TimeZone's somewhat confusingly named
Cleopatra Cafe collects Latin, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean dance-pop, including
Shad's "Habibi," Kiko Menendez's "Me Gustas TV," and Trio Mafua's "Incompatibilidad de Genios." While this combination of styles might seem incongruous on paper, it works surprisingly well in practice, with the rhythms and melodies of each track complementing the others.
Luc Cherki's "Ectah Ya Mahboul,"
Ragheb Alama's "Ahle Nar," and Gulseren's "Ruya" fall closer to the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean end of the spectrum, while Christian Reyes' "Que Locura," Barabba's "Corazon Espinado," and
Chocolate's "Loreley" represent the Latin side of the collection. Another highlight is
los Fernandos' gypsy-fied cover of "Hotel California," which adds another interesting twist to the collection. While the genre and style-bending on
Cleopatra Cafe might frustrate some purists, on the whole it's a festive collection of pan-cultural party music.