Reviews (page 7 of 8)
I wanted to like this a lot more, as a drummer, and I'm sure it must have done a lot for the horde. But this was just not a good "album." I guess it's good to hear once and to know his name.
cool?
OG Latin!
Very good but too too much for me. I couldn’t listen again.
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
really not my vibe. long et pénible. que des bruits de congos 3/10
I like how the rhythmic ideas was the main focus of the album.
okay it was interesting experience
Enjoyed this but not quite sure when I’d listen to it again. It’s like a less friendly Buena Vista Social Club.
While I do appreciate some great latin music this focus on percussion seems a bit too meandering for me. I can enjoy it in the back but that's about it.
Today's album was a Cuban rumba/jazz album by Congo player Sabu Martinez. The album is very precussion forward, with Cuban Tres, and double bass accompaniment on a few songs. The vocals on this record range from call and response style, to random screaming/shouting styles, which were a bit jarring. In the song Simba, it sounds like they are wailing on metal pipes, and it gets a bit irritating. Such a shrill sound. Overall, an interesting listen today. Not something I would gravitate to often, but not bad as background music.... Except for the shouty bits. Favourite songs: Choferito-Plena, El Cumbanchero, Tribilin Cantore Least favourite songs: Billumba-Palo Congo 3/5
Great to see what Sabu was up to 35 years or so before he started regularly throwing himself through stuff from great heights on EC Dub. Turns out he was ace at the congas and bongos. Multi talented guy. Anyway I love stuff like Ray Baretto and Blue Note in general so I was open to this. Have to be honest I did prefer the ones with guitar accompaniment, but the one that were simply absolutely banging bongos with chanting were a jam as well.
Bingo bongo sur un moyen temps. Du gros jazz latin. Gros style pas commun. Pas deg. Nice découvert though. (2.5)
2.5/5
Good vibes.
Not really my vibe
Kinda funky - but would I listen to it again? Nope.
Purely emotional. So refreshing.
Loved the drums on this record
A refreshing listen, something you don't hear much nowadays. Some cool rhythms, but after a while the drumming gets a bit much and it would be much more interesting to see and hear this music live.
I actually enjoyed the first song, but the rest of this is pretty shit.
I dig the rhythms and syncopation. Don't know enough about the genre to really rate it though
Nice, didn't really get to dissect it the way I want to. Love Brazilian music so will probably return to it some day.
This one didn’t sit well with me. Again it may have to do with my growing up and appreciation of other genres more. I just can’t seem to connect with this type of music, same goes for world music, I just can’t vibe to it. 3 out of 10
Couple of nice songs. Interesting sound.
Starts off wild and free but grinds itself into mediocrity rather quickly. The improvisational spirit is there, but the instrumentation is so sparse and the vocals too annoying to sustain even the short runtime that’s there.
I liked this, but an awful lot of it was just drums. By a really great artist sure, but that's not enough to carry a piece for me. It sounded like there was some pretty funny stuff happening lyrically at times which of course I couldn't understand.
I love the sound. For maybe 5 minutes. Unless I've got some rum in me, I wouldn't be able to listen to a whole lot more of this.
There are some tracks that show promise... where there are congos, maybe some basic vocalizing and additional rhythm that gives some diversity. But then it just delves way too deep until calls/cries, monotone bongo only rhythms, and kitchen sink type sound contributions. Happy to not listen to this again.
40 minutes of conga drums is way too much.
Really interesting, although I didn't understand a word! I always like albums by drummers and percussionists, as a drummer myself.
Dude really likes congos
Meh.
Not bad. Not great either, but not bad. 3/5
Not my cup of tea, sadly. Had interesting call and response parts, though.
Damn, talk about a u-turn! I've got a bad case of sonic whiplash going from The Lemonheads yesterday to this today. I'm sure this record is revered for a reason but all these fucking bongos and congas are doing my head in. It just sounds like a noisy construction site. Not for me.
This album isn't my thing and the 2nd song can definitely get on your nerves in your in a bad mood. But for how early this is and how good it sounds, it's pretty impressive. some of the songs on the 2nd half are pretty decent. If you like Congos you will shit your pants Score: 50 Art: 70
Buenos noches senor - the music is non stop congas. Not really made for me but I'm sure is important to the culture.
This album was ok, there are some bangers here and there but there is a lot of drumming, maybe a bit too much of drumming. I was nicely introduced with the album with "El Cumbanchero", great drumming and great melodies. "Billumba-Palo Congo" was ok, not the best but not the worst, a ton of drumming of course. I really enjoyed Choferito-Plena but from then on it goes down hill.
Since listening I have seen reviews saying you shouldn't listen to this in headphones, and that's what I did, so maybe it's because of that, but this album made me all kinds of miserable. I usually am a large lover of Congo's but this album did not speak to me on any level. I am sorry sabu
I started each song. I did not finish each song.
this was fun! sabu brought high energy to their palo congo album. i don't know a lot about this kind of music, so i fear some nuance was lost on me. regardless, this album was percussion focused with the congas appearing on every track. sabu created a mix of songs: some instrumentals, one had call and response vocals, another used chanting, and one song had more of a salsa feel. enjoyable, and i feel more knowledgeable for listening to it.
