Christine Vaindirlis - Dance Mama! (Ubuntu World Music, 2009)

Some day musicians and labels will release albums based on the energy of a particular season. Contemplative and soothing music will be released in the fall and winter months when the weather chills and sitting by a fireplace sipping hot chocolate or apple cider bodes well with simpler rhythms and melodies. Then when spring rolls around, and people toss the winter coats aside and get outside to join others, more rousing music makes sense. That’s when we would get out the jigs, reels, salsa and other dance music. It comes down to developing consciousness about how music affects the mind and body.

Ms Vaindirlis boasts her share of talent as a vocalist and music arranger. “Dance Mama!” has been pumped up with horns, polyrhythms and powerhouse vocals that swim their way through a variety of musical genres, pan-African (“Indaba” and “Down by the River”), sultry-smoky jazz (“Should I Make You Pay”), funk (“No More Drama”) and South African vocal harmonies (“Dance Mama!”). She even tosses in a bit of Afro-Latin salsa.

The vocalist effortlessly sails through these diverse musical styles. I envy her energy and enthusiasm, not to mention her record collection (which must contain a lot of American jazz with an emphasis on blues, New Orleans jazz and recordings from throughout the African continent). She possesses a good ear for horn arrangements and music production. No doubt we will be hearing more from this diva in years to come.