Putumayo continues its exploration of new trends in world music with Latin Groove, a collection of cutting-edge Latin music that blends salsa, Cuban son, and cumbia with funk, hip-hop, soul, and electronica. European DJs expertly fuse contemporary club music with the funky grooves of old- school salsa, while bands from the barrios of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York create new styles that keep the essence of the classic Latin sound, while adding the modern style and attitude of today's urban reality.

The artists on Latin Groove represent trendsetters in Latin music such as Ozomatli, Aterciopelados, Los Mocosos, Si*Se, Sin Palabras, Conjunto Massallia and Carlos Nicaragua. Also included are a number of European producers and DJs who are fusing Latin music with electronica to create exciting new blends, such as Sidestepper, Funkanazenji, and Supatone. The result is a collection of songs that show how old-school Latin dance music has become a solid foundation for the sounds of the future.

As Latin Groove reveals, Latin music is not only capable of joining cultures, it is clearly adept at uniting generations. Classic Cuban styles like son and guajira, which first developed over one hundred years ago, sound right at home amidst the digital manipulations of today's avant- garde European DJs. The violins of charanga, a traditional Cuban instrumentation that has its roots in the delicate European ballroom dances of the 1800s, sound wonderful over a hip-hop beat. Latin percussion, descended from ancient African cultures, is practically futuristic when combined with drum Ôn' bass, funk or vinyl scratches. Indeed, it seems that classic Latin music and modern dance and electronica are joined at the hip and the hippest thing in the joint.

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