What have almost forgotten Japanese folk songs got to do with a cumbia beat? The answer is Minyo Crusaders! The ten-piece collective reworks traditional Japanese folk songs called Min’yō with Latin music such as cumbia, Ethiopian jazz, Thai pop, Afro-funk and reggae. The result sounds a little crazy, but is absolutely brilliant in a great way. Minyo Crusaders are the most infectious and hottest global beat party since Buena Vista Social Club. Anyway, the punchy and inventive arrangements breathe new life into the old Japanese min’yō, which are also traditional workers’ songs.