(Boston Globe)- In a surprise teaming that is likely Grammy bound, the Chieftains’ Paddy Moloney and Ry Cooder coproduced this cultural landmark disc. Their focus is the Saint Patrick’s Battalion, known as the San Patricios, composed mostly of disaffected Irish immigrants who deserted the US Army and fought for Mexico in the Mexican-American War of 1846. Some had been conscripted right from Ellis Island, and many objected to their mistreatment in the Army, Others simply didn’t want to shoot fellow Catholics. The story is told in Cooder’s original song, “The Sands of Mexico,’’ and in Liam Neeson’s guest narration on another track. But most of the record is a thrilling dip into traditional Mexican music by the likes of the exceptional Lila Downs, Los Folkloristas, Los Tigres del Norte (nailing the famed immigrant song “Canción Mixteca’’), Los Cenzontles, and 92-year-old vocalist Chavela Vargas, offering the weepily transcendent “Luz de Luna.’’ Linda Ronstadt also shows up with a song from her Mexican grandfather. Moloney plays tin whistle on many tracks, and he and Cooder emphasize the Irish/Mexican fusion by noting the 6/8 time signatures that are the same as Irish jigs. This project may be too esoteric for some, but it’s a vital reminder of a history long forgotten. STEVE MORSE
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