| Grupo Fantasma |
| Written by Danté Dominick | |
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The timbale rumble conjures a ‘70s Super Fly riff from the horn section; soaring, reverbed electric guitar sears underneath, giving way to polished cumbia rhythm and acid-jazzy wah-wah. This all in the first 30 seconds as “El Sabio Soy Yo” opens Sonidos Gold with seemingly impossible musical dexterity and Latin funk bombast. In other words, true to form for the 10-piece psycho-salsa orchestra Grupo Fantasma. While the fourth Grupo release (third studio recording) follows suit with earlier efforts, Sonidos Gold undoubtedly has a more complete feel. It was hard to imagine the larger-than-life sound could stand room for it, but cuts like “Arroz con Frijoles” and “Rumba y Guaguanco” show the traditional-Latin meets Harlem-soul base had space for stretching. Guest keys on “Rumba y Guaguanco” from Fania All-Star legend Larry Harlow uncover the lid on a major Grupo influence.Meanwhile, Grupo’s funky cousin, Brownout (a side project that shares eight Grupo members), has steered a couple numbers to tilt heavier in the James Brown direction. “Gimme Some” was in fact a Brownout song; the band quickly wrote lyrics in the studio and Grupo-fied it, then adding another layer of funk with famous sax master Maceo Parker guesting on lead. The territory covered on Sonidos Gold is remarkable, and it makes it easy to see why Prince was instantly blown away when he first heard Grupo Fantasma. While that relationship helped spread Grupo to a larger audience, recordings such as this will outdo even the influence of the great Purple One. |
GRUPO FANTASMA