Customer Reviews

Folklore For Export Hugo Diaz, La Compañera, Chacarera Doble

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First of all, do not confuse the artist on this record with another Hugo Diaz, much more published bandoneonist from Uruguay (by the way a skillful musician, but not more). Obviously, "Hugo Diaz" is not the most rare combination of the first and last names in any Spanish speaking country.

This CD will acquaint you with one of Argentina's most hidden musical treasures. Hugo Diaz - the harmonicist - was able to make his Honner chromatic harmonica sound like saxophone, bandoneon or violin if needed. Unfortunately, neither blues, nor German folk music or any other musical culture, where the mouth harp is more "at home" than in Argentinean folklore could not produce a virtuoso of his caliber.

It is too sad, that the producer is not born yet, who will inspire some major record label to publish more of his recordings and make them available worldwide. This event is long overdue, and this musician deserves much wider attention than the one his memory enjoys nowadays, since his popularity today can be isolated to the circles of the tango enthusiasts or admirers of Argentinean music.

The only CD currently offered by the major internet resources is this one. It is somewhat unfortunate, because Hugo Diaz was not strictly a folklore musician; he also has been playing tango and jazz music. Therefore, this recording is not fully representative of the fantastic range of this musician's skills and styles. On the other hand, it shows the technical brilliance of Hugo Diaz along with his emotional depth.

Unfortunately, double CD set "Hugo Diaz in Buenos Aires", released by Japanese branch Victor is available only in Japan. Mostly composed of tango music, that CD is fully complimentary to this one, and is strongly recommended to all the enthusiasts of harmonica, tango and improvisational music in general. The other tango CD by Hugo Diaz, "Homenaje a Carlos Gardel" is available on the internet from the "Bridge to the Tango" catalogue in Boston. Try to get these recordings if you want to hear his explosive yet intimate version of "La Cumparsita" or to hear the low-pitched moaning saxophone-like sounds you never thought mouth harp can make on his rendition of "Guitarra, guitarra mia" by Gardel.

The overall mood of the tracks in this CD seem to be milder and the sound is more mellow than in some of his probably later recordings (which I prefer - but it is strictly a matter of taste), where his mouth harp sounds intense and tragic, and you can hear him breathing hard through its reeds. In this CD Hugo Diaz sounds sometimes solar and joyful and may be this is the "happiest" recording he have done, despite the melancholic mood typical for a number of Argentinean folk dances that comprise it.

Now about the shortcomings of this CD. First, the sound is not very good since, as far as I understand, there was no any restoration or cleaning work done to the recordings done over forty years ago. Second, as I mentioned before, the track selection is too one sided for the musician of such versatility as Hugo Diaz; and the third is that even out of the number of the "folklore" tracks recorded by him the ones were selected where his rendition of the original themes is less improvisational and free than in some other recordings (my guessing is that it is either earlier recording or it was the will of the producer which is also reflected in the title of the record).

This CD is certainly not the one, from which I would have suggested to start the acquaintance with the amazing musician Hugo Diaz ("Homenaje a Carlos Gardel" probably would be it), but since it is the only one available relatively widely, I will give it five (or more) stars. Buy it and listen to what a simple (?) harmonica can do.

First of all, do not confuse the artist on this record with another Hugo Diaz, much more published bandoneonist from Uruguay (by the way a skillful musician, but not more). Obviously, "Hugo Diaz" is not the most rare combination of the first and last names in any Spanish speaking country.

This CD will acquaint you with one of Argentina's most hidden musical treasures. Hugo Diaz - the harmonicist - was able to make his Honner chromatic harmonica sound like saxophone, bandoneon or violin if needed. Unfortunately, neither blues, nor German folk music or any other musical culture, where the mouth harp is more "at home" than in Argentinean folklore could not produce a virtuoso of his caliber.

It is too sad, that the producer is not born yet, who will inspire some major record label to publish more of his recordings and make them available worldwide. This event is long overdue, and this musician deserves much wider attention than the one his memory enjoys nowadays, since his popularity today can be isolated to the circles of the tango enthusiasts or admirers of Argentinean music.

The only CD currently offered by the major internet resources is this one. It is somewhat unfortunate, because Hugo Diaz was not strictly a folklore musician; he also has been playing tango and jazz music. Therefore, this recording is not fully representative of the fantastic range of this musician's skills and styles. On the other hand, it shows the technical brilliance of Hugo Diaz along with his emotional depth.

Unfortunately, double CD set "Hugo Diaz in Buenos Aires", released by Japanese branch Victor is available only in Japan. Mostly composed of tango music, that CD is fully complimentary to this one, and is strongly recommended to all the enthusiasts of harmonica, tango and improvisational music in general. The other tango CD by Hugo Diaz, "Homenaje a Carlos Gardel" is available on the internet from the "Bridge to the Tango" catalogue in Boston. Try to get these recordings if you want to hear his explosive yet intimate version of "La Cumparsita" or to hear the low-pitched moaning saxophone-like sounds you never thought mouth harp can make on his rendition of "Guitarra, guitarra mia" by Gardel.

The overall mood of the tracks in this CD seem to be milder and the sound is more mellow than in some of his probably later recordings (which I prefer - but it is strictly a matter of taste), where his mouth harp sounds intense and tragic, and you can hear him breathing hard through its reeds. In this CD Hugo Diaz sounds sometimes solar and joyful and may be this is the "happiest" recording he have done, despite the melancholic mood typical for a number of Argentinean folk dances that comprise it.

Now about the shortcomings of this CD. First, the sound is not very good since, as far as I understand, there was no any restoration or cleaning work done to the recordings done over forty years ago. Second, as I mentioned before, the track selection is too one sided for the musician of such versatility as Hugo Diaz; and the third is that even out of the number of the "folklore" tracks recorded by him the ones were selected where his rendition of the original themes is less improvisational and free than in some other recordings (my guessing is that it is either earlier recording or it was the will of the producer which is also reflected in the title of the record).

This CD is certainly not the one, from which I would have suggested to start the acquaintance with the amazing musician Hugo Diaz ("Homenaje a Carlos Gardel" probably would be it), but since it is the only one available relatively widely, I will give it five (or more) stars. Buy it and listen to what a simple (?) harmonica can do.