Grupo Arcano - "Desde El Otro Lado Del East River" CD Review

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Grupo Arcano's Desde El Otro Lado Del East River is an exciting debut album in the field of Salsa music. This talented group of musicians have come up with an eight-track CD that provides a refreshing sound to the foundations of Salsa music. Let's take a look at the music behind this production.

A Refreshing Salsa Dura Experience

Desde El Otro Lado Del East River is first and foremost, a Salsa dura album.

Throughout all the songs, you can easily taste that unmistakable flavor of the original sound of Salsa that was forged in the 1970s. However, this is the 21st century and Arcano's biggest achievement relies on their ability to deliver a work whose sound is quite refreshing.

In other words, Desde El Otro Lado Del East River provides a refreshing experience to Salsa dura. This album does not try to copy the old good stuff but rather it borrows the essence of the original sound to produce a unique selection of songs that are loyal to both the past and present of Salsa music.

To this regard, the single "Esa Mujer," represents a good commitment between the past and present of Salsa. I was, in fact, surprised to find a song like this here. Enhanced by the romantic singing style of Hector Luis Pagan, "Esa Mujer" encompasses a good cross-over between the beats of hard and romantic Salsa.

Besides "Esa Mujer," Desde El Otro Lado Del East River shines with tracks such as "Lluvia Viene," "Un Tipo Sala'o" and "La Maya," an amazing Son Montuno single.

If you are into good Salsa, you are going to like these tracks.

Experimental Sound

One of the resons why Desde El Otro Lado Del East River offers a refreshing experience is because of its unique musical arrangements. In fact, hardly any song on this album is predictable, something quite rare in today's Salsa.

I have been listening to Salsa throughout my whole life and very often is easy to predict the way a track will undfold. However, Grupo Arcano has adorned every single song with fine arrangements capable of taking the predictable factor away. To illustrate this, I love the way the last segment of "Esa Mujer" is introduced by the simple key of the guiro. Likewise, the middle part of "Un Tipo Sala'o" is dominated by unique brass sessions that seem almost disconnected with the way the melody was built before that point.

On top of all this experimental sound, you are in front of a group of talented musicians who play their instruments in a fantastic way. In addition to this, the members of Arcano come from diverse musical backgrounds that include Jazz, Merengue, Funk, and even Classical music.

'Desde El Otro Lado Del East River' - Bottom Line

If you are into good Salsa, I highly recommend Desde El Otro Lado Del East River. This is definitely a solid debut album that honors the sounds of the past in a refreshing way. If you are into dancing Salsa music, this production will keep your feet moving from the other side of the East River and beyond.

'Desde El Otro Lado Del East River' - Best Tracks