Customer Reviews

Al Final De Este Viaje

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Silvio Rodriguez is one of the founders of the "nueva trova" sound.
This was a fusion of musical genres that originated in the 1960s in revolutionary age Cuba.
Rodriguez was and is one of the most prolific composers/performers of his time, writing over 1000 songs, rich with triple entendre that touched on such subjects as romance, politics, and nature. AL FINAL DE ESTE VIAJE is an amazing example of his gift. Perhaps, it is one of his (many) masterpieces. The album kicks off with the beautiful, melodious "Cancion del Elegido" (Song of the Chosen). It sounds as though Rodriguez draws his musical inspiration from that of a higher power (perhaps the angels themselves!) and transfers the sound to music, for us mere mortals. Rodriguez's masterful attack of the guitar sounds beautiful here. One of my favorite songs, "La Era Esta Pariendo Un Corazon" (The World is Giving Birth to a New Heart) is rich with beautiful lyrics (an example being "Le he preguntado a mi sombra/a ver como ando, para reirme/mientras el llanto, con voz de templo/rompe en la sala regando el tiempo" --translation: I asked my shadow/to see how how I was doing, laughing at myself/while crying with the voice of a temple/breaking into watery time). The melody is absolutely mesmerizing from the first guitar strum to the last.

I must say I am amazed that more people haven't heard of Silvio Rodriguez. He is truly a genius and his sound on this record is a great fusion of Spanish and Afro-Cuban sounds, grounded, beautiful and very poetical. No doubt, contemporary artists like Juanes (from Colombia and also a wonderfully poetic and prolific musician) draw inspiration from this master. Don't miss out on this gem!!

Sorprende la inmediatez de estas canciones, su urgente belleza y su palabra rabiosa...edicion que reune temas de silvio correspondientes a finales de los '60 y principios de la decada venidera..con mas de 30 años, sus versos siguen latiendo actuales, hirientes y verdaderos...el pintor de las mujeres soles se nos revela aqui como un poeta incandescente, herido de compromiso, con la revolucion aun en las venas, el amor desaforado..y quizas la mas hermosa cancion de amor no correspondido(ojala)...no dejes de refugiarte en esta placa, no dejes de escucharla, no dejes de recomendarla!!!

No doubt about the great poetic and political power of this album. Silvio lived his youth in a very special time and place on earth, and this work is the clear reflection of those days in which the ideals of a better place and a better society reached it's climax in a little island named Cuba. Cuban revolution was the source of inspiration for many people in many countries, and it seems that Silvio was able to understand the uniqueness of that historical moment. He managed to, poetically, describe the world's state of inequality between rich and poor, powerfull and weak, man and woman, but also between love and hate.
It is true that much of his words would perfectly fit in our modernity today... perhaps now more than ever before, specially because of the lack of alternatives in our contemporary societies in a headless system.
Silvio's work is still a source of inspiration for those who are convinced that another world is possible.

As most people in university (Universidad de Puerto Rico) I started with Unicordio and Rabo de Nube, and then eventually got to this record. Now I listen to this one about twice as much.

Not as famous as the others mentioned, but simpler and purer.