Reviews (page 4 of 8)
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.
I'm not sure this is for me, and I also feel like recording is not the best way to experience this genre—I think it would be a completely different experience live. I enjoyed the instrumentation, but the vocals were often grating and I was off-put by the somewhat-improvisational tone of the call-and-response. Best: "Rhapsodia del Maravilloso" Worst: "Simba"
Favorite Track: "Asabache" This album surprised the hell out of me with how much I enjoyed it. I personally greatly dislike most Tejano music, so the Spanish title made me trepidatious, but this was different in a really good way. From the call-and-response songs of "Billumba-Palo Congo" and "Aggo Elegua" to the random shout/animal noises of "Simba" that made me laugh out loud, all cemented together with the glorious drumming of the titular conguero. The language barrier only really enhanced my enjoyment of the fast congas. I was enraptured by "Asabache" for the entirety of the track, disappointed to move on to the next song. My two biggest complaints are the weak ending track and (what I imagine to be a function of the album's age) the lack of balancing for headphones. The drums were almost exclusively in my left ear, while the strings were in my right. May be best enjoyed with mono sound.
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.
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
This comes from and gets into the blood.
Surprisingly good, musically with hypnotic conga drums & better then it ought to be guitar riffs. I just don't really think I would revisit this album or style of music.
ok i was wrong XD have no idea in what circumstances u would like to listen to this one, was painful to go through it. maybe if i knew more of their culture it would make more sense, but i dont.
magnificent tunes drummy go 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Immaculate vibes throughout. I may not know what they were singing, but the feeling came through crystal clear
I wasn’t sure, but I got into this after the first song. I can’t see myself really listening to an album of this again, but I would be down to be in a jazz bar somewhere in Florida to experience this music live.
2 much congo
This quickly became tedious. Guitar is interesting though
This is so far beyond my usual sphere of listening, but goddamn if it isn't amazing. The complex rhythms and effusive joy are infectious.
Latino jazz was much better than previous days jazz. Hopefully no more jazz for a while.
Trommer e jo kult det og litt offbeat synging e jo sjarmerane:) Ekje det eg ville satt på uten videre, men kanskje Emilie ville ha satt det på? Litt kult at det e et så gammalt album! Føle åg dette albumet e tatt med kun for mangfoldet... Tror det finnes mange mye bedre album innen samme sjanger. Beste sang: El Cumbanchero
- gueti vibes - gets ya movin - instant smiles - quality of music 10/10
Very easy listen. Better than expected, considering that this is not my favourite genre.
Good, not enough lyrics/vocals for me generally though. Worst:Asabache Best: Aggo elegua 7/10
Ei ole mulle
World-music kan vara kul, men nja.
A pretty awesome record full of Latin percussion. I’ve never heard of it before and thanks to the generator for showing it to me!
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.
it’s a lot of the same but it’s pretty good
Relentless percussion and very repetitive singing/chanting. Almost nothing about this worked for me
I just don’t need this much Congo music in my life.
uh.
A couple of the later tracks with guitar were tolerable, but overall, no. 1.5 rounded down.
Spanish right?? Sounds more modern than the 50s but I’m not familiar with the music
Unless you're about to indulge on an Aztec tribe's mating ritual, this album is worthless.
Pretty good Latin jazz album with lots of hand drums
Upbeat Cuban rumba. "Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso" fun guitaring.
I really want to listen to some contemporary music now app. This was an interesting listen and I enjoyed the more it went on. It was nice having in the background but I was still bored. Am I more culturally informed now still no.
I actually think that if you found yourself in a hippie tribe esque retreat, wearing garments made of cloth and barefoot on the outdoors, then you’d be having the time of your life dancing and drumming away with everyone else. However, walking through the streets of London does not give you that same satisfaction and restricts you from tapping away to your hearts desire. There’s something undeniably liberating about the music and obviously this has its place within the world, but perhaps this time we have civilised society to blame for me not being able to get as into it as it perhaps deserves and I can’t say I’ll be listening again, even if I did enjoy the 40 minutes.
It was okkkkk, not much to say. Started off well but then became a bit of a jam session that was a lot of percussion and then just rambling it seemed.
