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Grupo Fantasma

Sonidos Golds | High Wire Music

By MARTÍN CABELLERO | June 9, 2008

4.0 Stars

Funk is a dish that can be prepared various ways: lean and trim, flash-fried, or (my personal favorite) thick and sloppy with a side of psychedelic hallucinogens. Listening to the Texas-based Grupo Fantasma is like watching the Iron Chef at work — in about 50 minutes, they create a sprawling feast for the ears. Sonidos Golds offers an assortment of Latin flavors extending from Cuban son to Colombian cumbia, all processed through the hulking sound machine that is Fantasma. This 11-man funk orchestra are top-class in every department, bursting with energy and spontaneity. The breezy “Gimme Some” (featuring Maceo Parker on sax) and “Arroz con Frijoles” are crowd-pleasing throwbacks to early Santana’s psychedelic Latin vibe; after those appetizers, you can fill up on the steady beat of “Levante” exploding into the break, or the muscular brass section climaxing on “Rebota.” For authentic Latin funk, you need to savor Fantasma live — yet the take-out option is anything but a letdown.