Grupo Los Yoyi
★★★★
Yoyi
MR BONGO. CD/DL/LP
Cuban rarity offers rumbadelic disco.
In the 1970s, as North American dancefloors opted for non-communist salsa over Cuban mambo, Fidel Castro made a Canute-like stand against the tide washing alien music into Havana: rock and disco were proscribed in favour of indigenous rhythms. The composer Jorge Soler León may not have received the memo, however, for Yoyi is an auteurist dive into psychedelic funk, jazz and disco. Released in 1977, it failed to find an audience but has the orchestral sweep of contemporary classic soul. Banana features a battle between trombone (representing salsa) and trumpets (mambo) over squelching keyboards; El Fino has a conga rhythm any Fania big band would be proud of, while the lead guitarist makes merry with the FX; Mi Pequeño Gran Paolo mixes gospel with MOR in a possible Beatles tribute; and Paco La Calle is space disco. Perhaps its time is now.