A Cappella Voces Bring Depth to Standards

The beauty of the human voice and the endless variety of its expression are the central focus in this edition of Latin Pulse, a look at some recent Latin recordings.

*** 1/2 Voces, “A Nuestros Padres,” Ahi-Nama Music. Less is more for Voces, an a cappella ensemble from Matanzas, Cuba, made up of six women who sing like nightingales.

Cliche standards from the Cuban repertoire, such as “El Manicero” or “Guantanamera,” are rediscovered through wistful interpretations and delicate arrangements. The occasional acoustic guitar and sparse percussion only enhance the deep resonance of the vocals.

This kind of concept can seem good on paper but sound repetitive after the first few numbers. But Voces keep their elaborate pop bonbons at a minimal length, making sure that the listener is left wanting more.

*** Molotov, “Donde Jugaran Las Ninas?,” Universal. Whereas the members of Voces use their voices as instruments of tenderness and peace, the guys in Molotov have only one mission in sight: to shock and disturb.

The assault starts from the wicked cover art and the album title, “Where Will the Little Girls Play?”--a pun on the million-seller “Where Will the Children Play” by bland popsters Mana. The music is often sonically brutal but is also unexpectedly sophisticated in the mixing of rap dynamics and pop punch. Masterfully conducted by producer Gustavo Santaolalla, this insane rap en espanol opera hits a little too close for comfort.

*** Laureano Brizuela, “Estaciones,” Polygram Latino. Finally, an interesting voice in the saccharin world of mainstream Latin pop. Brizuela’s pleasant, mild-mannered singing brings to life his middle-of-the-road material, engineered by American musicians and harking back to the most gentle moments of ‘80s power pop--like a Peter Cetera without the histrionics.

Brizuela’s modest soft-rock is much more charismatic than many of its bombastic and successful counterparts in the same arena.

*** Fatal Mambo, “Fatal Mambo,” Tinder. The idea of a salsa album performed entirely in French by French musicians might seem like an iffy proposition. But it takes only one listen to the gloriously pop “Fatal Mambo” to fall in love with its multicultural point of view.

On its second album, this band from the south of France tackles a variety of percolating beats and Afro-Cuban dances, proving that authenticity can be replaced by sincere admiration for a musical genre.

“Malediccion,” a reworking of the Eddie Palmieri classic “Adoracion” with French lyrics and a few extra touches of eccentricity, is almost as good as the original. And when Sonia Sala’s mocking voice tackles the salsa-rai theme of “u Le Sais,” it’s really hard to resist Fatal Mambo’s contagious love for world music.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).