So, here's the thing. I didn't LOVE this album. But I am absolutely not the target audience here; it is 100% not intended for me, let alone intended for me to be reviewing it. This is an example of deeply cultural music that is likely NOT going to be appeal to a westerner who is used to western world music. I will say, one thing that did come across regardless of cultural barriers was the energy; this music has a very palpable energy. So again, this made for okay background music, but wasn't a favorite, or even a "love". But I also don't think my vote should count for much here. 2.5, rounding up to 3.
Constant sound of bongos. It's like sitting in Covent Garden on a Saturday. After a while all you hear is bongo bongo bongo. Bongos are great, in moderation. I was going to give it two stars, on the grounds that at least I can listen to it but, I'm afraid, I really can't. I made it through by mentally blocking the noise out.
They had fun with their drums. Pardon the meme terminology, but SOVL
yeah i agree with u pretty good
An interesting listen. Again this is what this list should be full of. I was completely unfamiliar with Cuban rumba music and for what it was, it was pretty good. Although the mixing is a bit weird but it's a fun listen.
Got a little bored
Not my thing.
An interesting listen, generally a happy latin groove. I wouldn't have listened if it weren't for this list, and I feel glad for that.
I'm always amazed at listening to recordings done that far back and earlier. Some sound dated, and some sound timeless. This was a bit of a mix really. It wasn't until maybe the last song or two that I felt the weight of the years come rushing into the recording itself. Afro-Cuban music is not something I am familiar with, but the energy from this gives me a great impression. The yips were a bit annoying, but that was just them getting into the music, so it's forgivable. The instrumentation was very interesting. Very percussive, which at times drowned out the other instruments. But they were the most important part of the band here... All in all, I liked this album quite a lot. The last song or two was okay, but I felt the production really made you feel that the album was as old as it is. But I might be nitpicking here a bit...
Did you know that one who plays the conga is a conguero? That might have been the most interesting thing I discovered from this album. There's a reason why percussionists (i.e., drummers, but congueros too) aren't usually the band leader. Guitars, piano - those are good lead instruments. Percussions are good accompaniment, and good for a nice solo from time to time. I felt like congas and other percussions were the only thing I could hear for the first two songs, except for terrible vocals. Thank god the third one introduced some nice strings. Not as good as that Bongo Rock album, and I thought that was just okay. Like that bongo album, I recognize the novelty here but it gets old fast.
Really not my thing.
I was pretty so so on this one. I just didn't find it terribly interesting and probably missed the whole purpose. the instrumentals were great, and at least in concept I found some resonance with the call and response.
This guy is from Spanish Harlem and was / is still a pretty big deal just not in the U.S. Spotify says that he's got a ton of fans in Colombia, Chile and Mexico City and nearly 300k monthly listeners. Lots of banging percussion and repetition. "Look Kids! Big Ben!" This was a difficult listen but fortunately only 40 mins. long.
I got to learn about conga drums. Some of it sounded Latin. Some of it sounded African. That is all.
I need more than loosely organized congas and bongos to keep me engaged. It sounds like they invited tres hombres to out conga each other and added highly repetitive vocals. No bueno.
This is the kind of pretentious selection that gives music critics a bad name.
For me no Jazz anymore…
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.
Mucho mejor de lo que pensaba y otro gran descubrimiento. "El cumbachero" o "Choferito-Plena" imprescindibles.
This was a surprise! I really like the rhythm of hat record and the raw energy
3.5
Eka biisi oli lupaava, muuten tämä oli sellaista, joka pitäisi kuulla ja nähdä livenä. Ainakin kävelymusana jää vain askelrytmiksi
Ok, en välttämättä jaksanut kuunnella näitä ihan loppuun saakka. Mutta olin kyllä joka biisin kohdalla aidosti kiinnostunut siitä, minkälaista takomista SEURAAVAT raidat toisivat tullessaan.
Different experience
4 stars, good grooves.
I admittedly don't have a lot of notes for this one as I was driving for most of the time I was listening. You can call me a sideline fan of cumbia and cuban rumba music. I've got a compilation record at my house of a bunch of big name artists that were making noise back in NYC around the 70s and 80s. I can most certainly hear the influences here. A couple of songs stood out to me, namely "Simba" and "Rhapsodia del Maravilloso". The former stood out to me as it was such an insane ride through a percussive jungle. Felt like I was absolutely swimming in drums. Not a good one to listen to when you've got a headache. Some of it even sounded like city noise with this rhythmic percussive "PANG" resembling a hammer hitting a nail. I was back and forth between whether or not I liked it but I will say that seeing this live is probably the move. I am sure my mouth would be on the floor seeing hands fly around and just feeling the drums reverberate through my body. "Rhapsodia del Maravilloso" stood out to me just because of the insane guitar work that was on display. I swear I heard some tapping at one point which evoked an audible "whaaaaaaaaat!" as I dealt with traffic on the 10 freeway. This one was great. Atypical for sure, polarizing likely due to the sometimes overwhelming cacophony. This is one of those records that I would randomly pull from a bin at a record store and I would probably get a "Man, you pulled a great one. [Insert story about record here]" from the owner ringing me up. It wasn't exactly mindblowing but it was a fun one to listen to so, sticking to my rating system guns, I'm thinkin 3/5!
I liked how interesting it was, but that’s about all I have good to say about this album.
Neat! A conguero! I grooved…but desperately needed context for this album. According to Wikipedia Sabu Martinez has a wildly impressive American jazz and pop resumé and started his career performing with Benny Goodman and Dizzy Gillespie at 19 years old! That’s about all I can find. Dude seems pretty important to a very specific scene. And notable for weaving percussive, Afro-Cuban sounds into the American bebop scene. But Palo Congo—his debut—doesn’t appear to be his most important album. That appears to be his last, 1973’s Afro Temple, which is wildly psychedelic and awesome! I highly recommend checking it out (it’s on Youtube) if you were at all intrigued by this. Interesting how the larger 1001 community reviewers rate obscure, dated, and global (or globally-influenced in this case) music so lowly. Seems unfair. I seriously saw one reviewer complaining that this album was featured on the list instead of a second Supertramp album. Like, what? Nobody needs to hear two Supertramp albums before they die. One of these is far more vital. So, I’m boosting this master conguero's record with a strong 4 out of 5.
I just like this! I can’t explain why. I love the Cuban rhythms. I love the conga. I love the “liveness” of this. I have nothing special to say. The rhythms really are my thing. I’ve always wanted to learn the congas, and this might be the thing that gets me off the couch and down to the local music store. The intense LCR stereo is INTENSE, but nothing you can't solve with a little distance from the speakers. 3/5
3 liked this
Pretty easy to get 5 stars out of me, Spanish lyrics and Latin riddimmmms. Love it. Favourite song was the first track El Cumbanchero
Wasn’t as into this as I thought I would be after the first tune.
50% rabble. The songs that aren’t chanting are pretty kewl
It's strange and there's definitely something that I didn't get, but songs of muffled shouts and conga drums really aren't appealing. However, some of the songs with guitars are enjoyable.
Fantastic music! I love the exposure to other culture's music that this challenge has brought me. Very cool
2.4/5 Best: Choferita-Plena Worst: Asabache
Album loves its bongos but i hate the singing and it’s a bit boring.
Love how loose this feels
This one is ... not boring! Cubans banging on congo drums - for long periods, with some random yelling. It is not something I would've expected to find on this list, not because it isn't great, but because lists like this tend to lean towards more popular music and this is way too weird to ever be popular. Overall, I found it super interesting, raw, engaging, and cool. The rhythms are killer. This is a strange one but definitely one I will enjoy listening to again.
nice, especially "Billumba-Palo Congo".
Ye the mix let this one down
Mostly fun…except for the whistles.
Really loved the sounds on this one. Dig me some good percussion.
Interesting album. The recording is so murky it's hard to listen to.
Not going to lie, made me do a little shoulder shimmy whilst working. Appreciate it, but ultimately does not take up a permanent spot in my library
Not for me. I wanted a song like Cuban Pete from the mask but nothing of the sort.
It’s not doing it for me, all very messy and shouty.
29th December 2022 Listened in the morning before going to Fritha’s wedding. Lush fusion of Afro beats and Cuban flavours.
Not bad, but not great 2.5
Misschien was ik niet in de mood maar ik kreeg helemaal de ieks van dit album! Hoge hartslag, snel ademen, het was niet niks. Dat terwijl ik juist hoge verwachtingen hierbij had. Vandaag 2 sterren maar ik geef het nog een keer een kans binnenkort!!
Leuk om wat andere muziek te horen
boooooongooooos
Giving Breaking Bad music
Ok
Slaps?????? 4.2/5
Parts of this I found interesting, but overall it was pretty tedious. 2 stars.
There is not much latin American percussion in here and I'm a bit at a loss as to what to make of this. The conga playing is clearly great, and the mainly chanted call-and-response vocals add to what is quite a minimal sound palate. Rhythms and tracks that were crying out for just a bit more melody.
Tikkie Tok Tikkie Tik. Not bad, but also not something to put on again.
A bit of a mess, this, but I did not hate it. The later album Sabu's Jazz Espagnole is much more digestible and looks to have been produced with more care.
This was a straight congo album. Some of the tracks had some cool intros, but I got bored within 30 seconds of each track. All tracks are pretty much the same, just congos and maybe a cool beat for 20 seconds. Idk how people enjoy 40 straight minutes of this. Stale 1/10
I enjoyed this jazz record. Yep.
