Customer Reviews

Alma De Cuba

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Arsenio Rodríguez is arguably the most important figure in the history of Latin music. The recordings that establish him as such are the ones he made in Cuba in the 40s and 50s and this box set has all of them with one group of exceptions (see below).

If you want to get up to speed on Arsenio, here's a crash course from someone who has gone down that road:

1) Google "arsenio ayala FIU" - this will take you to an extraordinary online discography which lists all of Arsenio's Cuban recordings in chronological order. The box set reviewed here follows this list exactly, with one group of recordings omitted. These can all be gotten on one CD. To find it, search amazon.com for "arsenio legendary sessions". If you buy that single CD and this box set, you'll have everything.

2) Search amazon.com for "garcia arsenio transnational". This is the definitive book on Arsenio. Its author also wrote one of the two lengthy booklets that's included in the box set.

3) Search amazon.com for "cuba and its music sublette". This book is the best and most enjoyable way to get familiar with the "big picture" and to see how and why Arsenio is at the very center of it all.

4) You may be interested in an online article I wrote on Arsenio. To find it, google "timba arsenio".

5) Google "arsenio emiliano KFPA" to find streaming audio of several 3-hour radio programs devoted exclusively to Arsenio, with multiple interviews.

Good luck!

Arsenio Rodriguez. I can't do justice to the man's genius, other than to say he is to modern music what Da Vinci is to the Renaissance.

Top notch production from Tumbao. While others have tried to rehash, repack, and all too often rip-off Cuban music, Tumbao has made it their goal to preserve and respect. This wonderful sets joins their Habanero and Beny More sets as a work of love that anyone seriusly interested in the basis of popular music (in its true sense) must have.

The set contains two booklets listing ALL of the artists that performed in every track (something sorely lacking in most releases but vital to the students of this transcendental art that is Cuba son), a survey of the different artist that played at each position (lead, second voice, trumpet, etc.). Excellent photos, the Spanish language productions are the primary focus and a full English translation is included.