11. Sabu - Polo Congo [1957]

11. Sabu - Polo Congo [1957]

If I've not heard a lot of the albums on this list I can at least say I'm aware of them or the artists that recorded them. I regularly read or watch things on various different types of music I don't even listen to simply in the hope that I may understand them and get into them one day.
Having said that, this album came out of the blue to me, this is the first time I have ever heard of this album.

After reading a little I find out that the 'Sabu' is Louis 'Sabu' Martinez, a talented percussionist and conga player who had done the rounds in various jazz bands with some big names and that this album is Afro / Cuban jazz with influences from Spain, Western Africa, Cuba & Caribbean influences.
Cool, but do I really want to listen to someone banging on the congas for 40 minutes?

We shall see

The opening track 'El Cumbanchero' is kind of interesting because to me it sounds like a modern dance song just with the beats taken out. Add some beats and I could easily see this on one of those modern day cheesy dance compilations probably called something like 'Latin Dance 2014' or 'Havana After Dark' with a cartoon drawing of some half naked olive skinned woman peering out of the cover. The second track 'Billumba-Palo Congo' is even better. It's just a guy hammering the shit out of his bongos while some guy yells his head off. It's fucking fantastic. It sounds like some small African Country is about to declare war on it's neighbour.

'Choferito-Plena' is where the spanish element comes in with the bongos taking the back seat and the guitars taking centre stage for this kind of ballad. 'Asabache' is a 4 minute 25 minute bongo solo and it at this point that the album begins to lose it's novelty value. 'Simba' tries to emulate 'Billumba-Palo Congo' but doesn't quite have the energy or fun of that song. 'Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso' picks things back up again. There's something rather erratic and dissonant about this song, almost like it could have been made up on the spot. It's kind of interesting that to me it sounds a lot of a latin version of Can. 'Aggo Elegua
' continues the percussion & chanting theme which to be honest is starting to wear a little thin at this point.
The album finishes with the Spanish guitar flavoured 'Tribilin Cantore' which while charming enough could easily lose a couple of minutes in length.

On the whole I enjoyed listening to this, when you knew what you weren't going to get next it was fun finding out. Shame it only lasts till halfway through, although it does pick up again towards the end again.
Would I listen to this album the whole way through again?
Probably not
Would I listen to the occasional song off this album just to throw in something random into a playlist?
Most definitely.

Rating 3.5 / 5