Patato - Authority (2000)

Originally recorded in New York City in 1976 after the triumphant homecoming of LP elder statesman Carlos "Patato" Valdez, "Authority" is the closest you will get to a Cuban Rumba session - drums and vocals . The refrain of "Alma Mía" is hypnotic, the tone of the stringed Cuban "Tres" sounding out captivating and lonely amid the hand drums. The song in itself is a study in the essentials of the Rumba: the Clave (for the most part 3/2 Rumba, as opposed to Son Clave), the Cascara rhythm, and the Tumbadora, Conga, and Quinto parts - each one played by a separate percussionist. Teamwork - drumming and vocals - is at the very heart of this record.