Latin'ia

The Sentinals, 1962. Solo by The Sentinals.

A Latin-tinged surf instrumental with a clean, echoing lead melody.

Latin'ia blends surf guitar with a Latin rhythmic flavour, giving it a different feel from most instrumentals of the time. The lead guitar plays a clean, echoing melody with a bright tone, gliding over a beat that suggests Latin dance music. The arrangement is spacious and relaxed, letting the reverb and echo fill the gaps between phrases. It shows how open the surf style could be to outside influences. Listen for the rhythmic lilt beneath the melody, and notice how the guitar's echo seems to answer each phrase, creating a call-and-response effect that adds to the tune's airy, exotic charm and sets it apart from louder surf records.

Latin'ia by The Sentinals is featured in our Surf (#21) list. The solo is played by The Sentinals and the song was released in 1962.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Surf Guitar Songs — #21

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