Rumba Baby Rumba! is an album by the American band Bio Ritmo, released in 1998.[2][3] The band supported the album by touring with Squirrel Nut Zippers.[4]

Rumba Baby Rumba!
Studio album by
Released1998
GenreRumba, salsa
LabelTriloka/Mercury[1]
ProducerJeffrey Lesser
Bio Ritmo chronology
Salsa Galactica
(1997)
Rumba Baby Rumba!
(1998)
Bio Ritmo
(2004)

Production

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Recorded at Sound of Music, in Richmond, Virginia, the album was produced by Jeffrey Lesser.[5][6] The music was written and arranged by band leader Rene Herrera in four weeks.[7][8] The band's record company encouraged them to incorporate more pop elements.[9] "Tequila" is a cover of the Champs' song.[5] "Night Music" is an interpretation of Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik.[10]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [11]
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide     [12]

Orlando Weekly wrote that, "like the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Bio Ritmo transcends rote revivalism by allowing their natural eccentricities and modern inclinations to strut."[13] Newsday stated: "Tongue well in cheek, Rumba Baby Rumba! is a joy... Bio Ritmo ably combines the energy of swing with the percussive flavor of salsa and son."[14] The Morning Call considered the album "loaded with lively, catchy numbers that sound as if they're coming straight out of Havana."[15]

The Orlando Sentinel thought that "original Herrera compositions such as 'Yo Soy la Rumba' and 'Sientate Ahi' are fine contributions to the Afro-Cuban repertoire."[16] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette determined that, "despite the Bio Ritmo's largely inauthentic origins, the band seems to have passed the credibility test."[17] The Philadelphia Inquirer opined that "the band's own humor-inflected, bilingual tunes mark the high point of its salsa madness."[18]

AllMusic called the album a "sensual and kinetic collection of contemporary Latin rhythms."[11]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Yo Soy la Rumba" 
2."Call Me Up (644-7215)" 
3."Bin Bin" 
4."What I Want to Say" 
5."You Killed My Love" 
6."Tequila" 
7."Ugly" 
8."Un Carnaval en la Habana" 
9."You Rule Over Me" 
10."Una Palabra" 
11."Sientate Ahi" 
12."Night Music" 

References

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  1. ^ "Rhythm & Views (August 13 – August 19, 1998)". Tucson Weekly.
  2. ^ "Bio Ritmo Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Malkin, Nina (Aug 1998). "Music to move you". Mademoiselle. Vol. 104, no. 8. p. 134.
  4. ^ Reece, Doug (Aug 22, 1998). "Popular Uprisings". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 34. p. 14.
  5. ^ a b Harrison, Don (November 25, 2014). "The Salsa Machine". Richmond Magazine.
  6. ^ Verna, Paul (Aug 1, 1998). "Rumba Baby Rumba!". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 31. p. 18.
  7. ^ Shuster, Fred (23 July 1998). "Salsa: Hot Dance Bands Energize Latin Tradition". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L12.
  8. ^ Sculley, Alan (27 Nov 1998). "Struggling for Freedom and a Beat". Daily Press. p. C12.
  9. ^ Long, Colleen. "The national craze for all things Latino has cha-cha'd its way to Richmond". Style Weekly.
  10. ^ Warminsky, Joe (Aug 30, 1998). "Bio Ritmo delivers Latin lessons". Potomac News. p. E10.
  11. ^ a b "Rumba Baby Rumba". AllMusic.
  12. ^ MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 84.
  13. ^ "Rumba Baby Rumba!". Orlando Weekly.
  14. ^ Torres, Richard (16 Aug 1998). "Spicing Up Swing and Flamenco". Newsday. p. D19.
  15. ^ Condran, Ed (24 Apr 1999). "Dance Band Bio Ritmo Doesn't Swing That Way". The Morning Call. p. A43.
  16. ^ Gettelman, Parry (9 Oct 1998). "Bio Ritmo – Maybe Call It 'Swalsa'". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 8.
  17. ^ Mervis, Scott (30 Oct 1998). "Ready to Rumba". Arts & Entertainment. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 24.
  18. ^ Beckley, Fred (27 Aug 1999). "On Rumba Baby Rumba! (Triloka), Bio Ritmo proves conclusively...". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 20.