'Salsa Celtica have real emotional range… El Camino's passion, energy and virtuosity suggest that Salsa Celtica's form of fusion has far to go. A road well worth following.'
* * * * * Songlines - March/April 2006
'An album that fizzes with energy and vitality and does honour to music styles that are often hermetic to change.'
Mondomix - Feb 2006
'What gives Salsa Celtica an edge over the home-grown competition is the. collision of South American exuberance and British folk roots .All in all, a clever way of freshening up a genre'
* * * Sunday Times - March 2006
'The tight Cuban piano and percussion kick off an exuberantly good-time salsa track that seamlessly weaves in a Scottish reel on fiddle and pipes.their fourth album and they're swinging.'
* * * * Evening Standard - 3rd Mar 2006
'Each strand within the mix retains its own vivid character, enhancing the elegance of their alignment with the frisson of contrast.'
* * * * * The Sunday Herald - 12th Mar 2006
'Calum Malcolm brings out an effortlessness in the big band's energy and an ease to their subtle musical blend'
* * * * The List - 16th Feb 2006
"From the opening blast
of banjo'n'brass on Cumbia Celtica to the closer, the
grooviest version of Auld Lang Syne ever, this really
is the water of life... this fusion of Latin rhythms
and Scottish folk music is completely infectious."
Penguin Eggs (Summer 2003)
"Well, yes, it does sound like it could be a condiment
served at a Mexican restaurant in Dublin or Edinburgh.
However Salsa Celtica is actually a group of adventurous
Scots whose discovery of Afro-Cuban dance music and
related sounds has led to an ingenious blend of the
styles of the Buena Vista Social Club and traditional
Scottish dance halls... it's like a potent cocktail
of Scottish whisky and Cuban rum, a steamy Havana ceilidh
driven by an irresistible beat."
Dirty Linen (Aug/Sept 2003)
"Unlike Japan's Orquestra de la Luz, which replicated
the sound of a salsa band, Salsa Celtica boldly meshes
two musical styles with exuberant results... oh-so-irresistable."
Billboard (July 2003) - the Billboard reviewer of Latin
albums in 2003 included El Agua at no 8.
"What in the world have we here? Cuban jazz with
a Celtic accent. The guys in this band hail from all
over the world, and they fuse Afro-Latin rhythms and
melodies with traditional Celtic and Scottish music.
It may sound outlandish, but it works incredibly well.
Music doesn't get more exciting than this."
The Boston Globe (July 2003)
Salsa Celtica performed at The Barrowlands in Glasgow
on January 25th as part of Celtic Connections 2003 -
read a review from The Scotsman and an El Agua De La
Vida album review (both by Sue Wilson).
The album reached Number 5 in the World Music Charts
Europe. In the top 150 of 1,040 nominated records for
2003, Salsa Celtica's El Agua De La Vida came in at
number 24.
Irish Music Magazine - Dublin Top Ten - No 8
Songlines World Music magazine - Top of the World -
Top Ten
"An album of gems from the Scottish Latino outfit."
Rootitooti
"A band that's not only tight but that are firing
on all cylinders with a big sound and joyous danceability."
Mundial Music Pool - Top 40 World - in at No 34
Salsanoticias magazine - Salsalista for April - No 17
"What their compatriots from Average White Band were for funk
in the seventies, Salsa Celtica are for Latin-American
music - a fresh, new and original sound..."
De Morgen, Belgium
"A stunning marriage of musical styles... Virtuosos
to a man..."
The Scotsman
"Salsa Celtica have now proven there are Celts
among us whose blood runs pure chilli..."
Cork Examiner, Ireland
"Scene stealers..."
The Observer, UK
"In the Latin scene along with Manu Chau, Salsa
Celtica were without doubt the most exciting and freshest
thing to hit New York this summer..."
Listin Diario, USA / Dominican Republic
"Rhythms bordering on a religious frenzy..."
The List, Scotland
"Unique..."
Rhythm Magazine, USA
"Salsa Celtica gerade deshalb so exzellent..."
Tontrager, Sweden
"Le melange rhythmique est magique..."
Musique Traditionale, France
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