Toca Madera

Of all the music made in Barcelona over the last 50 years it is rumba flamenco (aka rumba Catalan) that has achieved the most popularity in Spain, influencing the likes of Ojos de Brujo. Ironically, rumba flamenco achieved its greatest popularity during the twilight years of Spain’s fascist era and thus was thrown onto the cultural trash heap upon the arrival of democracy when the nation embraced the previously forbidden fruit of British and US rock-pop. The reversal of such thinking in recent years has seen rumba flamenco embraced as an essential part of Barcelona’s vernacular music culture. The mighty Peret – ‘king of the rumba’ – has come out of retirement to record and perform, while a recent thorough (and very hip) CD compilation, Gypsy Soul 1969-1979, enthused about long-lost Catalan rumba recordings.

Papawa are a trio of vocals, guitar and percussion (joined here by Toni Reyes on bajo) and at first glance one might even think that Peret is guesting on this album, as several songs are credited to one Peret Reyes. Closer inspection reveals it’s his godson. Papawa’s dynamic original songs mix strong rhythms with bright singing. Opener ‘Poder’ leaps out of the speakers, while ‘Gente De Madrid’ mimics the godfather brilliantly. Toca Madera is a strong album, flawed only by Papawa’s inability to escape the mighty shadow cast by Peret and the Gipsy Kings. Six remixes close the album. These range from lively fusing of Latin jazz piano to a very dodgy attempt to create rumba-dub. They’re unnecessary: Papawa succeed at making strong music without any sonic novelty decorations.