Totó La Momposina

Toto La Momposina continues to grow as an artist, as this new disc shows. And she also continues to show the wealth of music in Colombia beyond the cumbia, whether it's the very traditional-sounding "Asi Lo Grita Toto," with its wooden flute shadowing the vocal melody, or "La Paloma," where 12-string guitar and horns given an almost Cuban rural flavor to the song. The title track kicks off with a wonderfully thick swath of percussion, and quite deliberately there's more guitar on this album than on any of her previous releases, as the intention here is to integrate the pre- and post-Colombian cultures -- the indigenous and non-native (which have taken on traditions of their own over the last 600 years). That she and her group manage this so wonderfully is typical of the dedication and craft of La Momposina -- the juxtaposition of "Oye Manita" and "Bozaa Y Media (La Acabacion)," for example, stands as an object lesson is Latin American music. La Momposina is an artist, that's beyond a shadow of a doubt -- and she even connects the dots back to Africa on the closer "Mami Wata," with its wonderfully West African guitar lines and harmonies married to Latin polyryhthms -- which all originated in Africa anyway. A beautiful, positive record that manages the rare feat of being both entertaining and educational. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide