It was no ordinary box, though—it was a cajón, the square wooden instrument that provides a thunderous boom and drives Novalima's pulsating rhythms. The man on the box was master percussionist Juan "Cotito" Medrano, who was stellar during his first ever D.C. performance. He dazzled the audience with his precise timing, his hands a blur as they struck the cajón with incredible speed. It’s easy to see why Medrano won a Grammy while playing cajonero for global music star Susana Baca. He now brings his experience and expertise with Afro-Peruvian percussion instruments to Novalima, which is Spanish for "new" (Nova) and "Lima," the capital of Peru.

The second song in the set was “Liberta,” which commemorates the abolition of slavery in Peru in 1856. The song, off of 2008’s Coba Coba album, is best known for its lyrics, belted out in Spanish by Cotito, which proclaim a black man will be president.

Vocalist Milagros Guerrero was a hit with the crowd, as she sashayed across the stage and got down, squatting and shaking her booty during some of the  funkier songs, such as the rural piece “Camote.” The track, which takes its name from the Spanish word for sweet potato, is about using one’s feet to harvest potatoes.

Opening for Novalima was the almost all-female (sans the male bass player) group Pistolera, which is Spanish for “female gunslinger. The group’s name is appropriate because the two most engaging members were lead singer/ guitarist Sandra Lilia Velásquez and accordion player Maria Elena. The two played off of each other’s energy, Elena rocking out on her accordion, and Velásquez doing the same on her guitar.

Residente of Calle 13

Many established and up-and-coming artists in cumbia, rock, electronica, funk, soul, reggae, hip-hop, and various other  genres attended the 10th Annual Latin Alternative Music Conference, which took place July 7-11 at New York City’s Roosevelt Hotel.

While most of the artists at the LAMC spent their days in the hotel mingling with record executives, the nights were another matter, with performances at  S.O.B.’s, Bowery Ballroom, Prospect Park Bandshell, and a conference-closing  Central Park SummerStage show, featuring Latin hip-hop superstars Calle 13.

Washington City Paper was there to document the sights and sounds that captivated over 10,000 concert-goers , and to talk to many of the artists in attendance about their future projects and upcoming D.C.-area shows.

Federico Aubele

Those who frequent the Eighteenth Street Lounge in Dupont Circle, might recognize the name Federico Aubele—or are at least familiar with his mix of Argentine tango and electronica that’s often played at the lounge. Aubele’s sound certainly grabbed the attention of Thievery Corporation DJ and ESL Music co-founder Eric Hilton. Back in 2001, Aubele was a DJ in Berlin and played Thievery Corporation tracks during his sets. That year, Aubele sent Hilton a demo, and was thrilled when he heard back from Hilton via e-mail.

“He gave me a pretty thorough critique of the demo,” said Aubele in a sit down interview at LAMC. “Eric gave me pointers on what to do, how to improve tracks, what tracks to keep, which ones to cut. And shortly after, I began touring with his band, Thievery Corporation.”

Now that Aubele is an accomplished performer himself, he’s been touring non-stop worldwide as a headliner for the past few years. He occasionally performs small, intimate acoustic sets at Eighteenth Street Lounge and plans to play the 9:30 Club in October.

One of the major goals of the LAMC conference is to highlight artists that have yet to grab headlines, but are on the verge of breaking through as major artists. Mexican MC Niña Dioz is well on her way, having opened for everyone from Ghostface Killah to Mexican rap giants Molotov and Plastilina Mosh. She generated buzz after her U.S. debut at this year’s SXSW festival.

When asked about the hip-hop scene in her native Mexico, Dioz, who made her LAMC debut this year, said in Spanish, “It’s growing slowly but surely. It’s been going on for about a dozen years, strong, and I think it’ll really take off over the next five years.”

She has been groomed by Mexican hip-hop pioneers Control Machete, who also hail from her hometown of Monterrey, whom she met a few years back at a concert. Machete’s DJ Toy Selectah is producing her new album Nueva Escuela, set for release in October.

Natalia Lafourcade

Natalia Lafourcade has always been a big fan of Julieta Venegas, arguably the queen of Mexican pop-rock. But little did Lafourcade know that the feeling was mutual.

“I was driving my car in Mexico when I get a call, and I hear this distinctive high pitched voice, ‘Hola, it’s Julieta,’” said Lafourcade, in Spanish. “There was no way this was a joke, her voice you can’t fake. And I was thrilled when she asked me to be part of her Unplugged album.”

Venegas’ MTV Unplugged album went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2008. Lafourcade, who in addition to her prowess as a singer is also an accomplished instrumentalist, performed as part of Venegas’ orchestra, playing various instruments throughout the recording.

Fast forward one year, and it was a no-brainer for Venegas to repay the favor, taking part in the title track for the recently released Lafourcade album Hu Hu Hu.

Andrea Echeverri of Aterciopelados

With a name like “The Velvety Ones,” it’s no surprise that Aterciopelados are best known for earthy feel-good music. The duo's latest album, Río, features music about their beloved Bogotá River—which was majestic when they were young, but is now a polluted mess. The critically acclaimed 2008 album spreads this message through progressive rock music, loaded with electronica beats and indigenous sounds found in their native Colombia and other Latin American countries.

“We’re big fans of Andean music,” said Atercio’s singer Andrea Echeverri in Spanish. “We’ve added a full-time flautist that can [play] the [Andean panflute] zampoña.”

Bandmember Héctor Buitrago added, “It’s an indigenous sound we’ve always liked, and we love that we have it as part of our band when we tour.”

Aterciopelados perform in D.C. often, having played shows at the defunct Nation nightclub in Navy Yard, the Kennedy Center, and most recently at the State Theater, back in April.

Los Amigos Invisibles

Los Amigos Invisibles are no strangers to D.C., having played to crowds at the Black Cat, the Kennedy Center, and, just last month, a sold-out live set at the 9:30 Club. That show was one of a select handful of concerts LAI performed recently to promote their latest album, Commercial.

“We’re pretty busy people,” said Amigos lead singer Julio “Chulius” Briceño, whose band blends '70s and '80s funk with various cumbia, jazz, and gozadera from their native Venezuela. “People always ask me when we started this tour but the truth is—even though this is called the ‘Commercial’ tour—we’ve been touring non-stop for the past 10 years. D.C.’s 9:30 Club has always been one of our favorite venues to play during that time.”

While best known for their very dance-friendly and animated live shows, the band has gone from being a New York City-based party band to enjoying more mainstream success in recent years.

“What I like best about ‘Commercial’ is that it’s our most tight album yet,” said Briceño. “We used to do long eight minute-plus tracks that went on and on. They were fun, but we feel our new songs are proof of our constant evolution.

“We’ve practiced these songs in front of our live audiences for two years now, and we’re excited to have the album come out,” he continued. “We’ve been playing music together for almost 20 years, and if you can’t evolve your music at this point, you might as well open a restaurant, serve people food instead of music.”

Eric Bobo

When you mention percussion and hip-hop, few have been more involved in that fusion than Cypress Hill’s Eric Bobo. The son of New York City Latin jazz musician Willie Bobo, Eric joined Cypress Hill when the Beastie Boys, whom he once performed with, decided to take a break from touring in the mid-'90s. Bobo and Cypress Hill have been inseparable since, with Bobo's percussion adding a new element to the group's already impressive  sound.

“When you look back to the origins of hip-hop, it was all about live instruments,” said Bobo, whose debut solo album Meeting of the Minds was released last year. “And percussion music was the key.”

Look for more of that percussive element—Bobo’s bongos, drums, and all—in a new Cypress Hill album, its first in five years, to be released in late 2009.

Bomba Estéreo was one of the busiest bands at the LAMC. Not only did they put on a thrilling show at the Bowery Ballroom, but also did an impromptu set at D'Antigua in Queens , opened for Calle 13 at Central Park SummerStage, and followed that up with a set at S.O.B.’s.

Conference attendees seemed more than happy to watch the high-energy Colombian band bring their version of “psychedelic cumbia” to various venues.

“We love what we do,” said Bomba lead singer and MC Liliana Saumet, in Spanish. “We’re like a bomb in your stereo, ready to be lit up and explode in your ear!”

Their mix of cumbia with champeta, reggae, hard rock rhythms and Saumet’s raps made their crowds hop and bounce throughout their sets, particularly on the hit single, “Fuego.”

Residente and PG-13

While the Central Park audience was impressed with Bomba’s explosive opening set, few can top that level of energy unless it’s five-time Latin Grammy winners Calle 13. They are a highly entertaining hip-hop group that started out with their global hits “Se Vale Tó- Tó” and “Atrevete-te-te” (both of which sport incredibly catchy choruses that were  screamed by the thousands of Puerto Ricans at the Central Park show) from of their 2006 self-titled debut.

Calle 13 is a family affair led by Residente, his half-brother Visitante, and their sister PG-13. While Visitante plays to the side of the stage at most shows—hopping between guitar,  keyboard, and various other instruments—his boisterous siblings take center stage. Their Central Park set had elements of jazz, salsa, tango, cumbia, bossa nova, and electronica.

Residente’s spit-fire rhymes flowed perfectly with the versatile PG-13—who displayed her soulful vocals on the band’s ballads, and served as hype-man (er, hype-woman) and second MC on other tracks. The highlight—other than the extended 10-minute party version of “Atrevete-te-te”—was the band’s Michael Jackson tribute. After a brief break, the band donned sunglasses and bedazzled clothing, then busted out in dance to MJ’s “Thriller.”

The face of the band will always be the charismatic Residente, who often smiles mischievously at the audience, hops up and down like a pogo stick and deliver perverse, but crowd-pleasing, dances. But at the Central Park show,  PG-13 took a much larger role compared with previous concerts, particularly the group’s only D.C. concert to date, which took place at the 9:30 Club back in October 2007.

“We remember that show, totally. Amazing vibe and energy coming from the audience,” said  MC René Pérez Joglar, a.k.a. Residente, after his Central Park show. “We hope to make it back once our crazy schedule allows us to.”

Calle 13 has been touring and producing Grammy-winning records at a breakneck pace since then, but somehow found the time to make a documentary. Their film, Sin Mapa, is about their journeys through South America and the  land’s indigenous culture and art. The movie will be available on iTunes and DVD on July 28.

Check out more photos from the LAMC here.

Anthony Hamilton is a trooper. While many performers have canceled performances because of illness or fatigue, Hamilton hobbled on one leg for the majority of his soulful 45-minute set played to a sold-out crowd at D.A.R. Constitution Hall on Friday evening.

The R&B singer injured his left knee recently, but barely took advantage of the cane or crutches his stagehands implored him to use. Instead, he favored his right leg, danced as gracefully as a one-legged person could, and even got a dozen or so females to join in on stage for a rendition of “Sista Big Bones” set to the theme from TV’s “Fat Albert”. The North Carolina native made the song his own by ad-libbing and asking a few of the plus-sized ladies in attendance to join him on stage. Hamilton showed them his appreciation by coyly singing “Sista thickness/Get down wit the quickness/Hope you won’t forget this/Put me on ya gift list.”

After all of that hopping around, Hamilton, nattily dressed in a gray suit, sat down and busted out the love ballads “Her Heart” and “Prayin' for You.” He then rose to his feet (or rather, his foot) to close the set with “Charlene," a slow jam about heartbreak, and the uplifting “Cool.”

Headliner Musiq stuck to the fun, groovy tracks that have made him a star. He was backed by an all-female five piece band—which included scene-stealing drummer J Latoiya—and two female dancers. The deviation from the predominately male backup bands that dominate R&B provided the sort of funky '70s feel that Musiq favors.

Musiq’s set was loaded with feel-good tracks like “Whoknows” and “Girlnextdoor,” and ended with his song about friendship leading to romance, “B.U.D.D.Y. Its chorus showed the singers playfulness: “I can’t lie/It would be fly/If you were my B-U-D-D-Y/Don’t be shy/Give it a try/I could be yours if you could be mine.”

Ximena Sariñana—a jazz-pop sensation in her native Mexico—performed a soulful set at the 9:30 club earlier this week. She sang exclusively in Spanish, but charmed the crowd between songs, speaking in English and explaining what each upcoming song was about and what it meant to her.

Although the 23-year-old Sariñana has performed in D.C. before-she appeared at a private event in Washington last year-she seemed slightly bashful in front of the 9:30 crowd. She often closed her eyes while performing hits such as “Mediocre,” “La Tina,” and “Normal,” and played the ukulele, kazoo, and tambourine.

Her voice was impressive and wowed the crowd, which was made up of many young fans, many from Latin America, and a few gray-haired folks who seemed to appreciate the new rock music twist on jazz. Xime closed her set with the smash hit “Vidas Paralelas,” which is about two ex-lovers who often think of each other, wondering what the other is up to, while they live separate, yet parallel, lives.

It was appropriate that Señor Flavio, co-writer of most of Fabulosos Cadillacs' hits, teased the sold-out crowd at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom on Sunday night by pretending his bass guitar was a rifle. Near the end of the group's nearly two hour set, Flavio Cianciaurlo pointed the instrument at the audience, as if to say, "Bang! We just did a great show."

The nearly 4,000 folks in attendance agreed. Members of the crowd were hoarse after screaming and singing along to the chant-like hooks of the classic songs performed by Fabulosos. “Matador,” “Mal Bicho,” and “Vasos Vacios” got the biggest reactions from the slam-dancing, ska-loving audience.

The crowd lined up several blocks deep hours before the show, eagerly anticipating the reunion of the group, touring in support of its new album La Luz del Ritmo . The disc includes a sprinkling of new songs and fantastic refinements of some of the hits that have placed the Fabulosos Cadillacs among the greats of Latin rock.

Hopefully the new material, along with the current tour, will provide fans with a reminder of what makes the group so fabulous.

And here's hoping that LFC makes a return trip to D.C. The last time the band came to town it performed at the Dupont Circle's Garage club (most recently  Club Five), back in the mid-'90s.

More photos from the show below. Please do not re-use.

The Flight of the Conchords can barely make ends meet. It must be hard to make rent when your genre’s as obscure as “obscure guitar-based digi-bongo a cappella-rap-funk-comedy-folk” (apparently so popular in New Zealand that FOTC is only fourth best at it there). It certainly doesn’t help when your dimwit of a band manager—Murray Hewitt—refuses to book you nighttime gigs because New York City is too dangerous (“you could be murdered or even ridiculed”); instead the band plays in aquariums, libraries, expos, and as Simon & Garfunkel impersonators in a gig where they compete against Elton John and Bono impersonators..

Now that the Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are about to release a new album and have embarked on a U.S. Tour (including a stop in D.C. on April 13 at DAR Constitution Hall), let’s take a look back at the best songs (open to debate!) of the recently second completed season.
No. 10: Friends

FOTC has also gotten high comedic value out of their guests stars this season—including comedians Jim Gaffigan and Patton Oswalt, two actresses from 24, Lucy ‘Xena Warrior Princess’ Lawless, and folk maestro Art Garfunkel. In this song, Gaffigan plays Murray’s best (and possibly only) friend Jim, who meets the band only after Muray’s “officially” dubbed them “friends.”

Highlight: Bret: If you cross the road and a drunk struck you. I’ll scrape you up and reconstruct you.

