Evaluaciones de Latin Beat - Tt: Latin Beat Reviews - Reseña

Latin Beat Magazine, Oct, 2001 by Luis Tamargo, Jesse Varela, Elmer Gonzalez, Rudy Mangual

PUERTO PADRE BIG BAND

Tributo a Emiliano Salvador

(Unicornio)

El pianista cubano Emiliano Salvador era tan bueno, pero tan buen músico, que se lo llevaron para el cielo muy temprano en 1992, cuando apenas comenzaba su cuarta década de vida. Su sentido marcado del liricismo y la magia de sus melodías hoy forman parte de una leyenda singular en el competivo espectro musical de Cuba. Bajo la dirección del saxofonista Juan Manuel Ceruto, un impresionante grupo de músicos reconocidos logró realizar con este disco, uno de los mejores homenajes musicales que he escuchado hasta ahora para el fenecido pianista de Puerto Padre.

Entre muchos otros (y en diferentes ocasiones), participan aquí Chucho Valdés, Román Filiú, Germán Velazco, Tata Güines, Hernán López-Nussa, Tony Pérez, Tomás "El Panga" Ramos y Juan Pablo Torres. El sonido, los arreglos, los solistas y el trabajo en conjunto son de primera clase. Temas como A Puerto Padre, Danza para cuatro, Jazz Plaza, Angélica y Salseando resultan ser un banquete al oído. Es un trabajo bien hecho con fuerza interpretativa, con arreglos que resaltan la musicalidad del homenajeado, y sobre todo, un trabajo que muestra la grandeza musical de Emiliano Salvador, el compositor. Recomendado sin reservas. (EG)

ARTURO SANDOVAL

L.A. Meetings

(Cubop)

My liner notes for the Messidor reissue of Arturo Sandoval's Tumbaito (recorded in Madrid in 1986) included the following controversial comment: "Despite the fanfare related to his North American debut, no self-respecting critic can dispute the fact that Sandoval's U.S. band cannot duplicate the magic of his former all-star group." When I wrote about his "former all-star group," I was referring to the one defined on this particular occasion by the current liner notes writer, KLON radio personality Alfredo Cruz, as Sandoval's "last and best Cuban band." I would take another step and categorize it as the greatest band ever led by the trumpet wizard from Artemisa. What else can be expected when Sandoval's explosive trumpet is propelled by Hilario Durán's exuberant montunos, Jorge Reyes' refined tumbaos, Jorge Luis Chicoy's enigmatic guitar interventions, and the percussive contributions of Bernardo García and Reynaldo "Pichi" Valera? One can even find a couple of admirable contributions from a tumbadora-playing Chicano guest artist named Idelfonso "Poncho" Sánchez. (LT)

MANU CHAO

Próxima Estación: Esperanza

(Virgin)

The Parisian superstar of rock en español, Manu Chao, is back in full force with his latest masterpiece, Próxima Estación: Esperanza. Following his 1998 critically acclaimed production, Clandestino (his first solo outing after the breakup of his legendary world beat-punk band Mano Negra in 1994), Chao and his group Radio Bemba Sound System bring us seventeen new tracks that continue another phase of Manu's grand vision, La Feria De Las Mentiras (the Festival of Lies), a concept that initially began as a traveling music festival first launched in Spain, featuring artists from all walks of life. With a repertoire saturated with socio-political messages, multilingual lyrics, and infectious heart-beating rhythms, the Franco-Spanish troubadour succeeds in entertaining us all with his music, as well as helping raise the awareness of the world's youth to the many issues that affect their lives on a daily basis. The track Me gustas tú, a reggae-popish tune is classic Chao at his best. On El Dorado 1997, Radio Bemba Sound System swings like a genuine salsa banal for about a minute before transforming its sound in the track titled Promiscuity, which carries a strong ska mood. Trapped By Love is a lively ska "a la Charleston" with English and French lyrics right out of the airwaves of Radio Bemba. Other favorites are La Marea, Mr. Bobby, and La Vaca Loca. Take a peak into the future of rock en español with Mano Chao and Radio Bemba. (RM)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

The Rough Guide To The Cuban Music Story

(World Music Network)

Many lousy compilations of Cuban music have been issued in recent years, but this anthology does not fall into that "Malavista Social Club" category. Covering a fairly wide range of genres and styles --son montuno, mambo, descarga, chachachá, and Cubanized jazz (or should we call it jazzified Cuban music?), among others, the present collection even includes various intriguing tracks, such Azúcar Letal's Somos lo máximo (a rare sample of electro-timba) and Cuarteto Patria (led by the black-hat wearing guajiro guitarist Eliades Ochoa) and Manu Dibango's allied instrumental version of the bolero Quizás, quizás. In addition to Ochoa and his santiaguero crew, this compilation highlights the compositional and/or orchestral, and/or instrumental contributions of other prolific Cuban string artists, including guajira king Guillermo Portabales, cubibop pioneer Niño Rivera, tres master Pancho Amat, and laúd icon Barbarito Torres, the latter of whom is featured here with Juan de Marcos' Afro-Cuban All Stars. As a matter of fact, Niño Rivera's 1980 recording of one of his greatest originals (El Jamaiquino) is perhaps the most delightful tune selected. Regarded as one of the most influential tres exponents (along with Arsenio Rodríguez), Niño was accompanied on that particular occasion by artistic monsters such as pianist Ruben González and bassist Fabián García (Not to mention the vocal presence of the enchanting ronco Miguelito Cuní). (LT)