Cerronato

Raíces y Ramas

There are many things to cheer on Cerronato’s second CD. First, on lead vocals, there’s Clemencia Zapata, who, in addition to being a dynamic percussionist, charms with her understated contralto. Second, the carefully produced disc features Cerronato’s nimble mix of Colombian vallenato (rhythmic story-songs) and cumbia (enormously danceable story-songs) to create a happy-happy sound that belies sometimes-somber lyrics (a murdered friend on “Mi Compadre Bernabé,” lost love on “Si Me Quieres”). A reinvention of Juanes’ “La Camisa Negra” is fun. There are no bothersome rifts between original and traditional tunes. Sadly, Raíces y Ramas (roots and branches) doesn’t go anywhere. There’s something to be said about fun, which the disc certainly delivers, but with such rich material and four of Austin’s most seasoned players, one can’t help but demand more.

**.5

This article appears in January 11 • 2008.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US