ALEX FIGUEIRA Vinilo y CD

Review: While it may look and sound decidedly vintage, this collaboration between veteran Surinamese musician A Bechan and Music With Soul founder Alex Figueira is in fact brand spanking new. In its' A-side "Version" mix form, "Moerarie Morei Atjara" brilliantly joins the dots between Surinamese "Hindostan" music (a style developed by the country's Indian community over decades) and the sweaty tropical rhythms of Cumbia. It's terrific stuff all told, with Bechan's ear-catching Hindu language vocals riding killer South American rhythms, jaunty bass and equally jumpy accordion motifs. Those accordions come to the fore on the flipside instrumental take, which also includes some seriously spacey Juno-60 synthesizer lines. Recommended.