Rei Momo


Rei Momo is the debut solo studio album by the American musician David Byrne and his second overall studio album, released on 3 October 1989. The album reached number 54 on the UK Charts and number 71 on the Billboard chart.
The album consists of diverse Latin music styles from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Brazil. The album is mostly sung in English and features guest appearances by Kirsty MacColl, Willie Colón and Celia Cruz, among others.

Release and promotion

The album was co-released by Luaka Bop and Sire on 3 October 1989. Three songs, "Loco de Amor", "Good and Evil", and "Office Cowboy" are excluded from the LP. All songs are present on the cassette and compact disc editions. David Byrne performed "Dirty Old Town" and "Loco de Amor" on Saturday Night Live's Thanksgiving show in 1989.

Reception

The album was well-received by critics. In a retrospective review for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis wrote "Byrne’s first post–Talking-Heads solo album is a cut above and an underrated joy".

Track listing

All tracks composed by David Byrne; except where indicated.

Release history