Latin music is a huge genre, and this 12-track anthology of recordings from the early 2000s (though Fruko y Sus Tesos' "Mambo No. 5" might be from the 1990s; the liner notes are unclear on that point) makes no pretense at being anything other than a selection of a dozen favorites of compiler Gerry Lyseight, who's described as a "U.K. Latin club don" on the back cover. If there's no theme or connecting concept other than Latin origin or orientation, well, at least it's refreshing that it doesn't bill itself as something it's ...
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Latin music is a huge genre, and this 12-track anthology of recordings from the early 2000s (though Fruko y Sus Tesos' "Mambo No. 5" might be from the 1990s; the liner notes are unclear on that point) makes no pretense at being anything other than a selection of a dozen favorites of compiler Gerry Lyseight, who's described as a "U.K. Latin club don" on the back cover. If there's no theme or connecting concept other than Latin origin or orientation, well, at least it's refreshing that it doesn't bill itself as something it's not. Although it might be too all-over-the-map for some tastes, and it's not notably brilliant music, Indestructible Latin Beats should be credited for a lot of diversity within its hour of playing time. It takes in Latin sounds from Brazil, Colombia, and New York; crosscultural collaborations of sorts with contributors from Australia, Italy, New Zealand, and London; and styles from the relatively traditional (salsa on Spanish Harlem Orchestra's "Un Gran Dia en el Barrio," mambo on Fruko y Sus Tesos' cover of Pérez Prado's "Mambo No. 5") to the 21st century (various blends of Latin music with rap and electronics, as well as the "reggaeton" style of 3 Pesos' "Candela," which incorporates dancehall reggae and hip-hop). If there's any common ground it's that the grooves are targeted toward the danceable, without falling into any set rhythms or speeds. On that score it succeeds, and is rather like capturing an above-average hour of a DJ-spun set you might hear at an above-average Latin music club in 2005. Indeed, it sounds like the closer, Max Sedgley's "Happy," might be aimed at tiring out partiers enough to clear the dancefloor, so maniacally does its tempo accelerate at the end. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
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