Day 6: Quimbombo

Hello and welcome to our 6th day here at Mulatto Music. Today I'd like to take you on a trip into the heart of Miami to listen to a local band. PALO!, who epitomizes the Miami nightlife, is an afro-cuban funk band lead by the Grammy Award winning Steve Roitstein. They make an infectious brand of music, and on many nights you can watch them play at various Miami nightclubs, sometimes free of charge! PALO! is fortunate to have the lovely and spirited Leslie Cartaya on lead vocals blessing the mic in a wonderful way. Their aptly titled album This is Afro-Cuban Funk is chock full of funkified songs sure to lift your spirits, but to get the full PALO! experience you simply must see and hear them live. So if you like to dance and be surrounded by a crowd of happy people with the sound of something funky in your ear, come on down to Miami and check out PALO!


SONG: Quimbombo
ARTIST: PALO!
ALBUM: This is Afro-Cuban Funk (2009)

A standout on the album, Quimbombo is a relentlessly carefree, lighthearted, and happy song about a cuban dish made with okra, or so I'm told. Translated, the chorus goes roughly something like, "Quimbombo, Quimbombo, give me everything except the Quimbombo." Steve Roitstein, the man who makes PALO! go, is the main reason why heads nod and hips move whenever PALO! plays. The saxophone of Ed Calle hits real hard, but real smooth. But the star of the show is Leslie Cartaya, an absolute joy to watch perform. When Mz. Cartaya turns in her vocals, she turns your ears on end, and turns the place out. Go PALO! go!

You can hear Quimbombo (track #4), as well as other PALO! hits here: http://gopalo.com/

If you want more PALO! listen to Lengua Larga, La Habana Buena, and Crescencio.
Still want more? Pick up their album This is Afro-Cuban Funk and if you're in the Miami area be sure to catch a live performance (Psst! You may even win a free PALO! CD).

Hope you enjoyed the detour into Dade County! There's no telling where we'll stop next time on the Mulatto Music Train, so grab your friends and hop aboard.
If you enjoy what you've been reading, and more importantly what you've been hearing, don't forget to link up to the caboose and follow along!