Rating:
Genre:
New Age
Release Date: 02/14/2006
In some cases, there is a disparity between the way an artist perceives his/her recording and how the listener perceives it. That isn't to say that the recording is necessarily a disappointment -- it could simply be a case of the recording having one appealing flavor instead of another. And
Cafe Santa Fe is a good example. In the liner notes, this instrumental collaboration between
Soulfood's
DJ Free and
Ra Music's
Ron Cohen is described as a combination of chillout/
downtempo electronica and the flavor of the Southwestern desert. Well, the chillout/
downtempo part is accurate, but the
Latin flavor that prevails is generally often more Spain than New Mexico or Arizona. When one thinks of
Latin music in the American Southwest, one thinks of regional Mexican music -- the Mexican culture is as strong in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and California as the Cuban culture is in Miami -- and
Cafe Santa Fe, for the most part, really feels more like a journey from Madrid to Valencia (by way of North Africa) than a journey from El Paso to Santa Fe to Tucson.
Cafe Santa Fe is really a place where
electronica's chillout/
downtempo aesthetic meets
nuevo flamenco more than a place where
electronica's chillout/
downtempo aesthetic meets
norteño,
tejano,
ranchera,
duranguense, or
mariachi (which isn't to say that regional Mexican music doesn't have Spanish influences -- it has plenty of them, certainly).
"Kiva," with its Native American vibe, is arguably the disc's most Southwest-sounding track. But regardless of whether one thinks of
Cafe Santa Fe as more Spain or more Southwestern U.S., this laid-back CD is a thoughtful example of
electronica and
world music coming together. The performances have both charm and character, making
Cafe Santa Fe one of the more noteworthy chillout/
downtempo releases of early 2006.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
;)
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