VARIOUS ARTISTS
Yallah Amigos (TZ Records)
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes

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Would you be interested in some hot, brassy Latin grooves from the Old World? Then Yallah Amigos, a sexy little compilation of twelve dance cuts from around the Mediterranean, is just the ticket. The best cuts are a clubby take on salsa by several Spanish artists. Accordingly most lyrics are in Spanish, but there are also interesting tracks from unusual places like Turkey and Egypt that feature other languages.

Lyrics aren't really the point though, this is dance music. Favorite cuts include "Salta" and "Ai Ai Ai" both by Los Locos, "Rohta Fain" by Mustafa Hilal, "Toma Vitamina" by Sara Y Puentes and the title track by Mar Castro and Maurice Raad, which are seriously hot salsa with plenty of hooks and sometimes a touch of rap that would be at home in any Latin club.

Playing party music can be a tricky business for a deejay. Sometimes things the crowd hasn't heard before fall flat, but most of the cuts on this CD will jump right in the mix and keep the crowd dancing as easily as Ricky Martin, Shakira or the Spanish offerings of Jennifer Lopez. This is a great little addition to the ole dance toolbox. Baila amigos!

Track List:

Yallah Amigos (Mar Castro and Maurice Raad) * Los Latidos Del Corazon (Latidos Der Sur) * Sozum Dinle (Burak Aziz) * Rohta Fain (Mustafa Hilal) * Ai AI AI (Los Locos) * Odi DesMeganis (Addis) * Asereje (Las Nenas) * Alf Lila Wa Lila (Hana El Sakran) * Kieh Kieh (Mera) * Toma Vitamina (Sara Y Puentes) * Tala Lil (Sahara Girls) * Salta (Los Locos)

[Pick this up at www.musicboxla.com.]

© 2003 - Rusty Pipes