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.
This was good and I generally like this type of non-western stuff when it comes out, but I wasn't able to extract from listening to it or reading about it why this was on the list.
Ok but nothing great
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.
Appreciated this different style in the mix, but the recording quality was pretty bad. This might be good on a dance floor, but it's a bit repetitive to just listen to.
Liked it less the more I listened.
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
Did I enjoy it mostly because it was a change of pace? Probably. 2.5.
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Interesting, but not something I would need to come back to. Glad I heard it though. The mixing is challenging at times in headphones, but that's expected for the age of the album.
Really just not into this one.
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.
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
It gave me a headache unfortunately. Still it was a unique listen compared to the usual and always fascinating to hear music from the 50s. Rating: 2.0
It was alright - kinda sounded the same in some aspects i dont really wanna revisit it
Mastering is good but the music itself is exactly as you'd expect from the genre. Not great, but it also isn't meant for me.
I'm not a dancer, and this made me want to dance.
Интересная африканская музыка в целом мне понпавилось но есть много ппроблем с не попаданием слов в определенные моменты(как мее показалось) и много каких то лишних голосов
Nope, Nope, Nope! Surely a better album than this could have been found.
I could see how this could be good if I enjoyed this type of music. But I don’t particularly enjoy this type of music.
тумба юмба
Really boring. And disappointing, like almost every song would start with a musical motif or sound I liked and then devolve into the same thing over and over again for 6 minutes. I didn’t like the vocals either
Sorry this all sounds the same to me, just as my favorite music in other cultures sounds all the same to them. There is no commentary to be given. Felt some aggresssion in one of the guys singing really the only thing I found distinctive. Three stars.
This sounds like what I would listen to when I was a poser and acting like I was more interesting than I was. Now that I've listened more there's a definite charm to it. Very upbeat and melodic. Not something I would listen to on a car ride but pretty good actually.
Respect the uniqueness but this wasn’t it tbh
Fun listen but nothing I’ll go back to.
I like fun so it's obvious that I like this album
This was the kind of album that your parents or grandparents would put on to impress their friends about how worldly they are. The album was okay. I did like that it wasn’t overproduced. I could pick out a few Spanish words to give me a clue about the song’s meaning.
Let’s dance 💃🏻. This album is older than my dad!!!!!!!!!! Was still good. Not super my type, but it’s always a good thing to broaden my horizons.
meh… don’t really have much to say about this one. 2/5.
While not totally my cup of tea, I enjoyed the listen through. I could see this being one of Mickey Hart’s favorites or at least an inspiration for the Rhythm Devils. Would probably listen again, but quietly and in the background. Favorite song: “Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso”
I haven’t heard this many bongos since I accidentally stumbled upon that hippie drum circle in Golden Gate Park! I’m sure there’s someone out there that thinks this is the greatest album in existence, but that person is not me. Glad to have listened to it once. Probably never again, but who knows?!?
Tak o, trochę tego nie czuję
Bongotrommer for alle pengene, jazzet, rytmisk
Fine background noise
I mean it was fine. 3k monthly listeners doesn’t scream you have to listen to it before you die though, as clearly no one else has. Simpsons: No
I don't think I needed to hear this before I died. It was just the same bongo beat throughout the whole album. I can still hear it now, and I finished listening to this over an hour ago. Another one that is a contender for me to use to torture someone.
Fine.
a little rough around the edges but still banger
Jazzy, funky, latin music. Was definitely a very different album from what I usually listen to.
I felt this album had a consistently good level without having any hit tracks.
really enjoyed
Cuban bongo beats
Not heard this artist before but enjoyed it.
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.
Uses conga (tumbadora) a drum. Good sound for a dancing party.
sehr kuul! si mached mega musig. allerdings wirds biz astrengend zum lose mit de zit.. wür mi wunder ne wies live wär es konzert vo ihne zlose:)
Some cool grooves, but not totally my thing.
Not really my vibe
I'm not sure what I missed from this. It didn't really grab me, didn't feel overly inventive, and won't hang with me.
The stereo mixing is kind of crazy. The track Asabache had a sound that felt like it was projected into my nose. Alot of the lead vocals are hard to one channel on headphones. The opening track was solid, but many of the tracks were too loose. There were moments I could dance to, but this really didn't click for me.
it's fine - but there are so few jazz albums in this list, so many great jazz albums left out, that this will only earn 3 stars - nor a remarkable LP, not a ground-breaking LP.
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.
I've been putting this album off for about two thirds of a year, finally got past the first two tracks after the initial attempts. I'm glad I've listened to it, just so it's off my unrated list.
Could be 60 days since release, could be 60 years. A kind of timeless jazzy samba vibe that never dates, but never becomes popular.
Consistently dig the Afro-Cuban stuff. The drums and vibe on this basically hit in every song. Rhapsodia probably my favorite but liked all eight to varying degrees
This was not my jam lol I’m just not into drums like that I don’t think
So much percussion.
Awful tuneless nonsense
This was quite good and different, especially considering it came out in 1957. Not something I plan to revisit, but I found it enjoyable and was glad it was included on the list.
Couldn't totally get into this one as it's just not really my style. Not that it was bad; I actually thought it was pretty fun for the most part. It was also nice to get something a little different in style to listen to, but it felt more like an album I'd only want to hear in certain situations rather than enjoy whenever on its own. The instruments were nice, if a bit repetitive. The vocals worked with the music more like an instrument than as a focal point. The percussion almost seemed to be the main instrument(s) for a lot of it, which was different and cool. The parts all meshed together well. That said, I didn't really find it all that impressive. I don't know enough about the genre/music to see its importance for being here. I'm sure there's a reason. As it is, I can only rate it on my listening experience. I have it as OK, but not really something I'm likely to listen to again. Overall: 2.25/5
"World" music is always cool
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.
= The Beatles It's fine but nothing i really want to seek out
This was a perfectly pleasant 40 minutes of latin jazz.
Don't understand it
Sometimes "world" jazz really hits, most of the time it misses. This one misses. I can't believe would listen to Latin American music and think "This needs more emphasis on the congas".
Not for me
I really enjoyed this album. I really don’t think I like jazz until I hear Latin jazz that I realize I really don’t like saxophone and really like Latin jazz.
I usually like musics like this. This one is just noise and yelling.
Not my favorite but had some great Latin beats.
Different
3/5
Beeboppin
This is on here but not one single album by Desi Arnez? Dimery! You got some 'splainin' to do! +1 star for being a source of a Beastie Boys sample
Fun
Not my thing
conga
Enjoyable
Loved this - drums so groovy and guitars welcome whenever they arrive.
If you like percussion, it's nice :)
It gets +1 star because I caught myself doing airdrums to one of the songs.
Not my thing, I think.
Mostly enjoyable. The beginning of the album, which is more drum based, does drag on a bit. When more instruments are brought into the songs, the album really comes alive. 3.5/5 Might listen again
I suppose I'd describe this as Afro-Latin World music. But actually sort of works, and I liked it. Neither one thing nor the other. But where each of the genres it is influenced by become uninspiring it managed to stay interesting throughout. A high 3, but still 3.
This offers me nothing.
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!
Not for me.
Lacking English words.
Very energetic, generally good but didn't really capture our interest.
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.
I liked some of the guitar riffs, but not 100% my vibe. Not something I’m going to revisit
Again an album with music far outside my musical comfort zone. I try to give these albums the benefit of the doubt but that wasn't enough this time. Most of it is just to repetitive. Nearly liked the final track (Tribilin Cantore) but that is not enough to give this more than 3 stars.
3.5 Great vibing music!
🕺💃🏿🕺🕺👯♀️👯♂️🕺🏽💃🏽 (twas a good time)
3 stars
Don’t think I’ve ever listened to anything like this. How did they even find this guy to put him on this list. Cool drums but not 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.
I started really enjoying it after a while but I realised the album had ended on Spotify and I was listening to Machito
I liked it. Fun conga album with laid-back latin sound.
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.
If this was not world music there would n o way this would be included very basic drum and group singing with no great harmonies, melody or rhythm.
Maravilloso
Kind of timeless music and i was really surprised that this has been recorded way back in the 50's. Good grooving!
