Flannel pajamas or Levis, rhinestone cowboy or subject of Hawaiian fever, regardless of your style before popping in this CD, the Latin locals of Guajira, pronounced Wah-hee-dah, will first seduce, then later lay to rest all your inhibitions.
This classy infusion of salsa, Latin, flamenco and traditionally based Spanish guitar rhythms leave the listener aching to don his or her dance shoes.
Their debut album, Ritmo, Fuego, Pasion, much like Sadie's salsa, is hot, but definitely leaves audiences with room in their palates for more local flavor.
Opening for the Gypsy Kings on Friday, this sultry sextet is no stranger to a full house. Guajira performed at Country Jam USA, one of the nation's and summer's largest country music festivals with some 45,000 spectators, and Country Thunder USA.
The Group has appeared with the likes of Dwight Yoakam, Alan Jackson, Clay Walker and Wynonna Judd, to name a few.
Last September, they performed before a crowd of 30,000 at the Latin Music Festival in San Jose, Calif., making their performance before hometown fans and smaller crowds particularly special.
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Loreen Gomez leads the way through 10 smoldering tracks, her voice as hypnotic as it is simply powerful, captivating listeners with its soulful flare. The opening self-titled track, "Guajira" erupts with vivacity proclaiming, "the gypsy within you will never die," as Gomez smilingly cha-chas her way through the lyrics, while Chava impresses with her spirited percussion.
On the next track, "Tango," the voluptuous melody will have you running in search of a partner to sweep you off your feet.
Standing alone, the instrumentals at the basis of this serenade to romance are fantastic, but it is the voice of Gomez that defines it as enchanting.
The fingers of lead guitarist Neal Martinez inflame guitar strings as he ignites the chords of "Spanish Cypress," winner of the Mic Line Award for Best Original Song, almost midway through the album.
With the assistance of Hector Franco on bass guitar, these two prove that the group's audacity does not lie solely with the vocals.
An endless fire, as evident in the title Ritmo, Fuego, Pasion, Guajira slowly burns all that is mysterious, romantic and passionate into listeners' ears, leaving in their wake a smoke reminiscent of being completely alive.
