Senor Coconut: Fiesta Songs : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Having debuted three years ago with a collection of Latinized Kraftwerk songs he put together all by himself, the German DJ known as Senor Coconut wisely hired an actual conjunto ensemble for Fiesta Songs. The band's bouncy rhythms and seductive Latin textures are bright and plenty danceable, and they jibe well with the subtle scratchings and effects Coconut adds to the mix. But the goofy cover songs here -- including "Smoke on the Water" and "Beat It" -- don't stand up to repeated listens; you wonder if Coconut and Co. are destined only to entertain drunken businessmen waiting around for the next Jimmy Buffett show. The traditional Latin songs on the album are less jokey, which makes you wonder what exactly the point is. Muy loco, to be sure, and also muy lightweight.

CHRISTIAN HOARD
(RS 929, August 21, 2003)