Descemer Bueno is one of the more talented musical artists to come out of Cuba in the last 15 years. A co-founder with Andres Levin of Yerba Buena, the neo-funk group that’s been shaking things up in global music circles, Bueno was well established as both composer and producer long before then. So you’d think Bueno’s first stateside offering would be a killer, full of the strange genre and island-hopping that he’s brought to so many other projects. Well, surprise: Bueno’s “Siete Rayo,” which includes nearly as many songs by others as by him (including goodies from George Pajon Jr., guitarist and songwriter with the Black Eyed Peas), often sounds more like a fascinating demo than a polished showcase for Bueno’s outsize talents. Leaning more heavily on cumbia, reggae and reggaeton than on Cuban forms, the songs are frothy, lighthearted events that have, for the most part, been heard before. In the case of “Se Feliz,” that’s quite literally true: It’s the title sap-fest from Bueno’s Cuban solo album. Ditto the cliche-ridden “Habana.” The chorus from “Cumbia Reggae” seems awfully close to Yerba Buena’s “La Gringa” and the line in “El Train” about not wanting to be confused for a Muslim at customs is, well, unfortunate at best. But if you want to pick and choose on the download service of your choice, “Cumbia Reggae” is a blast.
