Tambo

While much is made of the larger instrument sounds of Puerto Rico, little has been done to expose the rootsy percussion and vocal tradition of the bomba and the plena. Paracumbé are one of those "national folkloric" groups that often blend colorful costumes with stilted performances, but this band is nothing of the sort. The bomba is a hard edged, percussion music made for accompanying a duo of male and female dancers. Plena is a song style with both African and European influences, made for singing and accompanied by accordions, thumb piano, cuatro, and guitars, with only light percussion. For a band that plays both styles, the results are remarkably exciting, alive, and free of any tourist pandering taint. --Louis Gibson