Turning the covers album concept on its head, Rhythms del Mundo: Cuba doesn't set a varied group of northern artists loose on the music made famous by
the Buena Vista Social Club, but instead sets
the Club's members lose on the northerners' own songs. Now that's an inspired idea, and all to aid charities assisting the victims of natural disasters and raising awareness of climate change. However, to call this a covers album is a bit misleading, as most of the songs feature the original vocals, and occasionally some of the original instrumentation, but it's not a remix project either, as
the Social Club add their own music to the original recordings. So, it's a grand fusion of Cuban and northern sounds. And eclectic to boot, with songs contributed by such international artists as
Quincy Jones,
Sting and
U2, as well as the likes of
Radiohead and
Coldplay. But to give the set a real frisson,
the Social Club also took on such younger, feted artists as
Franz Ferdinand,
Maroon 5,
the Kaiser Chiefs, and the so hot they're actually sizzling
Arctic Monkeys. Reaching back into the past,
Ibrahim Ferrer and
the Club also deliver up a lush cover of "As Time Goes By,"
Omara Portunondo joins
Ferrer for an equally lavish "Casablanca," and in another (and one of her final recordings) the late singer offers up a heartrending "Killing Me Softly." These numbers give the set its timeless quality; the rest its up-to-date feel. Not every song works perfectly,
Jack Johnson's vocals are a bit uncomfortable rhythmically on his version, but
Coldplay's is superb,
the Arctic Monkeys are absolutely lethal,
U2's track is stunning, and
Dido and
Faithless' is sublime. The Club brings out the sweetness and glow of
Maroon 5's song, give
the Kaiser Chiefs a wonderful Latin kick, totally reinvent
Radiohead, then give
Quincy Jones a lesson in authentic Spanish music, while trotting out their own soul credentials. Of course the musicianship is flawless, the arrangements inspired, and this mix of north and south proves that the music is not just simpatico, it was surely made for creative melding. ~ Jo-Ann Greene