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.
Not bad but not quite my favorite. I then learned about the same artist's other album, Afro Temple, which was much more my speed. Recommended if you liked some elements of Palo Congo but it didn't quite hit.
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.
Весь час я не могла зрозуміти якою мовою був альблом італійською чи може румунською? Виявилось іспанською) жанр кубинської румби або ж латино-амереканського джазу. Найбільше мені сподобалась інструментальна частина, мені подобаються ритми ручного барабану і інших "пляжних" інструментів, але мовна частина яка доповнювала не була мені так сильно до душі, відчутнно, що альбом було записано до 2000-них, не було звичної мені феєричності і драми вокалу. Вокал не був поганий, але я до такого не звикла
Interessante Rhythmen, aber zu treibend und monoton um am Stück zu hören. Zu roh.
I loved the energy and musicianship. I recently saw Buena Vista Social Club on broadway and loved it. I haven’t been exposed to enough Cuban music otherwise, so I’m glad this made the list.
Afro-Cuban percussion vibes, very energetic, I dug it
This was really fun. I wish there was more music like this on the list.
Production is insane for 1957! Fun and groovy but never blew me away.
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.
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.
Good jazz sound. Some of the songs can be a little repetitive, but this was a good listen
6/10
Another one I wanted to like and just got boring and repetitive
Enjoyed this, as not something I would have put on (or known about) without this list. Very atmospheric, and an amazing sound, considering its vintage. A real diamond in what has been a lot of rough of late.
If this don't turn you on, then you ain't got no switches. Although it did start to sound like a 12" remix for Test Match Special after a while
This album was soulful and gave me the feeling as though I were experiencing a Cuban street festival or general street musicians. I enjoyed this fusion of Latin music.
la mezcla latina mejor 😝
Мее
Appreciate something different, but this album didn’t resonate with me. Really liked the guitar parts and polyrhythms on some of the songs, but most of the songs just blended together. I can appreciate elements of this, but I can’t say I enjoyed the whole thing.
It wasn't bad, but it didn't speak to me like some of the other world music albums have. It was like a good jam session.
Day557 - the longer i listened the less i liked it
Enjoyable Cuban conga, sounds like African influence
Eh sorry this just isn't for me. The singing/chanting doesn't add anything and the instruments are kind of just there. I have a hard time believing people actually listen to this besides to stay "look how cultured I am." 3.5/10 (1.75/5)
Achei um disco muito interessante e fiquei curioso para conhecer mais coisa do tipo. Acho que esse tipo de som vai ter uma influência no jazz afro-cubano e latino de forma geral, inclusive sendo muito curioso ver os paralelos entre as musicas de tambor no Brasil e outras partes das Américas, fruto da influência cultural dos povos de África que foram escravizados e trazidos para cá.
Not really my jam... But I was able to listen to the whole album, which makes it better than some other stuff on here :D
Loved it
Hey let’s all do the conga! 2.5 for me
Felt like a recording of a classroom learning a song.
Almost pretty good 2.5
Not my taste in Music, but a lot of pleasant songs
I love good rumba, samba, mambo. I've heard very little that wasn't enjoyable.
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.
not particularly to my liking. fine
The percussion cooks but the vocals don't do it for me. The instrumentals and it's different from other albums on this list will give it a passing grade. But I kind of expected more.
Gave it a go but gave up after a tortuous 10 minutes, not for me I am afraid!
buena vista if it was mid
Obnoxious ass-cheap Cuban commercial music. Definitely could've gone my whole lifetime without hearing about it.
Maybe a little intensely drum oriented to make good airplane listening but interesting nonetheless
My perfect ideal of an album from this list. Something I never would have discovered myself, remarkable good time throughout, sent me down a wiki and spotify rabbit hole
perfectly pleasant music to putter around and make breakfast to. i like the drums. 3.5
This is probably mostly about me, but something about a lot of the tracks really spiked my blood pressure. Not sure if it was the pace, the vocals, or what, but it made me feel on edge and I needed a few breaks.
It was fine. Not my thing.
Liked this ALOT more than anticipated. Really nice syncopated percussion throughout. Could have used a horn section in spots.