No. 9: Fashion is Danger

In season one the band made no secret of their fascination with ‘80s music–particularly David Bowie, dedicating an entire episode to him culminating with the track “Bowie in Space” (“Isn’t it cold out in space, Bowie? Do you want to borrow my jumper, Bowie?”) Bret and Jemaine go from being ignored by their own Prime Minister (Brian of New Zealand, Bret reverently calling him “my lord”) to paparazzi-worthy famous once they begin using hair gel—becoming infinitely cool. The video, a parody of “Fade to Grey” by Visage, features classic 80s bad fashion (including Babylon 5 space uniforms) and gives shout-outs to “Pr-Pr-President Reagan. Thatcher. Th-Th-Thatcher. Jazzer-size. L-L-Lipgloss.”

No. 8: Demon Woman

In a role totally opposite of the snarky yet demure one she plays on ’24,’ the dolled-up Mary Lynn ‘Chloe’ Rajskub plays Karen, a woman who forces Jemaine to dress up like Garfunkel and have sex with her (Jemaine calls this "Garfunkeling"). But before they do, Jemaine has to get rid of his blocky glasses, New Zealand accent, and do his best Garfunkel impression. The song, spoof of the “Devil Woman” by Cliff Richard is dedicated to Karen’s psychotic behavior.

Highlights: Jemaine: You sit on a rock. Looking nice in your frock, but you’re scaring my livestock.

No. 7: Song for Epileptic Dogs

Season one had the reoccurring role of Sally (Rachel Blanchard)—Bret’s former girlfriend who dates Jemaine briefly on two separate occasions and the focus of two of the best Conchords songs of that season–“The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room)" and “Business Time.” “Beautiful” is a soulful ballad about attainable beauty ("You're so beautiful. You could be a part-time model. But you'd probably still have to keep your normal job."), while “Business” portrays married people’s sex as only occurring on Wednesdays when there’s nothing good on TV. So it’s no surprise here, in season two, that Bret and Jemaine literally duel over Brahbrah (played by Adventureland’s Kristen Wiig), whose missing terrier has canine epilepsy.

Highlights: Bret: This is the remix! Epilep lep lep, Epileptic Epilep lep lep lep Epileptic Ep Ep ...” (dogs begin to howl, the flashing lights causing them to have epileptic seizures)

No. 6: Femident Toothpaste

In season two’s opener Murray makes it to the top of the music management chain, wiith a huge Manhattan office and multiple gold records, after riding the coattails of his second—and now favorite—client, the Crazy Dogggz, who reach number one in 24 countries with the song "Doggy Bounce" (as it turns out a completely plagiarized version of a Polish pop song made a decade earlier). Feeling neglected, the Conchords fire Murray and represent themselves after one final band meeting. Looks like things are looking up for the band when they land a gig writing and performing the jingle for Femident—an organic toothpaste made just for women, because women have special [dental] needs.

Highlights: Bret and Jemaine in unison: You are a woman, you have women’s wear. You have breasts and long-ish hair. Oh yeah. Your kind is found everywhere, yet you’re still very rare.

No. 5 We're Both In Love With a Sexy Lady

In the ‘Bharbara’ episode, the two realize they’ve both fallen in love with the same lazy-eyed woman while jogging in the park. The song, a hilarious parody of R. Kelly’s “Same Girl,” and has that same sort of cheesy 1990s R&B—Casio keyboard sound-effects, slang and all.

Highlights: In unison: We're both in love with a sexy lady with an eye that’s lazy. The girl that’s fly with a wonky eye. She’s smoking with an eye that’s broken, I think it's hot. The way she looks left a lot.

No. 4: Carol Brown

Jemaine is ridiculed and shunned by his friends for dating an Australian—especially after he starts wearing Crocodile Hunter-esque short shorts. After a one-night stand, Jemaine returns to her apartment to retrieve his missing wallet. Jemaine performs along with a choir of his ex-girlfriends (led by the evil Carol Brown, who took a bus out of town). The choir sings about Jemaine’s deficiencies as a boyfriend in this homage to Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.”

