at a glance...

Hometown: Paris, France
Year Formed: 1995

Members:
Bruno "Sergent" Garcia -voice, songwriting, guitar
Los Locos del Barrio:
Hermano Soafo -congas, timbales, djémbe, percussion
Julián "El Galo" -drums
El Primo David -flute, teclados, karkabous
Pedrito Lucas de la Vega -piano, teclados
Don Toto Ostro -congas, timbales, tama, pandero, percussion
El Señor Liván "El Flaco" -"Expert in explosive cocktails"
Los Mariachis:
Simon Andrieu -trombone
Gilles Garin -trumpet
Michel Feugères -bass trombone
La Capitana -rap
Fabrice Colombani -percussion
Mr. Cho -scratching

Bands in the Family:
Ludwig von 88, QSV, Jim Murple, 7

Notes:
Who is Sergent Garcia? All we have are a few basic facts. The Parisian is half Spanish, with African roots; he takes his name from Zorro’s nemesis; he used to be in Ludwig von 88, a kick- ass Parisian dance band; and he is really, really interested in social justice (or, to quote the man himself, "por la libertad, la justicia, la paz y la dignidad"). He is influenced by virtually every kind of music on the planet, and finds equal inspiration in Bob Marley, Busta Rhymes, and Ruben Blades. His band, Los Locos del Barrio, is a tight assemblage of multi- instrumentalists who can play in virtually any hot style on earth. His one and only album, Un poquito quema’o, has been released around the earth to great acclaim, and there will be more. That’s all we know.

If Sergent Garcia didn’t exist, we music critics would have had to invent him, if only for the handy title he himself invented to describe his music: salsamuffin. Now, for most people, this is all that’s needed to decide whether or not you will like Un poquito quema’o; if the idea of mixing salsa and reggae intrigues you, you’ll be a big fan even before you’ve heard this album, and if you say "What the hell does ‘salsamuffin’ mean?" then you won’t ever even listen. World music is like that. So now that you’ve already made your judgment, let me tell you that this album is a pretty great album and is almost one of the great albums of the year, but with an important reservation which I will withhold until the last paragraph.

Un poquito quema’o (we think the title means "A little bit burned"...) definitely stands out from a lot of things you’ll hear this year. It’s not as simple as just reggae in Spanish, or salsa with lyrics in patois; Sergent Garcia also loves the Cuban son, good old U.S. soul music and rap, and as many African and Spanish rhythms and instruments as one can pack onto one 50-minute CD. He can, for example, kick out a track like "Mamayé," a canny synthesis of the Buena Vista Social Club and King Sunny Adé circa 1989 until it breaks into a Spanish freestyle toast worthy of Beenie Man or Mad Cobra. This sounds like Paul Simon/David Byrne genre-surfing on paper, but the song itself is an organic beast all its own, with sexy lyrics like (I’m translating here) "When Mamayé undresses/When Mamayé touches my skin/When her hands are on my body/When her sky joins my sky." Woof!

It is clear that Los Locos del Barrio are a tight touring band and would rip up the dance floor anywhere in the world; I have never heard a more accomplished debut album from a musical-sophistication point of view. Whether we’re talking about the straight-up dancehall of "Que palique" and "Medecine Man," the bongo-driven Spanish rap of "Nueve vidas," the Santanacid hip-hop of "Camino de la vida," or the Buena Vista son of "Hoy me voy," there isn’t a style this band can’t play. Special props for this session go to the wonderful piano player Pedrito Lucas de la Vega, who can do no wrong. El Sargento doesn’t have the most accomplished voice I’ve ever heard, but he’s a brilliant enough composer and bandleader that it doesn’t matter one bit.

My quibble is a weak one, but I better say it anyway: Sergent G. might be too good for his own good. He can do anything, and does, but he seems to hold his band back to make things just right, which diminishes the effect of tracks like "Hoy me voy" and "Acabar mal." Someone should let him know that he doesn’t have to be el perfecto en todos los momentos — or something like that; it’s okay to screw up sometimes, especially on your first album. But when the only negative thing you can say about a debut album by a band that can play anything is that it’s perfect, you know you’re dealing with something special. Viva la revolución!

If you like Sergent Garcia, check out:
Femi Kuti Shoki Shoki
Beenie Man Art & Life
Wyclef Jean The Carnival
Ozomatli Ozomatli
Original Mambo Kings Introduction To Afro-Cubop
Caetano Veloso Livro
Gilberto Gil Acoustic
Los Amigos Invisibles New Sound Of Venezuelan Gozadera
Various Dancehall Reggaespañol
Various Rare Reggae From Studio One
Daniela Mercury A Canto de Ciudad

-- Matt Cibula

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