Charanga Eterna [Import]

Orquesta Aragon | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 10, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Lusafrica France
• ASIN: B00002R0OL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,990 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #59 in Music > World Music > Caribbean & Cuba > Cuba > Charanga
  • #67 in Music > Indie Music > World Music > Caribbean & Cuba

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aragon: alive and kicking!!! Y como!, December 8, 2004

By 

Ramon Melendez (Anaheim, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Charanga Eterna (Audio CD)

This is a great statement by one of Cuba's oldest and most respected bands. The "Ęternal" Aragon does everything here and does it superbly. Aragon is full of life and displays great sound, passion and sabor in this recording. The guests do a great job I specially love Papa Wemba's singing on top of Aragon's vocals on "No quiero llanto" he is awesome here. The CD has great variety from Aragon's favorites like "Paso de Encarnacion", standards like "Asi son Bonco" to the new "Que camello que salchica" and the great "Guacharumba". If you like Cuban and Latin music you can't go wrong here...

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aragon rules!, June 28, 2000

By 

Thomas Pena (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charanga Eterna (Audio CD)

La Charanga Eterna is a celebration of undoubtedly the best (and most influential) charanga band in the world, Orquesta Aragon! When it comes to charanga (and cha cha), Aragon rules!

For those of you who are not familiar with the genre, the term (and style of instrumentation) evolved from the charanga francesa (french charanga). Charanga has a specific style of instrumentation consisting of rhythm section (contrabass, timbales, and guiro), strings (from two to four violins, or any number of violins with a cello), and one wood flute. The piano and conga drum were added in the 1940's.

For 60 years Aragon has traveled the world (they are still based in Cuba) playing familiar compositions such as El bodeguero, El Agua de Clavelito and Para Cochero. Today, under the direction of Rafael Lay junior, the band maintains a happy medium between the Aragon heritage and today's Cuban music. I recently saw Aragon perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City and they had the entire audience (young and old) dancing in their seats!

On this project, the band is joined by Omar Portuondo (of the Buena Vista Social Club), salsa legend Cheo Feliciano of Puerto Rico and Congolese singer Papa Wemba. Over the years Aragon has remained true to the spirit of its founder, who's wish was to put a band together that would be a musical family motivated by a love for music over money and fame.

Charanga Eterna shows reverence for its past and celebrates the future with optimism. Aragon is 60 years old and swinging. Join the festivities and enjoy!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelencia Eterna, November 22, 2000

By 

otserick (Bordentown, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charanga Eterna (Audio CD)

The Cuban ensemble Orquesta Aragon is one of the great treasures of world music. Their popularity is truly global, stretching from Japan to Senegal. Few musical outfits last sixty years and certainly few that do can play with as much fire, elegance and wit as Orquesta Aragon. Currently led by a son of one of its former leaders, the Orquesta on this CD is playing with the precision and passion of its glory days in the 1950s. The arrangements are as suave and sophisticated as always and that inimitable drive is still present. For those unfamilar with charanga, it is a style based on an intricate interplay between flutes, violins, piano and percussion. It arises out of traditional Cuban danzon and mixes in elements from a variety of other musics ranging from jazz to rumba. In the fifties, Orquesta Aragon was one of the bands that introduced the Cha Cha Cha to the world. After the revolution, the band which always had been committed to social justice stayed on, touring the world on behalf of the communist government. Aragon's sound is like no other - intoxicating, sweet and uniquely Cuban. On this CD, you will have the opportunity to sample a wide variety of songs from the band's vast repetoire. Every cut is superb, particularly the homage to Los Van Van which successfully takes Aragon into new musical territory. Hear the CD and if the Orquesta plays anywhere in your vicinity, RUSH for tickets. They are sensational live!