Luisito Quintero
Louie Vega Presents: Percussion Madness
Rapster/Inertia

Many curious listeners will be captured by this album by the mention of renowned house music producer, 'Little' Louie Vega on the album cover. And fair enough, with the musical pedigree and brilliance such as Vega's one cannot go past any productions with the Vega trademark. Additionally, many will expect that this will nonetheless result in an album full of fresh, funky Latin house tunes that will end up in every house DJ's crate, heavily rotated in dance floors all around the world.

But if you can, in just this instance, look past this hallowed name and focus on Luisito Quintero, for he is a definite talent in himself. One of the best Latin music percussionists around, this Venezuelan-born musician made a name for himself when he toured with Oscar D'Leon, leading to initiating musical clinics and recorded works, as well as live collaborations with high profile Latin artists such as Tito Puente, Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan and Eddie Palmieri. And this album is a great showcase of his enormous talents, delivering a buffet of Latin treats ranging from Afrobeat, Bossa Nova and Latin Jazz.

The title track, and album opener, is a great introduction to Quintero if you have not heard any of his works before. The pure energy and the passion that he elicits, encapsulates what Latin percussion is all about. He shows his musical diversity with the Afro-Latin tracks M'Bongi, Gbagada Gbagada Gbogodo Gbogodo and Oshagri–a, but shows his true Latin soul with the carnival style of Quintero's Jam and the smooth Latin jazz of Aquilas Coisas Todas and a remake of Ray Barretto's Acid. Quintero also impresses with more contemporary productions of Our Love (featuring the lovely vocals of AnanŽ) and Love Remains The Same (featuring superstar House music outfit Blaze).

Don't think that Quintero is riding on the coat tails of being in Louie Vega's stable of artists. He is an enormous talent and this album shows the great musical breadth that he, as a percussionist, can create. A definite must for the broad minded, looking to add an extra spice in their musical collection.

Leo Varona