Tropical Magic
is the second installment in
Harlequin
's extensive
Edmundo Ros
retrospective, and draws upon his output from the years 1942-1944. As he cut his first records for
Parlophone
in 1941 with his
Rumba Band
, this second batch of early
Ros
allows 21st century listeners to appreciate the authenticity of his approach during that time period. The overall sound is much closer to that of the early
Xavier Cugat
recordings than would be the case during the '50s, when
and
Cugat
would each broaden their stylistic palettes by incorporating latter-day mainstream pop tunes into their acts. What's preserved here also brings to mind the records that
Desi Arnaz
made during the '40s. This particular stratum is thickly packed with vocal tracks, almost but not quite to the exclusion of instrumentals. According to information printed on the original 78 rpm record label, "Tropical Magic" and "When I Love I Love" were introduced in the motion picture
Weekend in Havana
. What distinguishes this particular collection from most everything else in the
discography is the addition of nearly 20 minutes' worth of his spoken observations, insights, and recollections, which were recorded in October 1994. The importance of this valuable appendix to the musical legacy cannot be overemphasized. Speaking in a handsome and neatly enunciated British dialect,
offers intelligent reflections on Afro-Cuban music and spirituality, carefully explaining the difference between the rhumba, the samba, and the son. ~ arwulf arwulf