Backspin (Six Degrees, 2007)
The idea behind Backspin is to recreate pop music from the past decades in a new form. Some work better than others and I’ll focus on the ones that are more inspired.
One of the gems in the CD is Ojos de Brujo‘s rendition of the Bob Marley classic Get Up stand Up. The Spanish band brings the song to the 21st century by transforming it into a fiery, socially conscious song, with English and Spanish vocals. On this occasion Ojos de Brujo mixes its trademark Flamenco rumba meets DJ culture with hot salsa and reggae.
Indian band MIDIval PunditZ does a great job with the classic rock piece Four Sticks. Its high tech Indian flavor is more than appropriate, specially when you think that the original song by led Zeppelin had South Asian influences. Meanwhile, Californian band Los Mocosos make a grooving ska-reggae version of The Bed’s Too Big Without You.
The remaining piece that caught my attention was Banco de Gaia’s remake of the classic Pink Floyd song Echoes. This track is definitely not world music, but it’s excellent trippy spacey music that makes your mind explore unchartered territories.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
