Mexico music reviews

The financial success of the Gipsy Kings has resulted is a flood of badly conceived, boring imitations, and that may be your first impression of I Gitanos' recording, as this group of Gypsy musicians walks through one more version of "Ab I Reisa" with little inspiration or verve. But then, there it is, the ghost of Django roars out of the speakers, the singers come to life, and a surprisingly entertaining Gypsy jazz emerges. These are great players, who in the course of this album display energy, humor, and a lot of instrumental skill. They also regularly ride the slipstream of Gipsy King pop schmaltz, making this an incredibly tough album to reconcile. One moment they are honest and vivacious, at the next you wonder where Vic Damone is hiding. They can pull out the stops and deliver an impassioned, sorrowful instrumental where the guitars and violins shimmer and the arrangements sparkle. But as often as not, they opt for canned drama and studio techniques that make them one more imitation. --Louis Gibson