Blending musical styles requires a broad foundation in both genres, a respect for the dual set of aesthetics, and the ability to prioritize tradition while creating something new. Without a solid foundation in both musical styles, one genre will outweigh the other, resulting in an overly simplistic reference to the other style. Cultural aesthetics are the guiding factor in performance practice; if a musician fusing two styles remains uneducated about one set of aesthetics, they run the risk of implementing the second style as a novelty. Understanding tradition is really the only way to create something new musically; a concrete connection to a genre’s evolution adds authenticity to the creative process. Guitarist Eddie Reyes attempts to capture these elements on Lost World, an album that brings together a wide variety of Latin traditions with pop music.

Strong Flamenco Experimentations
The most successful tracks explore Reyes’ studies in flamenco guitar. He engages pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba in a melodic and rhythmic conversation against a sparse texture on “Muana.” The two musicians trade short statements until traditional clapping and foot stomping bring the song to a climax. The music then strangely fades into a bata rhythm. Percussionist Ricardo Isaac’s cajon accompanies Reyes’ guitar to open “Lalun.” Reyes successfully references the Middle Eastern influence in flamenco music through the use of the Udu and Mrindangam drums. Wourod Antabil’s reverb drenched vocals hinge on generic exoticism, yet their minor presence only creates a small distraction. The group successfully incorporates modern sounds against percussive clapping and Isaac’s cajon on “Sweet Fire.” Reyes grounds the song melodically through a series of melodically intriguing runs and trumpet player Wallace Roney’s muted sound references a fusion era Miles Davis. These selections remain mostly focused upon then flamenco tradition, grounding them in a sense of authenticity.

Lack of Connection Between Rhythmic Traditions and Composition
Many pieces contain authentic percussion performances, yet the overlying compositions seem mismatched and unrelated. Isaac provides a driving Udu drum rhythm along with traditional bell and chekere patterns on “Homo Sapiens,” yet the rest of the band plays a fusion composition. The percussion adds interesting colors in the background, but it remains unconnected to the song. “Beast On The Moon” contains bata rhythms for the Orisha Elegua and pieces of the corresponding lyric. This soon fades away to a cliché feeling of minor chord foreboding, emphasized by drawn out electric guitar lines and maniacal laughing from the vocalist. The band takes an unexpected turn into hip-hop for “OB’s Groove,” performing a radio ready smooth jazz funk feel. Despite use of the bata drums and Roney’s repeated Miles Davis imitation, this song holds its smooth jazz roots throughout. An up-tempo rumba guaguanco opens “The Lost World,” accompanied by bassist Rene Camacho’s steady tumbao. As the song progresses, Camacho and the band move away from clave and into a funky feel, adding layers of synthesizer pads fill the sound. At each song’s foundation, Isaac maintains traditional rhythms, but the lack of connection with the songwriting brings a disjointed feeling.

A New Age Element
Several pieces contain a distinct new age sound, which overrides the use of Latin musical traditions. The breathy sound of Pedro Eustache’s bass flute, doubled by keyboard, brings an open feel to “The Bridge of San Luis Rey.” A bata rhythm adds a pulse in the background, while synthesizer patches and voices deepen the texture. Flamenco inspired vocals get drowned in reverb on “The Unfolding,” loosing any sense of distinction to the sound. The guitar and occasional clapping imply a flamenco background, but the piece remains focused upon melodic noodling on the piano. The contemplative piano feature “Longing” strays away from any Latin associations, relying upon its melodicism and pop harmonies. The gentle melody on “Highland Conga” quickly disappears into a pounding combination of Irish, Scottish, and Australian rhythms. The thick texture soon becomes crowded with distorted guitar and processed vocals leaning more towards a generic “world” feel. While new age approaches may result in increased exposure, they distract from the musical traditions being explored.

Forcing Styles Together
While Reyes displays a broad knowledge of Latin rhythms throughout Lost World, the styles fall into a misbalance between cultural aesthetics, authenticity, and creative liberties. Isaac admirably performs authentic rhythms from several different Latin cultures, yet the music placed on top of the rhythms bears little relation to the genres. At times, so many different rhythmic traditions are stacked on top of each other that they loose their stylistic integrity. The appearance of bandoneón, pan pipe, and steel pan sounds refer to Argentina, Bolivia, and Trinidad; yet their appearance seems inappropriate and leans towards novelty. On most tracks, the lack of a cultural reference point in the compositions forces the percussion into a textural role. Unfortunately, the compositions’ pop stylings seem forced against the rhythmic content, cheapening the lineage of both the pop and Latin traditions. Reyes’ initial concept of bringing several Latin musical styles together with original compositions was inspired, but the lack of connection results in only a superficial completion of that goal.

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