Amparanoia - La Vida Te Da (Wrasse)

Popularly identified with the ‘mestizo’ style exemplified by Manu Chao, Spain’s Amparanoia likewise draw from many musical traditions: Son from Cuba, Columbian rhythms and a big dose of Jamaican ska and reggae, but retain elements distinctly rooted in the Iberian peninsula. With a reputation for an energetic live performance, I was a touch surprised by how safe things were on the front 9. Turns our all the action is in the 4 bonus tracks: all the fun (‘Permites madrecita’), risk (‘Jungle 3’) and folly (a totally misguided cover of Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’) appear in the last 20 minutes. After 4 spins I’m still not 100% sold on the music. Nevertheless, three shamelessly subjective facts regarding leader Amparo Sanchez compel me to recommend this CD. 1) she is from Granada; 2) she cites Lhasa de Sela and Joey Burns (Calexico) as inspiration; 3) she performed live well into the eight month of her latest pregnancy. Nothing delusional about those choices.