Cubaanse muziek is leuk, toch? Vrolijke ritmes, gitaartje, bongo's, koebellen en gekweel in het Spaans. Maar er zit ook aardig wat herhaling in deze schijf, alsof er een of ander voodoo-ritueel van begeleiding moet worden voorzien. En ook nog een boel geouwehoer. Tja, de Buena Vista Social Club is hier de referentie, die kreeg vijf sterren, en qua luistergenot steekt Palo toch een beetje bleekjes af.
Het is wel leuk om een wat bredere blik op pop-muziek voorgeschoteld te krijgen. Ahoewel, pop muziek. Een aantal nummers maken gebruik van een voorzanger, waarna de groep alles herhaalt. Dat is meer een dorpsfeestje rond het kampvuur. Erg gezellig, maar om dat via Spotify binnen te halen, voelt wel erg strijdig met de beleving. Het matcht ook niet helemaal met de internet/wiki uitstraling van een gerenommeerde band. De wiki-term 'octet' zal technisch kloppen, maar wekte bij wel verkeerde verwachtingen. De officiële naam van de artiest, dekt meer de lading. Dit draait vooral om één man (Sabu), de man van de handdrums. Om het achtergrondkoortje nu te gebruiken om een octet te vullen....
Dit soort oude muziek is doorgaans niet suitable for work, dus ik had het even uitgesteld tot een rustige, druilerige zondagochtend. Het is ook wel zondagse muziek, want het is nogal bezwerend met de percussie en de zang. Als een gospel predikt de hoofdzanger zijn preek en herhalen de zangeressen een vast zinnetje. Al is het wel van het niveau duolingo, buenos noches, senor! Geef me dan liever "buenos noches, mi amor" van dalida, dat doet me namelijk denken aan de afleveringen van de avondetappe met de martosaurier. Hoe toepasselijk was dat geweest nu de tour net begonnen is. Verder is het alsof je bij een eenvoudig optreden in de lokale Ponderosa bent, maar je je niet helemaal op je plaats voelt. Je bent toevallig beland op een feestje van iemand die je niet kent. De beste man trommelt er wel aardig op los en af en toe horen we een fijn gitaartje. Het staat alleen een beetje te schel afgesteld allemaal, dus echt plezier beleef ik er niet aan. Meer dan een 2 kan ik niet geven.
Fantastic, loved this so much
Oh these types of albums bare just not my jam lol but I can see the good in the music just not for me
I like these sorts of albums being peppered throughout this list. Whoever was working the bongos was crushing it.
It was ok, quite a nice happy vibe to it, but after the first couple of tracks it sorted of faded into the background while I got on with other stuff. Wouldn't rush to listen again.
Exactly the sort of joyous music I wanted to find from doing this 1001 albums thing. Lovely vibes.
The bongos got a bit repetitious but the singing and all was very lively and fun.
Weirdly, kind of the best place I could have started for this. Would I listen again? No. But what good would it have done me to have started with Is This It? and gone 'Huh, yeah, still think the Strokes are pretty good'? Driving, percussive - my god, is it percussive - and the sort of thing I'd never have actively sought out. Problem is that I don't really see where this sits. It's not compelling in the way where the emotion is immediately intelligible, even if the words aren't. It's almost too raw in that way. But it's not easy enough to listen to where it can sit in the background. Highlight Track - Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso.
Pure raw and amazing rumba sound. Relevant and good after all these years. Can't imagine listening to this when it came out. Must hve been mindblowing
Interesting
Not my thing
#623. There's possibly some context in which you could convince me this is good, but I dont know what it is at this moment. 2/5: it's probably drugs, I'd guess
El cumbanchero 3.7 Billumba-Palo Congo 2.7 Choferito-Plena 3.4 Asabache 2.4 Simba 2.5 Rhapsodia del Maravilloso 3 Aggo Elegua 2.8 Tribilin cantore 3 Score: 2.9375
The guitar work rules, I like the call-and-response vocals, and of course the conga playing is impressive. I have no experience with rumba and while I’m not sure I’ll revisit (it’s a lot of conga drum) I’m appreciative of the listen.