No. 3: You Don't Have To Be A Prostitute

In season one, Jemaine and Bret can’t pay their heating bills, and the song “Inner City Pressure” sums up their financial woes (“You know you're not in high finance, considering second hand underpants. Check your mind, how'd it get so bad? What happened to those other underpants you had?”). Things are equally as bad in season two when the Conchords are forced to share one tea cup. Jemaine comes up with a cup chart, a schedule of when he can use the cup (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.), and when Bret can use it (9 p.m. to 11 p.m). The plan works until Bret goes on a $2.79 spending spree on a new cup. A $30 penalty occurs after the check for the gas bill bounces, which in turn makes the phone, electricity and rent checks all bounce, forcing Jemaine into male prostitution. Bret thinks prostitution is beneath him; this song, like to the Police’s “Roxanne,” pleads Bret’s case.

Highlights: Bret: Its a cold night, beneath the street light, there’s a man whose pants are too tight. Oh no, his pants are too tight.

No. 2: Hurt Feelings

Bret disses all the rappers he can think of and starts the first ever New Zealand vs. American rap war. His friend Dave suggests they form a gang to prevent Missy Elliot chopping “his whole body off.” The gang comprises Dave (supposedly an AWOL Navy Seal), senile ex-gangster Johnny Boy, and Mr. and Mrs. Li from the Internet café downstairs. This video has Bret and Jemaine dressed as Bethoven and play tiny spinet pianos (like in Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend”) and the song describes occasions on which they experienced hurt feelings.

Highlights: Jemaine: I make a meal for my friends. Try to make it delicious. Try to keep it nutritious. Create wonderful dishes. Not one of them thinks about the way I feel. Nobody compliments the meal. I feel like a prized asshole. No one even mentions my casserole."

No. 1: Sugalumps

In the ‘prostitution’ episode, Jemaine and Bret consider all the options of how to pay their bills. Jemaine (thinking he can be the gigolo version of a Julia Roberts’ “Pretty Woman”) comes up with the solution. And so begins their parody of the Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps”—the best song ever about the family jewels and arguably one of the funniest songs in the Conchords’ two-year run.

Highlights: Jemaine: I see you girls checking out my trunks, I see you girls checkin' out the front of my trunks. I see you girls looking at my junk then checkin' out my rump then back to my sugar lumps. While I shake yeah I shake it all up, you probably think that my pants have the mumps. It's just my sugar lump bump-ba-bump. They look so good that's why I keep them in the front.

Jemaine: Put the ladies in a trance when I wear track pants. My dungarees make them hung-a-ry, send them over the moon when I don pantaloons.

Bret: My sugar lumps are two of a kind, sweet and white and highly refined. Honeys try all kinds of tomfoolery to steal a feel of my family jewelry.

Flight of the Conchords perform an acoustic concert (i.e. no sketches, but still hilarious), along with cast-mate Kirsten Schaal, at DAR Constitution Hall, 311 18th St. NW. (202) 628-1776.

La Luz Del Ritmo
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Nacional Records

What's life like without breathing? It's a metaphor Latin rock legends Los Fabulosos Cadillacs have used in song to describe lost love. It's also a feeling familiar to LFC's fans, who've been holding their collective breath for nearly a decade waiting for a new album from the group.

The band literally introduced ska to a new generation of rockers in their native Argentina in the late 1980s, and became Latin American stars following 1995's "Matador," which went on to become MTV Latinoamérica's No. 2 song of all-time—right behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller." But just as their ascent to international fame started to take shape, Fabulosos went their separate ways. and never so much as hinted at a reunion.

