Copa Mundial (CD) by Various Artists

0634651057023. New condition. CD. This compilation by Chicago's Guidance Records makes two very improper assumptions as it dedicates itself to the 1998 World Cup competition. The first is that the World Cup is strictly of interest to the African and Latin world, ignoring the fact that the international soccer tournament captivates audiences from England to Japan. The second and even relevant misrepresentation lies in the fact that all of the featured artists on this compilation come from the United States or England. And while any of these artists will profess to the Afro-Latin inspirations in their music, none of the included cuts, with the exception of Kerri Chandler and Joe Claussell's "Escravos de Jo," have a terribly distinct tropical sound. Of course, Afro-Latin rhythms are usually the default setting for most house music; it is darn near impossible to find a deep house recording that doesn't feature a polyrhythmic conga section. But that is Latin music at its most watered-down and assimilated. The Spanish vocal on "?Que Tal America?" by A Man Called Adam might be one of the most easily recognizable samples in house music, but the disco loop that carries the track is hardly world music. And the fact that the best track on this disc, Kevin Yost's deep and shuffling "One Starry Night," incorporates a flamenco-esque guitar certainly doesn't make it a roots revival. Fans of deep house music have always been able to turn to Guidance for a guarantee of quality, and this collection is no different. But the off-base theme of this collection certainly implies that Copa Mundial is something that it is not. ~ Joshua Glazer, Rovi