The traditions of flamenco being so strict, it must have taken bravado to bust them open and create a new micro-genre – Catalan Rumba – in the early 60s, when Barcelona musicians caught the Latin bug. Soon, flamenco's intricate handclaps were vying with Cuban piano riffs and horns, driven by a guitar style, ventilador (fan), to which today's Gipsy Kings clearly owe a debt.
This well-presented compilation, drawn from 1965-74, is a capsule of supercharged clapping and joyous vocals from stars such as singer Antonio González and guitarist Peret, a little piece of Catalonia caught up in a New York mambo lounge. Startling.