Cambio De Tiempo

Cuban vocal a cappella sextet Vocal Sampling has always delivered excellence within its genre—the members' voices capable of duplicating even the most intricate percussion or brass. By the same token, the novelty of their sound can wear thin after a lengthy listen. Not so with Cambio de Tiempo (Time Change), wherein the group indeed changes time, pace, and style to a degree that keeps the listener wanting more. While Vocal Sampling specializes in Cuban music—the classic "Mi Guantanamera" is included here—other genres, including música llanera ("Ay! Venezuela"), cha-cha-cha ("Ten Paciencia"), and basic feel-good pop ("Melodía de la Impaciencia") aren't ignored. Perhaps the only confounding track is the closer, "Así Hablaba Zarathustra." Was this version of the classic meant to be funny? We're not sure, but it's too ambiguous an ending for too good a disc.—LC