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£10.95
TUMI114
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"With
the vibrant energy of a sparkling new generation of Cuban musicians David
Alvarez and Juego de Manos offer irresistible songs to dance to with the
infectious sounds of the Caribbean rippling through them."
-
Jan Fairley
Track
Listing:
1 - Juana la Loco (4.11) 2 - Mi Velorio (4.56) 3 - Muchacha (4.09) 4 -
Para Siempre Tenerte (4.13) 5 - Domingo (3.51) 6 - José Daniel (4.14)
7 - Amor a Primera Vista (Tango) (3.39) 8 - El Beso (3.49) 9 - Cuatro
Palabras (2.56) 10 - Sola Vaya (4.06) 11 - Son Demasiado (4.05) 12 - Dolor
(3.18)
 |
Born
in 1972 in Manzanillo, in the eastern heartlands of Cuban 'son',
David Alvarez grew up making music. He took up classical guitar
early and then also percussion, taking music lessons first in Manzanillo
and then at the Conservatoire in Santiago de Cuba, before eventually
moving to Havana. Here he became involved in the contemporary 'nueva
trova' song movement joining the group of Pedro Luiís Ferrer,
one of Cuba's modern troubadours in 1989.
|
Then
in the mid-1990s Alvarez brought together his own cutting-edge group of
young musicians to found 'Juego de Manos' (Conjuring) named for one of
his early songs full of word play. Their first album was Rimasones (Rhyming
Sones). Then in 2000 Tumi music brought out 'Mundo Loco' (Crazy World),
Alvarez' rootsy fusion of Caribbean sounds. The song 'Son demasiado' (Too
Much Son), with which Alvarez won the special critics prize in the 2000
Adolfo Guzman competition (Cuba's prestigious annual music prize), gives
its name to this his third album.
| Juego
de Manos fuse the irresistible styles of the neighbouring Caribbean
into Cuban 'son' and bolero (with elements of country guaracha and
guajira). This means that bachata, merengue and cumbia rhythms ripple
through songs giving them a 'musica tropical' flavour. As Alvarez
says, "These are the rhythms we Cubans dance almost before we
learn to walk, rhythms we carry inside us and fuse into our music
in one way or another. I've been a huge fan since a teenager of el
Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, of Juan Luís Guerra (Dominican Republic),
and more recently of Carlos Vives (Colombia) as well as other wonderful
musicians who have re-vitalised Latin music." |
|
Then
there are the vibrant female led choruses sung by the band. Add to this
David's own distinctive voice with its gentle vibrato bringing to mind
both Pablo Mílanés and José Feliciano, and you have
the very unique appeal of Juego de Manos.
 |
Turning
clichés and expectations on their heads is an Alvarez passion,
from the tongue-in-cheek humour of 'Juana la Loca' to that of 'José
Daniel'. Following in the footsteps of his heroes, Santiago's Nico
Saquito and legendary Holguin troubadour Faustino Oramas, known
as 'El Guayabero', Alvarez loves picaresque lyrics, with their play
on double meaning, like those for the lively guaracha 'Sola vaya'
(Go Well) and 'El beso' (The Kiss). In 'Mi velorio' (My Funeral)
a man simulates his own death to find out what his family and friends
say about him! |
Witty
narratives like 'Domingo' (Sunday), with lyrics by Omar Estrada, recount
the musings of a man about how the reality of an ordinary Sunday (the
in-laws, unexpected visitors, jobs to do around the house) contrast with
his ideal plan (a few cold beers while watching a good baseball game,
or even a trip to the countryside or beach).
| And
if there is romance, such as that found in 'Amor a primera vista'
(Love At First Sight), and passion, as in 'Para siempre tenerte' (To
Always Have You), and the difficulties of love as in Dolor (Pain)
then Alvarez fuses into these emotions not only the experiences of
today, but also recalls classic Cuban spin on love, "I grew up
listening to the music of my parents, Cuban music from the 1950s which
turned me into a fanatic for 'bolero' and 'son'. We had an old record
player which played 78 rpms and hundreds of vinyl discs and I used
to wake up every morning to the voices of Beny Moré or Bienvenida
Granda, Blanca Rosa Gil, Celia Cruz, Los Panchos and Trio Matamoros.
I learnt a huge number of songs by heart and ended up becoming the
ideal person to sing at my friend's parties. They still can't stop
me!" |
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