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"Buena
Vista Social Club Presents IbrahimFerrer"
It should never
cease to amaze how spry and dramatically potent a force is the
Buena Vista Social Club. The group--really a gaggle of aging
Cuban maestros brought together for stunning all-star performances--keeps
its footing in Cuban dance music at the same time as it revels
in the lax tempo of layered hand percussion and traditional rhythms.
Ibrahim Ferrer stepped to the international fore as the vocalist
on the eponymous BVSC CD in 1997 and here furthers his already-obvious
command of everything from sultry, horn-swaying ballads to gritty
son tunes like "Mamí Me Gustá." Ferrer's
tattered vocal inflections shape the more rollicking tunes so
their texture is palpable, especially when belted in antiphonal
give-and-takes with the rest of the huge band he totes along
here. A 15-member-strong string section steps forward on the
bolero tracks, which send off a smoldering passion that's startling
in light of the BVSC's heightened, horn-charged charts. But the
rich string passages color songs in wide brush strokes, which
is to say that they heighten the passion to no end. Ferrer's
debut might come in his twilight years, but it's a majorly luminous
event. --Andrew Bartlett |
Customer review from Amazon
Reviewer: A music fan from Lakewood
WA
There's some John dude from Irving,Texas that just didn't get
this music. One either has to be the owner of a couple of tin
ears, or "Texas" may have something to do with it.
How can you not be transported to a tropical isla somewhere with
the opening notes of "Bruca Manigua?" Sheer elegance
medleyed into a nice cha cha romp. "Herido de Sombras"
is a beautifully lyrical samba pa it and pa mi. Want to party
right? "Marieta" will get the house hoppin'! Moving
on to "Cien Fuegos", a celebration of one's origins,
rememberances, and life, will make you shake 'n bake. "Silencio"
is a lovely heart-felt tune. It moves the soul with the wonderful
guitar work & vocals.Having seen Señor Ferrer last
Friday night in Seattle, he is the master of musica Cubana and
displays his passion with every song he sings and dances to.
Catch him while you can. |
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MUSIC