Just not my thing
Not for me
Straight bongo vibes
от кубинской румбы сильно большего ожидала (впрочем, не люблю латинскую музыку)
I always thought that not much creativity was happening in music before I was born. I suppose it's easy to fall into that trap. This album shows that Afro beats and Cuban music were being fused creating the Afro Cuban genre before I was born. That's wicked. I wonder who was listening to it? We know our parents weren't that cool.
I prefer the more melodic tracks to those (like Asabache) where the army of conga players takes center stage, save for a few chants. IMO congas are better suited to a supporting role. It’s interesting that according to the Wiki page, the only critics to pay any attention to this release were 1001. That said, it was adventurous for Bluenote to release this in 1957. Between a 2 and 3 for me.
The first song, Rhapsodia was good and so was the last song, Triblin cantore because it had bit more variety with a guitar. But I wasn't moved by the other 6 songs in the middle. I am a big jazz fan but Afro-Cuban jazz just doesn't do it for me. I found the recording of the congas here to be too forward and prominent and it just dominates the sound.
Good stuff
more nandos music. bet cristiano ronaldo listens to this when he's on his way to go and do some noncing.
A perfect blend of ear bending splendour riding a zephyr of peace and tranquility. This tore a hole right through my mind and exposed my inner most fantasies to every inch of my quaking being. Hold the phone, Pedro, we have lift off.
Wah wah wah
Forty straight minutes of bongos. I am sure this had a big influence on conga lines and Carnival festivals. It is better than other albums that got a one on this list but it is not really a 2. I will round down.
Rumba cubana. Ni fu ni fa.
I've never thought I needed a freaking conga driven Cuban rumba for my morning but here we are.
8/10 fun album but I wish the instruments were more diverse a lot of those songs were basically just a drum solo going on for a long time I get that that’s their culture and their music I’m not hating on it, but they have guitar and other stuff and it sounded really cool, I think they should’ve used it more
Infectious rhythms everywhere. The almost raucous call and response in the vocals of a couple of tracks carries the joy the musicians seem to experience as they play. Since this appears to be an album featuring a percussion ensemble, I was surprised by the brilliant guitar playing that came along on a few of the tracks. The natural sound of an amp pushed just to breakup, and reverb of what sounds like an actual hall, gives a fullness and warmth to the guitar sound, while the playing is as ebullient and spontaneous as the percussion.
p33. 1957. 1 star Dreadfully dated, and outstayed its welcome very quickly. Might be influential but not my thing.
favourite song: el bumbanchero least favourite song: simba it was interesting and not something i really consider bad enough to get below 3 stars, even though there were moments i struggled with
Palo Congo is the 1957 debut album by conga player Sabu Martinez with Arsenio Rodriquez and his brothers Raul and Quique. This is a Cuban rumba album with a focus on percussion, specifically the conga drum. This is one of the more interesting albums that I have listened to because of this 1001 albums journey. It wasn't bad, but it's just drum beating with unique vocals over top.
Very cool texture. Never listened to Cubop, but I should. 4 stars
One gets a pre-James Brown vibe. One gets the feeling that this is pure music, deeply primal and truly rhythmic. One admires more than loves it.
Couldn't even make it to the end.
Yeah this one was good at times
Not fully my cup of tea - but it’s still a wonderful jazz virtuoso album - it’s hectic, urgent and fun - barely a moment of calm so it’s not an everyday album.
Very drummer but in a wonderful way.
It would be a stretch to say I liked it, but it was mostly interesting
Enjoyable blue note jazz, works music stuff.
I respect the musicianship, but was not in the mood for 40 minutes of bongos and Santeria chants.
very beautiful
This fucking website made me listen to religious African music. But when I think about it I ironically enjoyed my catholic church's songs about Jesus so I guess I can ironically enjoy this one too. First Listen?: Y (no shit) Fav. Track(s): the one with the congas Rating: 2/5
Love the exotic sound. Would love to mix the songs with some house beatc
That's a NO for me.
Interesting but probably not going to be a regular listen.
Vibes a plenty, not much to go off of from my background
Didn't like this one at all.
I enjoyed this, envisioned myself surrounded by palm trees and cold drinks while waves crashed around me. It put my in a good mood.
so... I generally like this kind of music, it can be fun and energetic and tropical but the singing (musically) was a weak point and if the main balancing component to weak vocals is just bongos... it's not great. the song(s) with guitar faired much better than those of only bongos to my ears. Bongos by design and function are quite repetitive and need a solid musical balance to be effective. In the end, it just didn't feel *fun* to me, which is the only reason I ever listen to this genre of music.
Loved it. It was melodic and repetitive and chaotic.
