Lo Mejor is the title of Toque Libre’s album,
available from Amazon. They do also have a Toque Libre EP, but the 4 tracks on
there are all available on Lo Mejor, so that would be the better choice.
However, it would not be unreasonable to call
Toque Libre “the best” – they are really good, and I really love them.
Oddly, they did not come to me through
Twitter. I went to school with Pablo Ojeda. At the time he was in a band called
Rubberneck, which everyone seems to have known, except me. Well, we have
covered that I am not particularly with it.
Through the magic of Facebook I am able to
keep up with things better. Although I did not make it to their latest
performance at Jimmy Maks, I have seen Toque Libre perform three times: once at
Living Room Theaters, once in a tea lounge, and once at the Beaverton Round.
The first time at Living Room, I remember thinking that the best venue for them
would be poolside in the Mediterranean. There should be some combination of sun
and water and the exotic.
The band may have come together in Oregon,
but they have roots in Chile and Iran, and influences from Latin, funk, pop,
Flamenco, rumba, and Afro-Cuban. Try finding someone else like them around.
As much as the band is dominated by guitar,
with all three members playing, the percussion is important. It may just be
someone tapping on a box or clapping, but there is a pulse to it, and the music
is alive.
El Mejor has twelve tracks, and there is not
a bad one in the bunch. The first one to get under my skin was “Creame”, but
every time I see them live or listen to the album, I find more nuances and I
like it more. This is one I totally recommend for buying, and check out the
Live section of their web site to get a chance to see them in person.
They have three more dates coming up at the
Camellia Lounge. I believe I had the chicken curry empanada, and it was quite
good. I’m not a tea drinker, but one of my friends did order some, and if
you’re into that, they take their tea very seriously.
But I digress. Mainly I want to say that
Toque Libre es El Mejor. Short review, but I have nothing to criticize.
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