Customer Reviews

Guitar Passion

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Charo was at one time named the best flamenco guitarist in the world. This album proves her chops, and shows she has serious musical instincts when she chooses to follow them. The songs are mostly excellent, and the performances outstanding. I worked in a music store, and whenever I would play this CD we sold copies in droves. Very very good.

I confess I didn't know what Charo was famous for except I always enjoyed watching her. My memories of Charo were limited to her appearance on Freddie Prinz's, "Chico and the Man" and of course "The Love Boat." Imagine my surprise when I saw her on a talk show with her guitar. I went out and bought this right away and LOVED IT. No one who listened to the CD could believe it was Charo. Her teacher was the legendary classical guitarist, Andres Segovia. Not bad! Charo is an accomplished guitarist in her own right who would surely have made her old maestro proud with her lastest effort.

Until I saw Charo live for the first time in Atlantic City a few years ago, I did not know that she played classical flamenco guitar. What a wonderful surprise--the cuchi-cuchi girl has talent that belies her smart-alec blonde bombshell persona. If you can't go see her live, then this is the best way to enjoy that aspect of her talent--you won't be disappointed at all. This collection contains "Caliente" which she regularly plays in her live stage show as well as a few more that you'll end up wishing she would. The tracks with vocals are not as strong as the instrumental ones, but they're easy to listen to and won't diminish your enjoyment of the CD as a whole. Go ahead and buy it--it's great just to have on in the car on a long trip. Or a short one.

Charo is amazing. Many people don't realize what a beautiful performer she is when it comes to traditional flamenco guitar style. You might get so caught up in her "amusingly" broken English, and her overly exploited "mature sexuality" that you might not even know what a great musician she is. This CD is worth it's price, and will likely become one of your favorites. This CD is different from her earlier work, much more polished and seductive. Fans will definitely appreciate her efforts.

Oh, and if you've only heard of Charo because of her appearance on VH1's "Surreal Life", you owe it to yourself to have a deeper listen. Granted, her voice is not everyone's cup of tea, but her guitar style is second to none.

I love the intensity of the guitar work. It never fails to give me goose bumps. Her singing is pleasant but there really is passion in her guitar. This hands down my favorite CD and has been since I bought it 3 years ago. I have given it as a gift to about 5 of my friends and relatives. I have searched music stores to find comparable CD's that stir me as much but to no avail. I wish I could find something else by her or anyone else that moves me as much. I'm sorry to hear the poor things said about here most recent CD. Please e-mail me at Airsearch@aol.com with suggestions.

I saw Charo live recently, and was totally surprised when her act turned out to be more about her guitar-playing than about her old "bimbo" act. She's fantastic! Who knew?

Who would have thought Charro had this kind of talent.Goes to show again,Never judge a book by its cover.
Charro is a trully accomplished,Gifted musician.
If you trully enjoy listening to quality music,You must listen to this!

Who knew Charo was a maestro! I heard this being played in a restaurant and was shocked to find out it was cuchi cuchi Charo! My only complaint is that one of the tracks doesn't play. I didn't return it because it took so long to get it in the first place. Highly recommended.

I got this CD from a friend and was amazed. All I knew about Charo was of her Love Boat appearances and her marriage to Xavier Cugat. I didn't know that she had such talent. Her guitar playing is magical and her singing is wonderful. I agree with another review that said this is Grammy Award material. If you haven't heard her music you are definitely missing out on something wonderful. I hope that she produces many more CD's in the future.

I never knew Charo could play the guitar, but this album proves she can. And surprisingly well too. Straight from the opening licks of the title track, she let's you know that she knows her way around a fretboard mixing classical and flamenco sounds. She lays down some lightning-fast runs, and gives it a good feel. Though I love her guitar playing, I'm not big on her singing. I've always enjoyed Spanish singing, and am a big fan of Luis Megial, but Charo is just too squeaky for my liking. Yet, her dancing on the strings even on the vocal tracks is amazing. The opening phrase of "Fantasia," and the flamenco like rhythm she keeps are great. With "Seduccion" she leaves the singing behind and sticks to the guitar. "Sudeccion" has a strong flamenco feel to it, complete with castanets, and she varies her soloing to make it interesting. Fast runs, and slower notes add variety. "Leyenda" is classic, and Charo plays it so well. She finishes off the album with a beautiful rendition of "Romance De Amor."

Overall, I think this album is pretty decent. Half the tracks are strictly guitar and Charo can play that. Unfortunately, she possesses a voice you either love or hate, and I don't much care for it. For those who like smooth jazz with a Spanish flare, this is a good album to add to your collection, and flamenco/classical guitarists may appreciate it as well.