Zirindanga

Review by Alphonse Leong

Nothing like sunny sounds from the Island (Vancouver Island, that is) to melt the grey skies away and make your glass of orange juice start tasting like a margarita. Kumbia are described in the liner notes as a "spicy fusion of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, Latin beats, and New Orleans R&B," and they feature tasty congas, sharp percussive guitar and irrepressibly cheerful vocals. Singer Edgar Acevedo and his mates wallow in sugary romance ("Frutica"), peppy dance ("My Island," one of only two sung in English) and general exuberance in being alive ("Zirindanga"). It's the Caribbean component that I hear most: I'm picking up allusions to "limbo rock" ("Mami") and hints of ska and reggae ("Chele Lloron," "Congalypso").

The scenic cover photo looks inviting (that there are no scantily clad women in it shows some restraint), but I gotta wonder, is it really that fun living on the Island?!?

Artist Contact Info: P.O. Box 5601, Station 'B', Victoria, B.C., Canada, V8R 6S4