Ritmo: la música de hoy

Latin Beat Magazine, Sept, 1998 by Franz Reynold

LA VIDA LOCA DE FRANCISCO CESPEDES ...mas otras revelaciones!

Somewhere in that space where poetry seduces music and becomes song dwells el don de Francisco Céspedes, his ability to sculpt his blessings into consuelo y calor, an enviable gift.

His are creations that (like precious stones) retain their luster, their appreciation linked to sentiment, nostalgia and the inexplicable power of seven notes to transport us across time to our own personal utopia.

Listening to Vida Loca, his debut CD that was first released in Mexico about a year ago, is a profound encounter with the beauty of language, the construct of musical gesture and the reluctant admission that sometimes, small miracles do occur (this one courtesy of WEA Latina).

The eleven cuts in this collection show a marked lack of mediocrity, a welcome surprise, since so many of today's artists (for lack of a more offensive word) raise their sights but not their aim -- with major ambition often strangling minor ability.

Luis Miguel was one of the first singers to interpret selections from the Cespedes songbook, delivering inspired covers of Pensar En Ti and Que Tu Te Vas on two of his previous albums. Here, Pancho (as he likes to be called) wraps his smoky tenor around the former, stripping it of all grandiosity to reveal -- with scarce more than soft strings and a lilting piano as accompaniment -- smudges of self-pity that he ardently polishes with hope. Delicate ballads like, Como Si El Destino, Se Me Antoja and Remolino (the latter written by Amaury Gutiérrez) address el hechizo del amor with graceful simplicity that strengthen their impact.

The title track (which is also the first single) wrings three minutes of regret from a life out of control, its arrangement a nod to sounds current. While it is true that exposure (as in radio) equals sales (well, usually), sometimes experimentation and formatting (especially in this particular case) may not provide the desired result.

Still, you have but to listen to some of the other cuts like the eloquent Vida Vida, which reads like a defiant affirmation, or the mid-tempo Morena, which straps wild desire to un ritmo samba, to understand that the material retains its merit, never undermining intention. Within the stark honesty of Señora, its balm of perseverance applying dignity to pain, Cespedes demolishes fantasy to acknowledge that rejection and desire are but a flip of fate.

Even with increased familiarity, the songs continue to expose fresh layers of sabiduria --melodies that float with jazzy sophistication-- words strung like a sonnet. The Céspedes magic augments range with passion, releasing each phrase with knowing warmth, thawing that chill in your heart with the sound of his soul!

That Puerto Rico's Jerry Segarra is a singer/songwriter of much promise is evident in the intelligent and original compositions that form Reflexión 2000 y Uno, his debut CD. What is also apparent, is that Segarra's inspiration is funneled through a layer of spirituality that assists in the creation of material that is unique; radio-friendly certainly, but hardly your average three minutes of treacle.

While this path has been traveled by others in the past (Roberto Carlos, Joan Manuel Serrat and Ricardo Arjona, come to mind), Segarra's grasp of his inner priorities may be the key to capturing a contemporary audience more attuned to accepting new concepts.

The album's first single, Labios De Rubi, speaks of healing a disillusioned heart by communing with an angel, in a manner that seems perfectly plausible, its vision of finding supreme tranquility above it all, wrapped in a plaintive vocal ana acoustic guitar.

While those so inclined may marvel at the refreshing manner in which Segarra invigorates his love of peace, others whose preference cleaves still to ye olde love ballads will find cuts like, Solos Tu y Yo and Amor De Nueva Era, perfectamente a su agrado. Regal and finely crafted, the lyrics are spun from raw emotion and fitted with a set of notes that provide a perimeter in which they blossom into magnificence.

The closing [title] track is nothing less than an ode to the approaching millennium that moves beyond opportunism to address political inequality and human suffering. It excavates for hope, convincing us that the key to change is forged in conviction.

From its opening strains of mystical groove to the Padre Nuestro that brings it full circle, Reflexión 2000 y Uno takes you on a musical pilgrimage through reflection, the lure of mental clarity the prize that makes listening worthwhile.

Doing its share to advance the rock en español agenda, Universal Music Latino provides access to a few of Argentina's newest sensations.

Turf's acoustic guitars drive Casanova, with its pop melody reminiscent of the best of AM radio in the '60s. Vocal harmonies fly hip and psychedelic, the lyrics economical --looped with enough energy to keep you hooked.

Grooving with comfortable assurance on La Vela, Los Cafres manage to capture both the essence and intuition that defines reggae music at its finest. The brass lines recall the genre's classic era, the arrangement a minimal backbeat and keyboard, with sparks of guitar and trumpet. Alumbrante!