Putumayo

Unless you’re very rich or a very lucky record reviewer you might want to be a bit prudent instead of going out and splurging thousands of dollars on the 102 records that Putumayo had released by 2003. Of course the latter would be better for your everlasting soul but this tasty 2CD sampler will certainly whet your appetite even if it doesn’t fill you up. Moreover it is a helluva lot cheaper.

The range of music available on Putumayo is staggering. While some may criticise Putumayo for hoeing the middle ground in its quest for accessibility the fact remains that it is also a quest for diversity and the quality of the music ranges from good to brilliant. This collection is very good indeed and fulfils the Putumayo credo of diversity, quality and accessibility. I’m not going to list the songs or artists but they are outstanding musical examples from the worlds of samba, salsa, North African rai, reggae, zouk, chimurenga, the French Caribbean, zydeco etc and are a compatible entrée from the African and both American continents as well as assorted islands.

Volume 2 also contains musical videos of Nigerian band Kotoja, Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca performing the swinging salsa “Mambo Yo Yo” and a brief video entitled The Putumayo Story. So unless you’ve invested in more than a couple of dozen Putumayo releases you’re unlikely to have more than a 2 or 3 of the 24 titles here. Recommended.