The Rumba Foundation

Author

By Daphne Galang

Publish Date

Nov. 20, 2009

One travels around the globe when listening to the contemporary flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook. From his eighth album, The Rumba Foundation, we hear the influences of Colombia with modern interpretations of international guitar music in the vein of Gipsy Kings and Ottmar Liebert.

"Bogota by Bus" takes us high into the Andes mountains with its Colombian-inspired music. "Bombay Diner" is an excursion to India where the guitar is played like a sitar, a stringed musical instrument used throughout the Indian subcontinent. Cook captures America on vocal track "Cecilia," a hit song by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Also featured on the album are "Santa Marta" and "Gaita," which showcase accordion and panpipes responding to Cook’s flamenco strings. "Manolo's Lament" flatters the guitar stylings of Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto’s song "El Manolo,” while Latin guitar composition "La Rumba del Jefe" is made romantic with violin accompaniment. In one of his quieter pieces, "Afternoon at Satie's," the guitar sounds like a harp in its gentle melody.