. Some songs were very light on ideas and quite repetitive, others were upbeat and almost raucous. Cool to be exposed to something I wouldn't have been, otherwise!

I enjoyed this. Definitely a change of pace from British post punk and 70s glam.

Smoooth.

Rhythm and grooves just pouring out of this album. I feel like I’m there in the room, and the energy is high!

You can recognize a Blue Note album cover from a mile away, and it's always a good sign when the album pops up and you know it's a Blue Note. Unfamiliar with Sabu, and this is more jazz adjacent as an excellent Cuban Rumba record. Really enjoyable weekend morning listen with my morning coffee.

This had me tapping out polyrhythms at my desk for a few hours after I finished listening.

A fun listen that gets a bit repetitive, but is still very cool. I do not think I will revisit this project as a whole very often, but a couple of songs like Asabache and El Cumbanchero are fantastic. I find the departure from guitar and vocal driven music a nice change of pace, and it is so fun to just sink into a rhythmic and percussive project. The call and response work throughout the album is great too, and reminds me of a ton of the Sega, Seggae, and Creole albums I grew up listening to. Personally, this album gave me a ton of nostalgia for family events growing up. Fantastic listen, but idk how often I will revisit it.

i get the feeling this is the kind of album that has been sampled to death and back. this is the first time ive listened to rumba and i have no idea what the song making process is like but it gives me big jazz vibes. like a bunch of guys that know their instruments and their styles front to back and just go hard as fuck with a few drinks in hand and let the magic happen. particularly choferito-plena, whoever the mother fucker was that was going hard on that guitar was clearly off hits tits and loving every minute of it. they had some crazy good drums throughout obviously, but some subtle bass lines and miscellaneous percussion really made for an interesting auditory experience in an otherwise very unconventional sounding album. they completely defy the standard song structure of verse, chorus, verse bridge, chorus, instead opting for these long meandering riffs with chanting that lead into extended solos from their the drums and guitar that sometimes combined into at once discordant yet rhythmtic and coordinated duets. obviously the first track is standout but rhapsodia del maravilloso, choferito-plena and tribilin cantore were all personal favourites. amazing vocals, but mostly the inspired and creative instrumentation are what made this one a killer for me.

Maybe (?) The most front loaded album ever created. I LOVED the first 4 tracks on this thing, I listened to the album over and over and over and I just couldn't get around that back half. Those first four tracks though, mf masterpieces. 7/10 Fav tracks - El Cumbanchero, Billumba-Palo Congo, Choferito-Plena, Asabache, Least Fav - Simba

"My friends! My people! Welcome to the golden age of prosperity for every living Music Evil member! It was your trust that made it possible - your trust in me, El Jackbot!" "Know this, my people: I have nothing but contempt for English music - especially Britpop! When I heavily arm the police force, you will no longer fear the The Charlatans!" "Our efforts are aided by our hater comrades - to each according to their need, from each according to their ability. Equality for all, especially those who hate English music more than the others!" "Our problems are deeply rooted in the arrogance of Byron! When his takes invade our beaches, they are a 4. But when Supergrass knocks upon their door? They are a 1!" "What can you look forward to in years to come? Better Music! Led zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, more Bob Dylan - the 1001 albums of tomorrow will be built with 5’s!" Actual review, This slaps and I fucking love Latin music. I don't have to understand the what they're saying to do the rump shaker! loved my time with this one. 4/5

Finally an actually interesting album in the list. Also I found out today that both me and my infant quite enjoy this time of music. 4/5 stars

I'd much rather listen to something like this - repetitive, sure, but folk music with amazing grooves and actual heart and soul - than something like LCD Soundsystem. But if you really listen, the minimalistic shifts in the groove are incredible.

My only criticism of this album is the lack of congas.

Listening to this wild, visceral Cuban rumba while strolling the sterile aisles of a grocery store was a refreshingly dichotomous experience.