Too interesting to review after one listen. Rhythmic, exciting, raw. Will run to it a few times to learn what it's like after a few listens. Very afro inspired Cuban drumming and singing. Liked it.
didn’t totally finish but will go back to this one. it’s been s
hispanic folk music
I couldn't figure out if this was South American or African?? It was pretty raw
Good atmosphere on this one
Pretty okay, I liked the style and this is quite raw, it's both interesting and also a bit boring. It was nice discovering but I don't think I'll listen again. 2.5/5
Decent album overall, some instrumental/vocal parts were a bit long without adding anything I felt. Liked the listening and ambiance. 3.5/5
Another background musicable latin music album. Nothing special. 1.5/5
was fine, background music
Loved the heavy reliance on percussion. The songs were driving and worth listening to.
Not my taste, so 2 stars
This is a hard one to judge - I was thinking about what I liked about it and mostly what I came up with were "at least it's not" statements or caveats. I like that it's not from the UK. I like that it's not new wave, folk rock or late 90s EDM. I like that it doesn't go for too long. I feel that it would be cool... to watch live while cooked out of my head. I liked the simplicity of it all (it's basically just drums and singing, with an occasional guitar) and the "let's just get everyone in the street to have a sing" kinda feel. But at the same time, even 40min became pretty monotonous when entire songs were nothing more than people banging drums with some halfwit screaming, cawing like a crow and making that annoying AAAAIIIAIAIAIAIAII noise over the top (and ugh, was that a fucking whistle?) I think in a fair universe, I would only give this a 2/5. But in a fair universe, I also wouldn't be subjected to PJ Harvey albums twice a week in a list of BEST MUSIC OF ALL TIME. So this gets a novelty 3/5.
The other day, as I worked in my garden, I heard someone down the block practising such rhythms on a djembé. It was hypnotic and virtuosic at the same time, like this album. Glad I discovered such a witness to the roots of much music today!
MIDDDDDD
pretty interesting mix
Great rhythms, but a little monotonous at times with the drums.
I enjoyed the Latin rhythms but felt lost because I don’t speak the language and had no context for the lyrics.
Found this more repetitive than some others in the genre.
Not my cup of tea. But good background music when you are focusing on a task.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: El Cumbanchero
Look, I love Afro-Cuban music and percussions in general, but that one in particular got tiring real fast. Sounds like they had a lot of fun doing it, but it also sounds like I had no business listening to it.
The whistle, the bongos, the off key vocals... Everything is terrible in this album. I have absolutely no idea how it got here and I honestly don't want to know.
Good, but not enough to stand out. Neither bad or good, I'll probably forgot about he existence of this album in 5 minutes
It's a cool album if you're really into cuban rumba and percs, but I don't feel it really uplifting, engaging or catchy. I'll probably even forget I ever listened to that. The guitar parts were great and refreshing, tho.
They are great.
Got better as the album wore on, but I will give it a miss
Good jazz, enjoyed the vibe
Enjoyed it, although it didn’t blow my mind or anything
Heard before: no Another album where I’m sure the context would elevate it - if I was listening to the band perform live, I might tell you it’s amazing. Listening to it while doing the dishes, however, I got lost and bored.
pretty decent but not really my thing
Not a big conga guy lol
No thanks. Old School salsa. Nothing wrong with that, but find the percussion element too dominant. Result is a lot of energy, but as well very stressed.
Drums and call and response, that’s it
en plein ce a quoi je m'attendais. Un bon band de jazz des antilles. C'est très bon 3.5
Palo Congo is a solid Latin jazz album. However, we already had Tito Puente and Machito. I would have preferred a Django Reinhardt album. (5/10) FT: El cumbanchero
Interesting
Not bad, wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again
7/5/2022 - ALBUM #159 Today's Album: "Palo Congo" by Sabu - Being another Latin jazz dance album, I yet again find myself unable to really give this album a proper review. In comparison to the other projects I've heard, this one kind of falls in line. In terms of ways that this album does stand out, I would say there is definitely a strong focus on the fast percussion and lively rhythmic expression in these tracks. When there are vocals, it often comes in the form of some sort of chant. Some are just a solo voice, while others are sort of a call and response. The track Billumba-Palo Congo for instance is mostly a backing bongo and conga as a man says a variety of lines followed by a few female vocalists repeating the same chant after each one. There is also more of an emphasis on the sound and expression of the vocals and less on the tone and range of the performances. In my personal taste, I think the album sort of gains and loses interest for me throughout the track list and the songs that are much more lively and rely mostly on the fantastic improv percussion playing are much more enjoyable than the more repetitive chanting tracks. Overall, this is a pretty unique Latin jazz album that offers a lot of variety. Give this one a listen if you like a lot of conga and bongo. Highlights: El Cumbanchero, Asabache, Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso Score: 6.5/10 Pretty enjoyable and danceable Latin Jazz album
okay. This style of music is not my favorite.
Fun latin/world!
There's something oddly ancient about this, which is not just because the record is, frankly, 65 years old; for some reason it doesn't feel like a 1957 recording made in a New York studio, it feel much older and stranger somehow. Can't explain it. Far from my usual fodder, but I like it.
