Danza Cósmica

In 1991, Venezuelan keyboardist and big jazz-fusion fan Johnny Lamas laid down all the tracks for his debut album exploring the intersection of jazz, new age, and his native Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Danza Cósmica is the result, though it was difficult to hear outside of his home country. And difficult to hear inside as well, as the very next year an attempted coup began the cultural quaking in the country. Studio gear was stolen, band members fled the country, and Lamas was hassled for his long hair, making a follow-up difficult. Danza Cósmica became a perfectly timed capsule ripe for rediscovery thanks to this 2023 reissue, revealing yet another wrinkle in the Latin America musical diaspora. Smooth piano, rubbery bass, nylon string guitar, and gauzy synth washes meet Caribbean beats, tribal rain sticks, and house-friendly drum programming to create a curious amalgam.