Tracks of timeless tunes.

• Author: Holston, Mark
• Position: Music notes - A sneak view of Bolivian music

Los Amigos Invisibles Super Pop Venezuela (Gozadera Records 003) Daniel Carlomagno Dan/el Car/omagno (Trama 821-2) Along with beauty queens and oil, Venezuela has given the world another export of note: one of the planet's most eclectic pop music groups, Los Amigos Invisibles. On Super Pop Venezuela, their formula of blending electronica, funk, rock, Brazilian bossa, Salsa, and other seemingly disparate styles gets yet another test run and once again emerges as a winning synthesis of pop music styles from throughout the Americas. At its core, the Amigos style is a veritable soundtrack for a Venezuelan reality that was at its most pronounced in the go-go years of the 1970s, when the country's oil wealth increasingly produced a social scene that mirrored that of Miami, Rio, and other cultural hot spots. On "Miss Venezuela," they capture the cheesy ambience of a beauty pageant with "elevator" style instrumental music as an announcer solemnly intones introductions to regional contestants. On "Rosa Rio," the vibe is techno bossa, while on "Ariar eS algo mgs," they cut loose on a burning salsa track that echoes of vintage Willie Colon. All in all, a fun-loaded, unabashedly hip, and endlessly fascinating aural romp.

A multi-talented Brazilian popster who deserves much wider recognition is composer; singer, arranger, and instrumentalist Daniel Carlomagno. He effortlessly appropriates the essence of several Brazilian 1960's era music icons, particularly the compositional and orchestral sophistication of Edu Lobo and the samba and bossa-linked funkiness of Marcos Valle. Carlomagno performs many of these melodically intoxicating and rhythmically beguiling tracks by himself, thanks to advanced digital recording technology that allows him to record his voice and background vocals while adding layers of keyboards, bass, guitar, and percussion, Such bubbly creations as "Minha Casa," featuring the artist alone, are balanced by works that feature string and horn sections. Carlomagno's growing reputation is underscored by the presence of two noted Brazilian artists whose work reflects the same varied stylistic orientation, vocalist Fernanda Porto and the genre's most prolific guru, Marcos Valle.

Hilario Duran Latin Jazz Big Band From The Heart (Alma ACD 66062) Spok Frevo Orquestra Passo de Arnjo (Via Som VS 200440)

Havana-born and Toronto, Canada-based pianist, composer and arranger Hilario Duran earned acclaim as an accompanist for trumpeter Armro Sandoval...