CRIOLLO BUENOS DIAS!
Kind of slow towards the end of the album but makes great easy listening
Really great rhythms. Love the melodies that come from repetitive percussion. I'm also impressed to have encountered a bad stereo recording from the 50s. I didn't think that technology was available yet.
Je vois mal la pertinence de cet album dans cette liste. Surtout à cause de ce qu’on y trouve en général, mais aussi à cause de l’intérêt de celui-ci. On a plus l’impression d’un jam que d’une production musicale.
Je trouve intéressant d'avoir un album de cette année là. Il y a aussi peu d'album de musique latine. Par contre, ce n'est pas si bon ni si extraordinaire malgré certains bons moments. Sûrement qu'il y avait d'autres albums de cette époque qui auraient plus mérités d'être présentés ici.
Did not care for this.
Забавная музыка. Этника. Не моё, но прикольно. Весело.
An interesting listen, and an important "historical" document for fans of the genre (and conga players, I imagine). But I doubt even them will select this as the sort of album out of whom they take the most pleasure overall. But what do I know about those things, eh? Number of albums left to review or just listen to: more than 900, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: approximately a half so far Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter (including this one)
You can always tell when an album will be 🔥 just from the cover. Best part of this one is the first playlist recommendation on Spotify is Boogaloo Essentials
Just a nice and good time. Some killer drum work. This Sabu fellow has an interesting pedigree. I like it!
Música étnica, con indudable ritmo, mezcla con ritmos latinos igualmente. No me ha llamado nada la atención
Nandos music
So 'Sabu' was a percussionist... that makes sense. The tunes with guitar etc are delightful, but 4/8 tracks of just hypnotic drumming and vocals is a lot, even for me. Probably best experienced live, outdoors, while performing some sort of mystic ritual.
Very fun album! Hard not to dance. Very very raw though.
Rumba cubana
Wikipedia says this genre is called Cuban Rumba. Can’t argue with that; it certainly is.
This probably had its time, but by now the album is very thin. The first song had me bumping, but the vibe quickly dissipated. Highlight: 1.
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.
Didn’t mind this but got a little repetitive by the end
dancing in my chair 🕺 puts me back in Havana
I'm a sucker for Latin jazz. Love the tracks with call-and-response hooks. Lot of energy. Wish it continued through the whole thing, but the bongo-solo song kind of lost me. Favorite tracks: "Billumba-Palo Congo", "Choferito-Plana"
Aí sim, baita sonzao
Znowu egzotycznie, ale nie tak czarno jak w poprzednich dniach, bo wylosowalo klimaty kubanskie, a jak kuba to i rumba, bo takim gatukiem jest okreslana Palo Congo wedlug wiki, ale blizej temu do afro kubanskiego jazzu w swojej pierwotnie prymitywnej formie, bo jest to album z 57, dodatkowo jest to pierwsze nagranie pan Sabu, czyli Sabu Martineza, jako dyrygenta tej congowej orkiestry skladajacej sie z 5 czlonkow, dodatkowymi instrumentami jakie mozna zaslyszec na nagrania jest kontrabas i bongosy, no i elektryczna gitara, ktora jest tutaj najwiekszym zaskoczeniem na traku rhapsodia del maravilloso czy tribilín cantore, ale tak jak tytul wskazuje jest to congowy album, a nie ma chyba instrumentu ktory bardziej kojarzy niz sie z muzyka pierwotna grana u zarania dziejow jak wlasnie afrykanskie bebny, w tym wypadku kubanskie kongi, ktore na kawalkach calkowicie instrumentalnych jak asabache, czy pierwsza czesc simba potrafia wrecz zahipnotyzowac swym brzmieniem, ale nie jest to plyta calkowicie instrumentalna, bo rownie wazne jak instruemtale dla tonu tego nagrania sa takze wokale, ktore stanowia czesci centralne wokol ktorych budowana jest muzyka na wiekszosci utworow, a wokale sa prowadzone zazwyczaj w formie dialogow pomiedzy majstrem, moze konduktorem Sabu, a reszta skladu lub chorkami o kobiecych glosach powtarzajacych slowa konduktora, pomimo tego ze czlek rozumie jedno na dziesiec slow rzucanych na lewo i prawo, glownie na prawo, bo mastering zazwyczaj wrzuca wokale na prawa strone na kongosy na lewy kanal, ale nie jest to regula, bo podczas dialogow pytanie dobiega z prawej, zeby dostac odpowiedz z lewej i tak dalej, wiec niezbyt duzo zrozumialem, ale klimat odczulem na wlasnych uszach, tak jak pierwotnie moga brzmiec kongosy, takie dialogi rowniez wprowadzaja jakas ogniskowa atmosfere, wiec kolejny niespodziewany pick na tak bialej liscie, na plejke dodam otwierajacy el cumbanchero i wspomniany juz wczesniej instrumental asabache
Curiós descobriment musical. Fusió de sonoritats caribenyes, africanes amb tocs de jazz i treballs vocals sorprenents. Original i força interessant
Mais opção de música cubana.
