''Rumba Baby Rumba!'' is an album by the American band

Bio Ritmo Bio Ritmo ("Salsa Machine") is an American salsa band based in Richmond, Virginia formed in 1991. The name Bio Ritmo is a Spanglish word play on the term Biorhythm, the hypothetical description for the rhythm of life.''Batanga'' - Issues 7-10, 200 ...

, released in 1998. The band supported the album by touring with

Squirrel Nut Zippers Squirrel Nut Zippers is an American swing and jazz band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, by James "Jimbo" Mathus (vocals and guitar), Tom Maxwell (vocals and guitar), Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo, ukulele), Chris Phillips (dru ...

Production

Recorded at Sound of Music, in Richmond, Virginia, the album was produced by

Jeffrey Lesser Jeffrey Lesser is a U.S.-based historian of Latin America who is the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor at Emory University. Prior to that he was the Winship Distinguished Professor of the Humanities. After two terms as the chair of the History Dep ...

. The music was written and arranged by band leader Rene Herrera in four weeks. The band's record company encouraged them to incorporate more

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

elements. "

Tequila Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (''Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican state ...

" is a cover of

the Champs The Champs are an American rock band, most famous for their Latin-tinged rock and roll instrumental "Tequila". The group took their name from that of Gene Autry's horse, Champion, and was formed by studio executives at Autry's Challenge Recor ...

' song. "Night Music" is an interpretation of Mozart's ''Eine kleine Nachtmusik''.

Critical reception

Orlando Weekly ''Orlando Weekly'' is a liberal progressive alternative newsweekly distributed in the Greater Orlando area of Florida. Every Thursday, 40,000 issues of the paper are distributed to more than 1,100 locations across Orange, Osceola and Seminole cou ...

'' wrote that, "like the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Bio Ritmo transcends rote revivalism by allowing their natural eccentricities and modern inclinations to strut." ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and ...

'' 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." ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after '' The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its ...

'' considered the album "loaded with lively, catchy numbers that sound as if they're coming straight out of Havana." The ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'' thought that "original Herrera compositions such as 'Yo Soy la Rumba' and 'Sientate Ahi' are fine contributions to the Afro-Cuban repertoire." The ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...

'' determined that, "despite the Bio Ritmo's largely inauthentic origins, the band seems to have passed the credibility test." ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Penns ...

'' opined that "the band's own humor-inflected, bilingual tunes mark the high point of its salsa madness."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

called the album a "sensual and kinetic collection of contemporary Latin rhythms."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control Bio Ritmo albums 1998 albums Mercury Records albums