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”
Some really pretty and energetic conga music. I had a lot of fun bopping to this as my morning coffee just started to wake me up. It's a very fun record, and the tracks are straightforward and meant for a good time. It's a nice 3/5 for me. Without diving further, I have a feeling that this may be one of the more influential records in this genre because it was released in the 1950's.
Great album for summer. I can see how this could have influenced other artists (thinking Vampire Weekend). Strong opening and closing songs.
They had more fun making this than I had listening to it.
Another bongo album?! The only way this was entertaining was to imagine that my three sons were the ones making the music. Now that was hilarious.
Nice, easy listening, but could also make you want to dance. I enjoyed the tracks that mostly had drumming sounds and felt trance-like. Overall very good
great instruments. classic songs.
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.
The songs with instrumentation are nice. The raw conga
Energetic!
Pretty decent, but now what I needed at work
Not really my thing at all, but it was an interesting enough listen. Probably would be better to see live, not really an "at home" album.
I I’m sure this album is seminal if I were a jazz / latin percussionist, but I’m not, so it didn’t really move 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.
373/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
Very chill ambient mix of African Mexican/Cuban (can't tell) styles
That's sacrilegious!
rhytmically strong, folk songs of protest?
Awesome!
Interesting
Imagine how wild this must have been in 1957. It's too repetitive for an entire album, but I'm glad I heard it. Records like this make this challenge fun. Favorite song: Rhapsodia del Maravilloso
i don’t know, bongo rock got five stars and this gets one, everything doesn’t have to make sense
Could have been great, but this really wasn't for me.
I was getting down, wish I understood more of the lyrics though.
Perhaps I'm just uncultured but this didn't do it for me. Pretty minimal instrumentation, some songs only percussion, lot of repetition in both vocals and music. Sonically didn't sound bad and would be good background music but just wasn't that interesting.
This is a hard one to judge as I'm completely disconnected from any cultural influence and don't speak Spanish. I liked the energy, the drums, and there were some cool guitar parts but it ran a little long
Traditional, world jazz, that evokes a happier festive time. It gets even better if I imagine myself sitting in plaza square in Cuba circa 1957, on a very flexible tourist visa while flush with cash.
got tedious very very quickly
This got me up and dancing!
I wonder which one of you hipsters are going to give this album 4 or 5 stars.
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.
I really enjoyed this album listen! This album was all vibes and filled with passion which made it a joy to listen to. I would definitely give this a listen again and recommend it to others!
Loved this album such fun with intoxicating beats
6,375
eh
My first thought was, "An old Spanish language band, what am I getting myself into". And then I hit play. What followed was some insanely catchy tunes with an almost tribal feel to them. I have no idea what they were saying but I bopped along to the beat. The Wiki didn't give me much info on the band, and I wish they had more. An amusing observation. The album is produced by "Alfred Lion" which is funny because Jeremy Irons played both Alfred in a Batman movie as well as Scar from the Lion King. There's even a song called "Simba" on the album. Just a funny coincidence. They weren't all great, "Simba" was down right unlistenable. But most were good enough for me to give it 3 Stars
Eh. This is out there. It's old. It's culturally distant from me. I can't really relate.
very repetitive
More of stuff like this.
Some unnecessary hate for this one, not everything needs the Buena Vista Social Club tourist friendly sheen.
Interesting percussion.
Sabu, of whom I simply had not heard, will not be someone I'm checking out in the hit parade. And not only because this came out in 1957 and I assume he's long since retired. Like a lot of music of this kind of time period and this kind of genre, I'm sure it's ground breaking and to be respected, but I don't wanna hear it ta.
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.
I grew up listening to this type of music, so I don't hate it like others do. I appreciate that it was something different this time.
Classy
Great rhythms and I mostly liked the chanting.
I tried to listen to it but it was a bit irritating after 5 songs so I skipped through the rest. I know there's an audience out there for this, it's just not in my wheelhouse and I would have been perfectly fine dying without ever having heard it. No song structure at times, just yelling and banging, it could have been recorded in someone's backyard. It has scant listens since 1957, not sure how this makes the list since it's barely popular with the congo crowd. 1.5 stars.