Not gonna lie; I have an inherent bias to this since my folks come from the Caribbean, and I know for a fact my pops would definitely vibe to this. I'm not looking for any complicated melodies or intellectual lyrics when I listen to this. Instead, I close my eyes and teleport myself to late 14th century B.C. in Hispaniola when Christopher Columbus wasn't there to colonize the beautiful island and picture myself among the Taino people vibing out to this and spiritually taking it all the beautiful scenery, enjoying the culture and the delicious fruits. That being said, this shit slaps. Best - Billumba-Palo Congo, Asabache, Rhapsodia del Maravilloso, and Aggo Elegua (MPF) Worst - no bad songs 3.50-3.75/5

I like drums. This album has a lot of drums.

extremely exciting to discover an album this old that traces the roots of the idiom of Dance Music as it is known in western popular music to Dance Music as in the tradition that has existed for probably as long as music itself has. i honestly cant imagine unsuspecting listeners in 1957 (or apparently, suspecting listeners in 2024, given the bizarrely low rym score) rly knew what to do with it? its super awesome tho...sweaty hypnotic call and response beats that just go and go and go a little more, feels free while being incredibly tight, feels old (much older then the recording, roots in afro-cuban folk styles) while being incredibly vital, feels spiritual while having more libido then any contemporary rock and roll would manage for a long long time

It's the rhythm of the island like the sugar cane so sweet. If you want to do the conga, you've got to listen to the beat.

I enjoyed listening to some 50s Cuban music. Not for daily consumption but interesting nonetheless.

4/5. I didn't know we could have a Congo solo but I'm not complaining. This was more of a jam album located in the basement of a latin bar, hot and sweaty with barely enough standing space. The vocals seem more like ad-lib or instruments themselves. This was a very enjoyable listen, chill and down to earth. Definitely not an all the time album but great nonetheless. Best Song: El Cumbanchero, Asabache, Simba

The era and genre is a sweet spot for me.

lmfao this rocks

A cheerful pick-me-up on what was otherwise a glum afternoon.

More incredibly interesting world music. I just dig the vibe of it all. Sometimes a little repetitive, but overall a fun journey of moving and grooving.

Very enjoyable and a great recording. A jazzy congo style.

I really like this and was in the mood. Gotta love the African influences on the Latin world. 3.5 stars.

It’s at it’s best when it’s focusing solely on the rhythm, Asabache is by far the best song on the album and the following are the other drum and vocal only tracks. And it’s not that the melodies are bad necessarily, it’s just that it is particularly badly recorded, even for the late 50’s, and so does get a bit grating. On the whole though, I am glad that I listened to it, and given it’s getting on to summer proper now, I may find myself returning to it sooner than I think

It's great music - it sounds so ritualistic in a weird way? It's like chanting but with instrumentation in it too. It just sets me into a trance but in a good way.

I have owned albums from this genre and seen a live performance by Grupo Fantasma - incredibly fun live music, especially if the crowd is lively. This is a great album - I can see its influence on the US pop/rock scene. Pretty seminal being from the 50's.

Ein schwungvolles, abwechslungsreiches Rumba Album. Die Musiker genial, der Gesang manchmal zu schrill. Aber insgesamt: sehr schön. "Asabache", "El Cumbanchero", "Choferito-Plena" sind einfach genial und ein toller Anspieltipp. "Rhapsodia del Maravilloso" ist vielleicht der Höhepunkt, aber das ist einfach Geschmackssache.

Maybe I was just in the right mood this morning but this really got me 4

Bongo's Bongo's bongo's.

This is so wonderful

I wanted to just get up and dance the whole time! I feel like it should be remixed because the vocals were sometimes overpowering, but this was a really fun find!

Can't fault the musicianship, and can't fault this being an exemplar of the genre. It's great as background music, but very tiring to actively listen to.

This is great. I like Afro-Cuban music anyway but the heavy congos are fun in this. Can definitely listen to this on a regular basis!

Es un disco divertido, me ha gustado bastante. Además algunas canciones eran en español.

fun listen

Congas mother fuckers! I’ve listened to this before and I find it enjoyable. Sure, it’s not something most people will listen to every day or in every situation, but when given a chance it can be a bit hypnotic to get lost in the polyrhythms and Latin melodies contained within. I also find this to be great music to listen to while focusing on work or a project. Sometimes we need to expand our horizons, and sometimes that new horizon is a straight up 6 minute conga instrumental.

Highly enjoyable, but that’s to be expected from a Blue Note record.

This album is pretty cool. I don't have a ton of context for conga music, but it's neat to listen to. The polyrhythms and call-and-response are familiar from other types of Afro-cuban influenced genres. The sound production could be better, but that's not unusual for the time it was made 4/5

This has great energy, as if a community celebration is happening rather than merely a performance. The musicianship is at a high level, and it is a lot of fun!