ALBUM REVIEW : ESCUCHE FAMILIA !…read more
Carlos de Nicaragua's real name is Carlos Wiltshire, but -- as his story goes - this stage name is the combination of his home country designation and the Indian chief, Nicaraocai. Some moments during this five-song release bring reggaeton to mind, with its mixture of Latin rhythms and reggae toasting. But Nicaragua's blend is a far more organic one. "Sensemaya", which one guesses is about the Rasta's overwhelming religious fervor for herb, (though one must know "Sensemaya" is an original poem by Nicolas Guillen meaning "A song to Kill a Snake", the sacred herb and the snake therefore creating a strong dual symbol) opens with a blazing Santana-like electric guitar intro before going into a fairly straight ahead salsa groove, complete with swaying rhythms and punctuating horns. With it, reggaeton is the last thing on the listener's mind. While much of Nicaragua's musical inspiration reveals deep Latin roots, "Sensemaya", and especially "Babylon La Prostituta", are directly connected to roots reggae. And you don't need to remember all your high school Spanish to pick up on how he compares Babylon, our corrupt modern culture, with the world's oldest profession. It's kinda obvious. He doesn't so much sing these songs as speak them, like a soapbox preacher. While he calls the relatively tame Paris, France his home now, it's more than likely he's seen his share of political and social corruption back in volatile Nicaragua( 1974, 1979 ) . As with the best reggae, Nicaragua's music is primarily filled with anger and vitriol. Even so, "Oye Mujer" offers a welcome, sweet break from all the musical protest. Maurice Coppola's soulful organ and Rick Gautier's jazzy flute particularly shine during this softer track, which also features a strong backing chorus. Gautier also throws down a wonderful R&B saxophone solo at the end of this one, as an exclamation point. This brief disc ends with its most reggae-fied number, "Fuego En El 23". Although it also includes plenty of Latin percussion and horns, the pumping rhythm is clearly derived from island reggae. Nicaragua's shouts of "Rastafari!" only add to this track's overall reggae vibe. Nicaragua's vocal, while a little bit rap, still retains a melodic feel. It's hard to explain, but he just doesn't come off unmusical as some lesser rappers do. Nicaragua's backing band is called his 'Familia', although this is not family in the genetic sense of brothers, sisters, mother, father, sons, daughters. Instead, it's like Willie Nelson's Family Band, which has been together so long, it's like a family now. There are fifteen musicians on this release, which is far larger than most bands. Heck, they could sport their own basketball team i When it comes to modern music, there are few new things under the sun. We hardly expect brand new, innovative styles to emerge upon the scene anytime soon - all the new streets have been explored. What is exciting, however, is the continuing fusion of various styles. So while reggaeton may have mixed reggae with Puerto Rican, Carlos de Nicaragua mixes so much more into the pot (the bowl, not the drug, by the way). There's reggae and Latin sounds, yes, but also Santana's rock & roll as well as indigenous influences from his native Nicaragua. This self-titled release is just a taste of what the man can do. Yet I'd love to hear what might happen if Nicaragua mixed it up with David Byrne or Peter Gabriel, two rockers deeply involved in world music. I'm sure they could help Nicaragua create a killer full-length. But for now, this small sampling will have to last you.
Dan MacIntosh
