On this spirited second effort, that Grammy-grabbing gaggle of Tex-Mex troubadours Los Super Seven recruit new members from further South of the border and beyond. Veterans Ruben Ramos, Rick Trevino, and
Los Lobos's David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas are joined here by Brazilian songwriter-poet
Caetano Veloso, Afro-Peruvian diva
Susana Baca, and Cuban-born frontman of the
Mavericks Ruben Malo, making for a truly Pan-American supergroup. Fittingly, there's at least as much
sabor Cubano in the pot this time as there is
Mexicano. Malo delivers his wistful trill on the Cuban chestnut "Siboney," set in the spare, impressionistic haze that so marked the early '90s work of Los Lobos. The ether lingers on in the brisk "Calle Dieceseis," with Hidalgo casting his shadowy narration over spiraling, smoky guitars. "Me Voy Pa' Pueblo" is merry cha-cha territory, while "Compay Gato" bumps along like a
cumbia and
son montuno thrown in a blender with Marc Ribot's guitar. Baca proves to have a sweet and luscious way with a lullaby on "Drumi Drumi Mobila," with its soft swells of cello, box drum, and recorder. Veloso's quiet bossa, "Qualquem Coisa," further extends the rhythmic geography, and his organ-laden -- if tongue-in-cheek -- take on "Baby" makes a welcome tribute to Brazil's psychedelic heyday. Country crooner Rick Trevino injects some Tex-Mex doo-wop into the Trio Matamoros tune "El que Siembre su Maiz," and soars on the mariachi swing of "Paloma Guaramera." Brushed with strokes of whimsy, humor, and elegance, this is sprawling roots music that transcends borders and generations.
![Xanadu [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0008811185725_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Xanadu [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]")
