Pello El Afrokan Jr.: La Explosion De Mi Ritmo - Envidia - Reseña

Latin Beat Magazine, June-July, 2002 by Jesse Varela

In 1963, a conga drummer from the Havanese neighborhood Jesús María gave the world a rhythm called mozambique. Drawing from such Afro-Cuban rhythmic sources as the conga and guaguancó, Pedro Izquierdo Padrón (known as Pello El Afrokán), cooked up a horn-driven sound that integrated the call-and response of the rumba with the high-energy carnival spirit of the conga-driven comparsas. A cousin of Mongo Santamaría, Pello turned up the heat and impressed the Cuban public with hits such as La Pillé, Mozambique #1, Camina Como Cómico and Maria Caracoles. It spilled over to the U.S. and inspired Eddie Palmieri, Carlos Santana, Pete & Coke Escovedo and Batacumbele. El Afrokán died on September 11, 2000, but not before playing with his grandson a few months earlier. Twenty-something Omar Merencio Izquierdo-Afrokán Jr.--is breathing new life to the infectious beats pioneered by his grandfather.

La Explosión De Mi Ritmo serves up thirteen tunes wrapped in the spirit of mozambique with a youthful contemporary twist. While they dig deep for the African root of this street rhythm, its twenty-something leader swing the jams with timba fervor that will delight dancers. Rumba and roaring trombones fuel this package of largely Pello originals including the exceptional La Niña No Tiene Na'. Featuring singer Nelson López Carrillo, who impresses with a gritty urban delivery and sonero wit, it's a tight and when necessary loose ensemble that lets the music breath. With this release I would say that Pello Jr., a conservatory trained musician, is a force to be reckoned with and big shoes to fill as "El Príncipe del Mozambique."