Rumba Baby Rumba! is an album by the American band Bio Ritmo, released in 1998.[2][3] The band supported the album by touring with Squirrel Nut Zippers.[4]
Production
Recorded at Sound of Music, in Richmond, Virginia, the album was produced by Jeffrey Lesser.[5][6] The music was written and arranged by band leader Rene Herrera in four weeks.[7][8] The band's record company encouraged them to incorporate more pop elements.[9] "Tequila" is a cover of the Champs' song.[5] "Night Music" is an interpretation of Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik.[10]
Orlando Weekly wrote that, "like the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Bio Ritmo transcends rote revivalism by allowing their natural eccentricities and modern inclinations to strut."[13]Newsday stated: "Tongue well in cheek, Rumba Baby Rumba! is a joy... Bio Ritmo ably combines the energy of swing with the percussive flavor of salsa and son."[14]The Morning Call considered the album "loaded with lively, catchy numbers that sound as if they're coming straight out of Havana."[15]
The Orlando Sentinel thought that "original Herrera compositions such as 'Yo Soy la Rumba' and 'Sientate Ahi' are fine contributions to the Afro-Cuban repertoire."[16] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette determined that, "despite the Bio Ritmo's largely inauthentic origins, the band seems to have passed the credibility test."[17]The Philadelphia Inquirer opined that "the band's own humor-inflected, bilingual tunes mark the high point of its salsa madness."[18]
AllMusic called the album a "sensual and kinetic collection of contemporary Latin rhythms."[11]
