Techarí

by

Ojos de Brujo

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Marina & Co. have released another stunning album. They have managed to push the boundaries of flamenco even further with increasingly flawless fusion here is a brief summary of the tracks:

1.Color

Gypsy funk fusion so perfectly executed its hard to tell where the gypsy ends and the funk begins. An upbeat opening track.

2.Sultanas de Merkaillo

Straightforward rumba-menco(or flamenco rumba).

3.Todo Tiende

Bhangra(music from Punjab in India) meets Flamenco. Interestingly enough India is the ancestral home of the gypsies so its somewhat of a "family reuinon". Marina and Maxwell also bust some vicious rhymes.

4.Runali

Afro-Rumba-menco with a hint of Ragga in the vocals. Marina throws in a few Yoruba words and Senegalese Mc Faada Freddy sings in Wolof & English (I'm just assuming its because that it the language of Senegal's largest tribe).

5.El Confort no Reconfortar

Hip Hop beats, with a few Flamennco flourishes thrown in.

6.Tanguillos Marineros

The title says it all, no explanation needed.

7.Silencio

Drum & Bass meets flamenco.

8.No Somos Maquinas

A downbeat number that sounds abit like Memorias Perdidas from Bari.

9.Bailaores

More Rumba-menco.

10.Corre Lola Corre

Reggae and a dash of flamenco.

11. Feedback

More Gypsy funk. Marina also adds a few hi-speed mantras in an Indian language that I can't identify.

12. Piedras Vs. Tanques

Even more Rumba-menco.

13. Respira

Gypsy funk, wicked bassline and complex beats.

14. Nana

Downbeat album closer that fades to silence followed by a hidden track.

If you enjoyed Bari and Vengue then this album is right up your alley. Ojos de Brujo have added a brass section in many of their songs, it was on a few tracks of their previous album but it is more prominent on Techari. I think that this album surpasses its predecessors in many respects. Techari is a mesmerising musical experience that won't disappoint.

A good but all things considered unexceptional offering. The much-hyped "originality" of the group fails to materialize on this same-old same-old album. If you really love Spanish guitar music then add this album to your collection, though be warned that you will wince hearing the hip-hop added to some songs. But if you ignore, as you should, those tracks, you have a perfectly serviceable background noise album. Alas, except for Flamenco fans, there isn't much to recommend it to anyone. The Techari Remixes CD is better and shows some interesting originality.