Fun record
Interesting for exposure but I prefer more melody and instrumentation in my Cuban music, not just the rhythm.
Conga music that focuses just a bit too much solely on the rythm to provide any but a decent but not very memorable experience
Good background music. Can't say I would just go listen to this as it's not that exciting, so won't rate higher than a 3.
Fine, but not for me
good but unremarkable afro-jazz. I enjoyed it.
An optimistic album with a sunny Caribbean sound. I like the tracks where they get wild or play the guitar well. Not all the tracks offer something, but there are plenty of pleasant surprises all throughout. They know when to sing / shout, or when to just let the instruments do the work. Favorites: Choferito-Plena, Simba, Tribilin Cantore
It's hard to believe this came out in the 50s. It seems ahead of it's time.
Did absolutely nothing for me.
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.
É um ótimo álbum para se sentir animado e contagiado numa noite de sexta-feira! AMEI!
Fun album
Great jazz album! At least that is how it was listed on Apple music. Felt like fusion in some moments as well, much more focus on the drums than other instruments but also singing too. I really enjoyed this one.
Love a good Latin jazz-type album on this list, always refreshing. Some fantastic percussion on here, and the vocals are all over the place in a good way. I especially love that albums like this are from the '50s, it just feels so timeless. Shoutout to Blue Note and whoever else took the time and resources to make albums and preserve music like this. Favorite tracks: Asabache, Choferito-Plena, El Cumbanchero. Album art: Really love this, the bold colors are great. It's a simple band photo dramatically elevated by basic framing, text, and colors. Some of these old school jazz/international music covers are fantastic. 4/5
98 albums into 1001 and this is only the 3rd non-english album, and that's being generous in considering Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express as being non-english. Is this list really that myopically focused on english language albums? This album is a perfect example of why the voices of the whole world need to be included in this list. With just some congas (I'm not even sure it isn't just one) and vocals the track 'Billumba-Palo Congo' shows the purity of Sabu's energy. While other tracks bring in one or two more instruments, the album continues on in much the same way. Each track is bare bones in its arrangement, but in no way does that compromise or undermine their ability to get your feet tapping and your hips moving. The album is vivd and proof to me that I don't need to speak the same language to appreciate the impact of good music. Perhaps more "Top X" lists need to take that into consideration.
Good
Now I know where Tune Yards comes from. I wish I understood the lyrics. Flagging for later so I can grok this fully.
Definitely raised my mood
Pretty great Cuban music.
Trommels en geschreeuw, ik word er nerveus van
Dit was vast prachtig toen het uitkwam in 1957, maar nu is het niet meer door te komen.
Hier ben ik echt niet voor in de stemming. Klinkt allemaal hetzelfde.
Dit was zenuwslopend! Heb er alleen maar wat doorheen geskipt want het was echt niet te harden.
Oef. Ik hou van de Spaanse taal maar dit is ronduit afschuwelijk. M'n neuroses zijn aangewakkerd.
3.5
What the fuck?
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.
transported back to Africa
Some spots dragged in the 2nd half, overall a great showcase for Sabu Martinez.
Liked it, but have to be in the mood
Kubanska salsa ili rumba je uvijek ima rezervirano mjesto u mojim u ušima.
Jedino bih mogao slušati da je u filmu nekom u pozadini. Ovako mi ništa ne znači. Previše bubnjeva za razliku od gitare kao što je u Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso - jedina prolazna stvar.
Nisam stigo poslušat pa nisam iskreno ni mislio, however kad vidim od Bakija keca i Anite 4, reko moram. I zapravo je ovo super album, ne bih si ga nikad pustio, ali bi tipa def otišao na neki koncert toga bez razmišljanja. RESPECT!
Too much nativity drums and singing…
nope nope
not my thing at all
This was fun.
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 is something I would love to experienced in person. Just filled with alcohol and drugs dancing next to my partner late into the night. Would have been super fucking sweet. However, That's not what this is though. Maybe I've missed something, I realize there is probably some skill within the drums. But I don't super like this one at all. Felt like a headache. Maybe it's the age, the shrieking, the bad mixing. I don't know but it doesn't work for me.
I liked Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso. The rest was not for me.
Fun - hadn't heard of Sabu and this was a good listen. I'm not authoritative on this genre but it held its own with other stuff I've heard by Tito Rodriguez, Puente, etc.
I can imagine this encapsulates the Cuban sound very well but to me an average listener its just loud noises that come off as very annoying. Especially in the second track which is just frequent yelling over bongo drums. However I did actually really enjoy the opening track. It's probably something that I just don't understand but this isn't an album I would be running to tell my friends and family about.
