I've harbored a neurotic infatuation with Luaka Bop for ten years. The obsessive eye for detail and ferreting out good music from countries whose music was not readily available in the U.S. made their releases very coveted items. David Byrne's efforts to bring contemporary Cuban and Brazilian music to American ears deserve special recognition, otherwise recordings from singers like Silvio Rodriguez and Tom Ze could only be found during trips abroad. Luaka Bop went beyond Latin America, exploring Asian music as well. The latest release, Zero Accidents on the Job, is a fantastic 2 CD sampler to the uninitiated and an excellent greatest hits album for fans.
CD 1 is all about the "Steamy Hits" and CD 2 is " Slow Jams". African, Latin American, Asian, European- only a few regions of the world are left out. Some highlights are the fusions that have taken place: Ry Cooder and Shoukichi Kina on "Jing Jing", David Byrne and Selena on "God' Child" and Zap Mama with Black Thought on "Rafiki".
Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha" gets the CD jumping. Stuck in adolescence, Los Amigos Invisibles come on with "Sexy". The ethereal Peruvian chanteuse Susana Baca translates dream into song on "Maria Lando". Where else but here would Jim White's "Book of Angels" and Irakere's "Bacalao con pan" end up together?
The Brazilians and the Cubans dominate the compilation. Jorge Ben, Tom Ze, Martinho Davila, Silvio Rodriguez, Los Van Van and Os Mutantes among others have a contribution.
Dozens of labels now offer world music. Luaka Bop is a big reason why.
Luaka Bop Zero Accidents On The Job
