Mambo Sinuendo

Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban's musical partenrship rose out of the phenomenal breakthrough 'Buena Vista Social Club' album project, their new album 'Mambo Sinuendo' builds on this sound, perfectly fusing Ry Cooder's laid back North American country vibe with Manuel's rocking Cuban guitar. Ry Cooder's collaboration with Cuban guitar legend Manuel Galb?n hearkens back to a point in the late 1950s when Cuban popular music began to hint at a fusion of American pop-jazz and the futuristic creations of modern Cuban composers (such as Perez Prado). Borne along by the mid-century mambo and cha-cha-cha crazes, the hot sounds of mambo-jazz spread out into American popular culture - Perez Prado was Vegas-bound; Stan Kenton hit the road with his 'Cuban Fire' orchestra; Henry Mancini scored Touch of Evil ? la Prado; and Duane Eddy had a top-10 hit with the mambo-esque 'Theme from Peter Gunn'. But nowhere can there be found a more perfect representation of this style than in the recordings of the Havana doo-wop quartet Los Zafiros, still after 40 years the most popular Cuban vocal group of all time. As Los Zafiros's guitarist and arranger, Manuel Galb?n pioneered a tough, rocking guitar style that is considered by Cuban musicians to be unique in their music.
For 'Mambo Sinuendo', Cooder has enlisted the bassist for all the 'Buena Vista Social Club' sessions, Orlando 'Cacha?to' L?pez. The percussionists include longtime collaborator Jim Keltner; Cooder's son, Joachim Cooder, another Buena Vista veteran; and the conga master Miguel 'Ang?' D?az. 'Mambo Sinuendo' reintroduces Manuel Galb?n - pianist, organist, and guitarist extraordinaire, as Cuban electric-guitar reinterprets the atmosphere of the 1950s with beauty, agility, and simplicity. Two electric guitars, two drum sets, congas and bass: a sexteto that swings like a big band and penetrates the mysteries of the classic tunes. This music is powerful, lyrical, and funny - what more could you ask? 'Mambo Sinuendo' is Cuban soul and high-performance twang.