WOMAD

La Cucina

From United Kingdom

One of the surprise successes of the British roots scene over the past 18 months, this six-piece hail from the south coast, although new listeners would be forgiven for thinking they're from the southern tip of Italy. Their style is rooted in Latin and jazz rhythms, all hinging on the virtuoso accordion playing of Eliseo D'Agostino. La Cucina built up an audience around Portsmouth before gaining national attention with their 1995 debut album,'Chucheria', which was hailed by The Guardian as "the most entertaining world music debut Britain is likely to produce all year". Last year they toured the UK and Italy, playing WOMAD's Rivermead festival along the way, and released a second album, 'Nabumia!', which marked their last recording with singer Owain Clarke. The album was produced by Sabah Habas Mustapha of the 3 Mustaphas 3, whose frantic brand of eclecticism is closely related to La Cucina's own wildly diverse stage show. 'Nabumia!' also showcased the Arabic grooves which are an increasingly important part of the band's sound. This year, La Cucina released their third CD, 'Bloom', which shows a band that has gained a new, more mature dimension. Najma Akhtar, whose solo albums combine the classical Indian ghazal tradition with jazz to devastating effect, is guest vocalist on three tracks, while the band's new singer, Paul Goodall, also shows his own ability to handle a range of styles. La Cucina's music remains rooted in its percussive strengths and D'Agostino's accordion, but this album shows that they have become more than adept at dance styles from three continents - Europe, Latin America and the East. An excellent live band who are now clearly capable of becoming innovators in the studio as well.