Los Super Seven: Canto : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Latino music styles collide as Los Super Seven, a loose, revolving collective of eight musicians, reconvenes to explore territories introduced on its 1998 one-off debut. Part tribute to the Tejano/Ranchero sounds of Mexico with tastes of Cuba and Brazil, among other countries, in the mix, Canto could be two records in one. Principle members David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos join singers like Ruben Ramos on the straightforward Tejano orchestra number, "Compay Gato," traditional Mexican instrumentation and flavor serve Rick Trevino's "Paloma Guarumera" and "El Que Siembra Su Maiz." Things shift gears when Brazilian Tropicalia superstar Caetano Veloso enters with the skewed, acoustic samba "Baby," a song he wrote for Seventies psychedelicized group, Os Mutantes. Peruvian vocalist Susana Baca's cabaret number "Drumi Mobilia" sounds equally of another world. By journey's end, it's clear each Latin country on the map deserves to get the Super Seven treatment. Viva Los Super Eight!

(DENISE SULLIVAN)