But a few months ago, fans began to see the light, or, more specifically, "La Luz del Ritmo," when the new single leaked online and the imminent global reunion tour, including four U.S. stops, became official. While the album is more like an EP—five new tracks combined with two covers and a few remixes—it does provide a glimpse into the Fabulosos' work in the new millennium. Rather than try something completely new, LFC is sticking to their time-tested formula of a head-bopping, crowd-pleasing fusion of ska, rock, tropical sounds, punk, reggae and traditional Latin rhythms.

The lead single ("Luz") could easily be added to any of their ska-rific albums of the '90s, with its infectious percussion, tropical groove, and an addictive chant-like hook: "Vivir de Amor! La Luz del Ritmo" (Live for love! The Light of Rhythm).

The other new singles are solid, and a bit mellower. "Flores" (Flowers) is a punky-rock song, "Nosotros Egoistas" (We Selfish) has bassist Sr. Flavio's ska touch all over it, and in "Hoy" (Today), lead singer Vincentico's soulful vocal chops shine in the jazzy track.

But the true selling point of the album comes in the remastering of Fabulosos classics and covers. Among the winners are a new cumbia version of "Padre Nuestro" (Our Father); a fantastic New Orleans funeral procession-inspired, horn-infused mix of "Condenaditos" (Little Damned); and a quality rapid-fire Spanish-language cover of The Clash's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go."

For Fabulosos fans, the album is a gratifying new EP, and for potential new fans of the Latin rock genre, it should serve as a primer for the LFC's '90s classics.

1.

Los de Atras Vienen Conmigo, Calle 13 (Sony International)

Calle 13 have the gusto and fortitude to give the world of Latin urban music a shot in the arm, mixing electic beats with cheeky Spanglish lyrics, and dismissing their competition (particularly reggeaton acts) as tourists in their genre.

2.

MTV Unplugged, Julieta Venegas (Sony International)

An accidental pop-rock star after toiling as an emo rocker in the '90s, Venegas has spent this decade playing the joyful, universally appealing norteño music of her native Mexico.

3.

Mediocre, Ximena Sariñana (Warner Music Latina)

The Latina Norah Jones? Perhaps not, but Sariñana made a name for herself at the Latin Alternative Music Conference in New York last summer with the über-catchy pop guitar-tinged "Vidas Parallelas"—her jazz scat singing may yet spreading the genre to the Latin world.

4.
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne (Cash Money)

"Next time you mention Pac, Biggie or Jay-Z/Don't forget Weezy baby," Lil Wayne raps "Mr. Carter." Mission accomplished.

5.

Evolver, John Legend (G.O.O.D. Music)

Legend got his start singing about love and how it falters, and his evolution continues on this album, adding themes about pursuing an elusive girl, giving up his playboy ways, and finding his one true love, though he'll probably be best remembered for his Obama-inspired call-to action anthem, "If You're Out There."

6.

Sonidos Gold, Grupo Fantasma (Aire Sol)

This lively orchestra fuses old-school rhythms like cumbia, funk, and salsa with psychedelia, making for an danceable and fresh take on traditional Latin genres.

7.
The Renaissance, Q-Tip (Universal Motown)

It's taken him nine years to release a follow up to his debut solo CD, but the former A Tribe Called Quest frontman made it worth the wait, going back to his roots of using cerebral rhymes and classic samples fused with live instrumentation.

8.

9.

Radio Retaliation, Thievery Corporation (ESL Music)

The "outernational" movement­ a term coined by Jamaican rastas for an appreciation and empathy for all people­has kept Thievery Corporation going strong for the past dozen years, sampling from all sorts of music, both new and decades old. On their latest, the D.C. duo smartly sticks with groovy beats, but with an expanding arsenal of global rhythms.

10.

Flight of the Conchords, Flight of the Conchords (Sub Pop)

Formerly New Zealand's fourth-most-popular guitar-based digi-bongo-a cappella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo, the Conchords had to leave their homeland since this bizarre genre was apparently too competitive back home. That benefits the American fans who get to hear these parodic songs of wooing the ladies, with lines like "You're so beautiful, like a tree or a high-class prostitute."