At once spicy hot and languorously sweet, Putumayo Presents Cuba is a passionate marriage of active and passive, masculine and feminine, a contemporary festival of sound whose roots were born in defiance of onerous distraction and oppression. Based on Afro-Cuban culture, whose music comes from a combination of European and African instrumentation, the songs in this collection swing with the energetic rhythms of traditional son (also the base of salsa). Layered over the repetitive beat, guitars chime, maracas add shimmy, and trumpets take the upper accent melody, often repeating or contrasting the main vocal melody. One of the finest contributions to the disc is Mi Son's "Mecanica de Amor," in which the band substitutes the violin for the lead trumpet, making a treat of the unexpected. Irakere's funky fusion "Boliviera" comes on gangbusters with beefy bass, full horn section, and featured flute melody. Containing superb liner notes, Putumayo Presents Cuba makes a fine introduction to this island's rich sound, and a superb remedy to the blues. --Paige La Grone