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Browse The
June 8, 2006
Issue




 
ARCHIVES . Articles

June 8-14, 2006

Music

Aid Or Invade

Rodney Anonymous vs. the World

Artist: Susana Baca

Album: Travesias

Country of Origin: Peru


While we all concede that it's impossible to judge a book by its cover (the dust jacket wrapping The Da Vinci Code, for example, does not feature a steaming pile of dung), few Americans are aware of HR 2112, also known as "The Shaun Cassidy Under Wraps Act of 1978," which mandates that any recorded material sold within the borders of the United States be easily judged by its packaging. Failure to comply can result in heavy fines or an appearance on VH1's Flavor of Love. The cover of Susana Baca's latest CD, Travesias (on the Luaka Bop label) depicts Susana flat on her back on a field of grass surrounded by a grove of trees, instantly calling to mind the corpse of that homeless person you tripped over while playing Frisbee in Fairmount Park. The message here is plain and direct. In fact, it's the same message conveyed by the cover of The Surf Punks' My Beach: This will be the soundtrack to your summer.

Although described as Afro-Peruvian (a genre almost as sparse as Eskimo Death Metal) Susana's music is actually more reminiscent of dark Argentinean tangos that ooze and drip with a sultry quality that Madonna would sell her children to possess. Somewhere in a graveyard, the late Astor Piazzolla is sporting wood (a condition that coroners and morticians commonly refer to as "angel lust"). The songs are sung in Spanish, and as no translation was provided, we'll just have to assume that they're all about the sexy freshwater sharks of Lake Titicaca.

And the verdict is …


We the people of the United States should really do something special for Susana for getting us all laid this summer. Since Whitney Houston forever ruined the term "diva" in much the same manner that Law and Order: Special Victims Unit ruined the words "special," "victim" and "unit," we should strive to invent a new term for Susana Baca. "Goddess of the Andes" would be a decent start.

(r_anonymous@citypaper.net)

Isn't it time you marched on www.rodneyanonymous.com?