Just as the so-called neo-swing bands don’t aim to attract jazz purists, Bio Ritmo probably isn’t planning to sow roots in Spanish Harlem. By indulging in a little Ricky Ricardo schtick, Bio Ritmo aims to cross over as only a salsa band from Richmond, Va., can.
To their credit, Bio Ritmo understands their audience well enough to offer a set of catchy melodies — sung mostly in English — that don’t inspire anything more than smiles and dance-floor hip-swaying. When the band plays it straight, it relies on clichéd riffs that merely competent playing can’t save. But songs like the salsoul-sounding “Call Me Up (644-7215)” and the goofball Caribbean-flavored “Ugly” succeed most convincingly.
Like the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Bio Ritmo transcends rote revivalism by allowing their natural eccentricities and modern inclinations to strut.
This article appears in Sep 23-29, 1998.