This is so good to listen to while working, hypnotic and energetic, a+ flow
Interesting, not really clickin’ though, drums are cool, very lively. Not for me
it's good for a couple of songs as it's very different and the bongo solos are awesome, but by the end it feels like just bongos and shouting
Really didnt like.....
Loved it. Very energetic
Good music that must have been very unusual to the American ear when it was first released
Definitely never heard this and I don't feel culturally-literate enough to understand it's importance. At the risk of seeming like I'm lumping black/brown people music together, I will say that I love the polyrhythms and they remind me of a stripped down version of Fela Kuti. Eeek. Hope that's ok to say. I can't tell if I wish there were more instruments or if I like the simple arrangements. The real highlight other than the rhythms is the vocals. Lots of back-and-forth. Cool. It's good. I feel like I'm not a good judge. Giving it a three.
This is another album I'm not equipped to judge. But I'll do it. :) Pros: These songs only have percussion, one guitar, and vocals. That's actually an impressive level of simplicity. Also, I do like the "call and answer" vocals on a lot of these songs. It's fun. Cons: I don't get it. I don't really know what I'm listening to, what makes it good, who else performs in the genre, etc.
Nope
Great beats! Very inventive. I loved the song Simba.
Fuck off
A few bits are OK but mainly rubbish
This album congo fuck itself
Overall I enjoyed listening to it, but by the second song my wife made me turn it off the Sonos and listen with headphones
Muy mnie también.
Interesting, because it's so different. I'm old enough to remember when they used to play El Cumbanchero on the radio.
Great conga playing but not my style for a regular listen. Glad it was included though
Fux
Very catchy rhythms and chants, with the additional instrumentation supplementing them well
gang
interesting
I like this. Not usually what I'd chose to listen to, but it is infectious.
Nice tunes. A great album.
3.5 - Some cool polyrhythmic, call-and-response folk songs. A nice palate cleanser from all the post-punk, British electronica and Neil Young.
I respect it.
Fun but one song blended in to the next. It sounded like one long, energetic song.
Congas. Lots of congas
Yeah, it’s peppy.
Aparte muziek. Iets wat ik normaal nooit luister. Klinkt wel gezellig. Een heel album is me wel iets teveel. Heb ook geen idee of dit album beter of slechter is dan normaal. Voor mij persoonlijk leuk voor een paar nummers, maar niet helemaal lineair te luisteren. De nummers met alleen getrommel irriteren me vooral. **
Not great. Congo drums not the move
This album has been difficult for me to get into. It's more sparse than I'm used to and despite the familiar rhythms (which have appeared in western music since) the melodies remain a bit out of reach. I'm sure that says more about me than the music itself, but maybe it'll click eventually
Nice solid album
I want to be respectful of other cultures, but this ain't it. There are three tracks on this album that are worth mentioning. The others are repetitive, borderline nonsensical calls-and-response over congas. Lots and lots of congas. Congas for days. You better really like congas if you're going to pick this one up. Best track: Choferito-Plena
Really puts the "Afro-" in Afro-Cuban. Typical Latin sounds morphing into tribal beats and back. Good grooves, but really repetitive and a bit too raw for me.
Ich dachte, ich würde dieses Album gut finden. Tatsächlich finde ich es furchtbar. Bitte gerne nie wieder.
Wow, this was great. If this album doesn't make you want to move, check your pulse. Percussive and energetic with song structures that are loose and improvisational. You just have to let go, embrace the groove and stop expecting a song to go somewhere all the time. Fave songs: El Cumbanchero, Choferito Plena, Billumba-Palo Congo, Tribilin Cantore
Big fan!! ONLY four because I don't know Spanish that well. Such good music production/lighthearted tunes.
not a fan
This was interesting and a nice change, but I found it really repetitive and only really liked the tracks that had guitar. I can’t be too harsh on it though bc I think my issues were mostly just bc of me not having an ear for the genre. 6/10
Groovy beats. 8
4/10. The second song was pretty annoying. Wait, I think that might just be the whole album. The songs are so long and repetitive. The ones that are just instrumentals are actually alright, but nothing super exciting. Overall not my favorite, but nothing that stands out as awful
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 didn’t hate it but i didn’t really like it. i thought it was kinda boring and repetitive but i liked the drumming, but it was a lot of similar stuff throughout.
I might be able to chalk this up to my own ignorance but I just couldn't get too into this. Not being much of a samba fan at all, I can still give credit to the decent musicianship but I don't love the singing ("Simba" in particular is especially annoying). Maybe would be more up my alley if this were all instrumental - e.g. "Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso" is a highly enjoyable uptempo song highlighted by fantastic guitar playing. 2 stars for feeling like I can't rate it properly - just not my bag. 3/10 2 stars
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.
An album as old as me ! It wasn’t bad 3*
Liked it but its not the same when you are sat at a desk working as opposed to up and dancing.
Made me do a little jig
Definitely good sound, but don't think I'd come back to it.
It's ok.
Spanish bongo music. Fun listen