John Santos & Omar Sosa La Mar

Latin Beat Magazine, Feb, 2003 by Luis Tamargo

Consisting of seven originals and a couple of latter-day adaptations of Afro-Cuban liturgical chants, La Mar is ah outstanding session led by the Frisco-Rican percussive catalyst John Santos (Orestes Vilató's workaholic but creative godson) and Cuba's eccentric but imaginative pianistic ambassador to la madre patria--the one and only Omar Sosa, who offered the following declaraton about the mutual motive behind this artistic alliance: "Unity of the spirit has once again put us at the table so that we can savor the delicious cuisine of the ancestros ... I believe that this has been the reason for La Mar."

Such common spiritual ground is reflected in three uplifting duo settings, as well as six additional tracks enriched with the rotational and variable contributions of certain valuable guests, including but not limited to steel drummer Andy Narell and bassist Rahsaan Fredericks. The repertoire is rather eclectic, from the Lucumí tribute of Niño Santo to the changüí-rooted El Cementerio to the truly global perspective of Abuela, which blends instruments from such seemingly different lands as Cuba, Brazil, Trinidad-Tobago, Nigeria, Ghana, Ecuador and Perú.