Diego Baliardo: Este Ritmo

There may be readers who are looking for a primer on readily memorizable Spanish words and phrases for that first trip to Mexico or Spain. The track list on Diego Baliardo's Este Ritmo ( This Rhythm) is a good place to start. The titles on the eleven tracks in question, starting with "Me Voy a la Playa" (I'm Going to the Beach) to "El Loco" (Crazy) are not just useful catch phrases, but infectious music that keeps on giving.

The Gypsy Evolution is the latest iteration of the original Gipsy Kings which emanated in France in the late 1980s. That style had its foundation in the Romani culture, and was made famous by the great Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. The music is an infectious blend of flamenco, Latin, reggae, and jazz guitar served up in a tightly knit format.

Believing that the family that plays together stays together, leader Diego Baliardo has enlisted his two grandsons and brothers Marlon and Gibson Baliardo to play guitar and sing back-up vocals. The latter brought along a couple of friends, namely bassist Antoine Ona and percussionist Pacheco Rodolfo to round out the group.

The opening track, "Me Voy a la Playa," like all the others on this album, was written and arranged by Diego Baliardo, and filled with his vivid and wistful vocals underpinned by his spirited rhythm guitar. This is not meant to imply that all the music is the same, for it is not. While the underpinnings come from the same source, the band delivers a thoroughly textured blend of styles, whether it lopes along on "No Tengo Dinero" or has a wistful beat on "Mi Niño" or a more intimate frame on "Cara Bonita." On the title track, the flamenco heritage of this music is readily apparent with the interjection of hand clapping adding to the tradition.

A distinctive debut release from The Gypsy Evolution.