Drum Dream Girl

Narrator Adriana Sananes's beautiful tone and accent artfully capture the true story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl. In 1930s Cuba--the island of music--playing drums was taboo for girls. Sananes portrays the spirited sounds of Zaldarriaga's brave quest to play the drums. Listeners will feel they're privy to the girl's playing in secret until her father relents and hires a tutor. Sananes's lively pronunciation of adjectives adds to the richly descriptive story. Marvelous sound effects of pounding on tall congas and tapping on small bongos as well as the clucking of chickens who make up Zaldarriaga's audience provide authenticity. Most gratifying is hearing the historical notes, which reveal that she gained critical acclaim as a drummer, even playing for President Franklin Roosevelt's birthday. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine