Bobi Cespedes Rezos

Latin Beat Magazine, Feb, 2003 by Luis Tamargo

Propelled by her mighty and graceful vocals, mostly in conjunction with the daring, avant-garde arrangements of pianist/flutist Oriente López (Afrocuba's former commander-in-chief), Gladys "Bobi" Céspedes' long-awaited solo debut combines--in a very tasteful and organic manner--ancient call-and-response Lucumí invocations and liturgical drumming with modern dance grooves, Latin jazz riffs, funky electric guitar episodes, sitar and tabla breaks, big band references, subtle touches of British electronica, and popular Antillean rhythms (from son and chachach to soca and reggae).

In addition to the aforesaid Afrocuba defector, Bobi's science-fiction team is enhanced with such talented characters as percussionist Humberto "Nengue" Hernández and electric bassist Rahsaan Fredericks. Despite the abuse inflicted upon the musical proletariat, the Cuban-born diva's refreshingly distinctive solo debut demonstrates, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that one must return to the roots in order to conceptualize any valuable and effective alternatives.