From the moment it starts, there's no doubt that this an album of now.  Energetic, assertive and joyful, it does what you want a record to do: it changes the mood and makes life seem full of possibilities.  

Reaching back to flamenco and rumba, grabbing handfuls of hip hop, dub and modern-sounding drum licks and bass lines (but not drum-and-bass!), the group makes forward-looking music that could definitely have been made only in Spain and probably only in Barcelona. 

Usually, the most interesting popular music has been made far from the cities where the major international record companies have been based. For the twenty years from 1952 to 1972, the American South was the best place to make adventurous records. For the next thirty it could have been Kinshasa in Zaire or the capital cities of Guinea, Mali or Senegal. Right now, some of the most creative locations are bordering the Mediterranean: Marseilles, Naples, Istanbul, Cairo, and especially Barcelona.  

It's not a matter of simply moving to the right place and expecting the magic to rub off;  you have to be based there, be part of the culture, and be able to absorb some of what is flying through the air around you.   Ojos de Brujo is the band in the right place at the right time. Although the group (whose name means "Eyes of the Wizard") previously made a good debut album, Vengue, it featured the lead vocals of Dani, leader of another Barcelona group, Macaco, and it did not have the distinctiveness of Bari, which is in many ways a new beginning. 

The vocals are now shared between Marina La Canillas and Lucy, and it is their interplay that gives the album its character. First time through, the song that particularly jumped out was 'Nalta', its strong flamenco elements updated without being softened or processed. But with each play, the inventiveness of the groups style and the consistency of the material become more apparent. 

Try a sample. If you like one track, you're going to like it all. Its not often a reviewer can be so confident.

Reviewer: Charlie Gillett

Like This? Try These:
Estrella Morente - My Songs and a Poem
Mariza - Fado em mim
Yusa - Yusa

michael - san francisco
Great music. The song Zambra is a killer.

Aytac, Istanbul, Turkey
is there any explanation of not placing my comment here? or am I taking BBC too serious?

Aytac, Istanbul, Turkey
A magnificent band.I like the way they take me for a stroll in a Spanish city.Or relax on my sofa.So done.

manny, australia
great vibe from this band, would be cool to see them live, found a great song called chan chan which ojos de brujo covered but its not on any of their albums, but yeah... its good shit

berlusconi
it's simply perfect... one of the best CD i ever listen to.. I've bought it in the maravillous city of Granada

Suha- Amman, Jordan
They blew me away!! Incredible...

Alicia, USA
THE FLIPPIN MOST AWESOME BAND EVER, BEST MUSIC YOU WILL EVER HEAR, NO DOUBT!

Gillian, London, UK
I was intrigued when i saw them on Later with Jools Holland and bought Bari from internet site CD Wow for £8.74,bargain! Great CD.

Peter, Hungary
Absolutely outstanding.

George, Jerusalem,Israel
The easiest way to your heart,along with tremendous virtuosity... the live love!

Catharina, Sweden
Brilliant. Saw the concert at Fiesta de Grácia in Barcelona. What a night...

CARLOS, MADRID
amazing, they are the best example of mixing flamenco and new music. Ojos de Brujo sound is unic.

arumdev
saw them live in ibiza (!!) in 2003 and they blew me away! their live set is just awesome, the sound was spot on and the energy was fantastic. I was annoyed when they stopped though :(

jim, cornwall
Bari is just brilliant, no argument, but we do have something like it in the UK... find the 3 Daft Monkeys' album Oomin and try to get to one of their gigs. New album soon I believe. Just stupendous. I got to OdB vis Manu Chao and Louise Attaque.

Mr Tom, Manchester
Saw these guys on the Jazz World Stage at Glastonbury and it was definately one of the highlights of the festival. Absolutely brilliant. Better gig than Ozomatli this year, and THAT's saying something. A treat for yer feet. Just bought the album and love it. Well done guys. Any suggestions for similar acts/albums?

Álvaro Surikato, Zaragoza, Spain
Great, great!!! I saw them to days ago in "Pirineos Sur Festival" and it was so incredible... you have to see them live.

Carolina Urrutia(Chilean), Newcastle
They create an amazing atmosphere, I sow them in Seville three weeks ago, and they've got magic and a special energy. The lyrics and the way they mix different rhythms is unique and dramatic, they send you with their music lots of power. I wish I could learn all the lyrics to sing then and full my self with energies. Highly recommended for all open-mind people.

Lucia, Florida
A friend and I swap world music cds all the time and he turned me on to O de B... great band, fantastic lyrics. I would love to see them live... if they're half as energetic as their studio album then they're sensational!

Ricky, LONDON
SAW THIS BAND LAST THURSDAY @ SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE. THEY REALLY ARE AS GOOD AS THE HYPE (ASHAME THE EMPIRE SOUND SYSTEM WASN'T) - FOR NIALL: The first album "Vengue" has just been released in UK. Available in HMV for an expensive 16.99.

erak, croatia
just listening

Inin China
I have never heard this album.

beedubblyer, London
Jaw-dropping. How come no-one's mentioned Zambra? It's the album highlight for me, a flamenco epic that starts as a slow-burn and builds into crescendo after towering crescendo, convulsing equally with traditional musicianship and studio wizardry... sublime!

Diana V, USA
Come the US!!

Tom Spender, London
It's a tremendous album - amazing guitar work, incredible energy and very sexy vocals. I am just waiting for them to come here for a gig....

Tutti, Brazil
great! a friend of mine who was living in barcelona have introduced them to me. it's incredible but here in brazil we don't know much about spanish culture. so i wish ojos de brujo can play around here to show us what's all about

Mickey, Miami
Saw this group at the Manuel Artime Theatre here in Miami. It was their first show in the U.S. and the crowd couldn't get enough of the sound. There was much dancing going on, on and off stage.

Miles, Miami
I saw then last Friday here in Miami @ the Artime Theater. Their performance was phenomenal unlike anything I had seen or heard before. Unfortunately they only had one performance. If you have a chance to see Ojos De Brujo live, don't miss it. They are a special treat.

MIkel, London
I love this band, the rock my world since I heard them for the first time. Music & lyrics are amazing. You must go and see them in live, just breathtaking. I wish they play soon in London again.

Jack, Berkekey
Fantastic music but where can you buy it??

David, Dublin
great album. great artwork too - have a look at his work, he's a graffiti artist with work all over granada

Jerry, Kent
This is cutting edge music. What a pity we Brits have nothing like it

Niall, London, UK
I bought their album - Vengue in Madrid, and was blown away by it. Subsequently bought Bari and - though still good - was less impressed. I lost my cd of Vengue while travelling, and badly want to get hold of it again - but don't know where to buy it in the UK. Any ideas?

Bart, Holland
Bari is one of my favourite albums. I have seen them three times performing live and that's even better.

Quillo, WORLD
Like it? Have a listen of O'funk'illo. Very different, yet, great!!!

Michael, The Hague, Holland
In one word? OLE!!!

merc, shrewsbury
Sorry, not a review as I haven't even heard it yet, but O d B were exceptional at Womad and I SHALL be buying 'Bari'....

Martin, Sheffield, UK
Had a holiday in central Spain this year and friends there played it to me. Breathtaking stuff,