Customer Reviews

Afro-Peruvian Classics: Soul of Black Peru

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
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Wonderful stuff here-- smoky, sexy music from coastal Peru. I lived there for three years, and the clubs sometimes featured these performers-- especially the sublime Susana Baca. She peformed in her bare feet, her face upraised as if she were communicating with angels.

This is authentic fun from start to finish-- though the last cut, a vanity item from producer David Byrne, is a bit off-- his Spanish is... not comfortable. But the song is good.

I LOVE this cd more than any other that I own, and that is saying a lot. The diversity of sound, the pulse of rhythm and fantastic assortment of artists makes this one of the best CD's I have ever listened to!! NO KIDDING!
I very highly recommend this cd to anyone even remotely interested in latin american music. The depth of expressiveness will move you, in your heart and in your heels - as you will certainly not be able to resist the duende!
P.S. This is not what you think of when you think of Peruano music...pan pipes, etc. Just as soulful, but a completely different sound sphere.
Marni Benavides

If you are looking for the real deal: the Duende gyspy
spirit interpreted through African and Latin-American
lenses, look no further. This is magical, sacred music.

It is funky, it is deep, it is old in spirit. The real
thing, hard to capture on tape. The musicianship is
excellent but never showy. 6/8 rhythms dominate and
the egos of the players are subjugated to a greater
cause. There is no virtuosic flamenco guitar here, but
the grooves are unforgettable. I have listened to this
100s of times over more than 15 years. No recording
has ever held my attention like this one.

Hearing this album for the first time was a revelation. How could something so powerful be so unknown here in the US? I don't understand a word of Spanish, but it matters not a bit.

The resurgence of this music is sheer delight. Thanks to David Byrne for bringing attention to folks like me who were ignorant of this awesome music. I've been playing it ever since it first came out.

Susana Baca's *Maria Lando* starts it off beautifully, but my favorites are Eva Ayllon's *Azucar de Cana* and Cecilia Barraza's *Canterurias*. These three are worth the price of admission alone. Plus the other gems, traditional and contemporary are wonderful as well.

Enjoy!

My parents said that they liked this gift very much and they know Peruvian music quite well. It also arrived quickly.