I saved 3 songs. You can really hear the African influence
No clue what they were saying, but loved the energy of it
Ihan mielenkiintoinen kulttuurimatka taas :D Suurimmaksi osaksi rytmisoittimia ja laulua. Tosi perinteistä. Mutta pidin enemmän kappaleista missä oli kitara ja melodiaa. Parhaat: Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso, Tribilin Cantore
In fairness to poor Sabu, I don’t think I’m in the mood to listen to any music today.
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.
Nothing here for me.
08/05/2025 I have no feelings for or against the album. It was okay.
All I ask is why? Am I being punked? This isn’t music, just repetitive noise!
Hard to not get up and dance to this one. A little difficult to get through since I’m not a Spanish speaker. First, I thought it was kind of fun and then I couldn’t wait for it to end. I’ve heard enough bongo drums to last me for a while. Perhaps they were trendsetters for this genre. Just not my thing.
I couldn’t even get through this album.
Congrats on discovering drums I guess. Maybe y'all should have spent a bit more time experimenting before releasing this album.
I hated this. Definitely not for me. It caused a deep anger to surface from my soul that hung in my heart until I skipped each song. I was not natured nor nurtured for bongos.
Sick drums Opener is fire, almost crashed my car
Interesting. Great example of early world music. That said, not exactly my cup of tea.
1.875
This album is kinda cool. Not super amazing but at least interesting. Enjoyed a couple of the songs.
This had a sound to I don't hear often. It's a good listen
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.
Painful to listen at times, to say the least. The songs where there were actually other instruments besides drums were kind of okay, but they sort of lacked creativity on the individual solos. The songs featuring just the drums, however…..awful. Who the hell wants to listen to 6 minutes of bongos and congas? And don't get me started on the vocals. Just overall the music was way too harsh-sounding and repetitive. I can't discount the full band songs, so I can't justify a one-star rating; barely a two, though, however.
The best I can say is two songs don't suck.
Interesting as a change and I enjoyed the drumbeats in a couple of tracks, but mostly not my sort of thing. Would I switch away if it was on in the background? Probably?
Wasn't expecting this to be so early when I first started listening. It was enjoyable if kind of generic sounding to me. I liked the focus on drums.
Super super super cool stuff. Love how niche it is too
Solid! But unfortch need to start being harsher so 2
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
I like Tejano music, but this was a bit too much bongo an I didn't like the vocals very much.
Very fun, very enjoyable
Music that sounds like it's more fun to play than to listen to.
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.
This is a pleasant change from most of this list. Not my favourite (sub)genre -- I like jazz, much less latino rhythms -- but still enjoyable, in particular thanks to a very solid rhythm section. The call & response bits are nice, the overall is pretty refreshing despite its age.
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
Enjoyed
Hypnotic and unfamiliar. A rhythm-driven ritual I can’t fully judge, but I felt it all the same.
Nando's music
Mocne bębny, ale całość jest chaotyczna, jakby niedopracowana. Wiem, że to ludowy folklor, ale były tu już lepsze płyty tego rodzaju. Samym rytmem się nie da obronić. 5/10
Very drum centric. Reminded me of a rawer less produced version of the guy we had a couple of weeks back.
You get the gist of it pretty quickly
Phenomenal. Afro Latin blueprint
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"
Yes but no
Yeah not doing it for me
allez allez
i would've liked this a lot more with less repetition and more guitar. it just wasn't for me!
i liked when they brought out the guitar favorites: el cumbanchero, rhapsodia del maravilloso
Interesting. I doubt i will ever listen again, but I dont regret doing it.
Listened to half then had to go to class
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.
Great cultural showcase of the heights of Congo music
Repetitive Cuban Rumba featuring conga drums broken up by random yells and loud samba whistles.
Really wanted to like this as a sparse example of non-western music on the list. However, it’s just not up to it. 6 minutes of percussion not really my thing.
I'm not *totally* convinced of this album's essentialness, but it's far from the worst thing I've ever heard. 3.5/5
Are very much enjoyed it. I'll keep it on the phone for a little while so I can enjoy it again