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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating fusion of Celtic, Spanish, and Middle Eastern, September 11, 2002
José Angel Hevía is a talented gaitero, or bagpipe player, from the Asturias region of Spain, next to the Celtic region of Galicia and with similar Celtic influences. Both Galicia and the Asturias produce many talented bagpipers and Celtic-influenced groups (Hevía, frequent Cheiftains collaborator Carlos Nuñez, Milladoiro), but Hevía is a breed apart. On "The Other Side" (Al Otro Llado in Spanish), he blends the electronic gaita, an instrument he developed himself, with Asian, Celtic and Middle Eastern influences--Arabic melodies and soloists, Buddhist monks chanting, haunting choral arrangements of traditional songs...blended with modern sound effects, synthesizers, and haunting instrumentals on low whistle and gaita. A perfect gift for the world music fan and a great introduction to Spanish bagpiping.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad at all (actually 3-1/2 stars), March 18, 2001
I loved Hevia's "Tierra de Nadie", so greatly looked forward to "The Other Side". Alas, I was a tad disappointed. The new CD has a distinctly different sound from the first. For one thing, there doesn't seem to be as much of that fiery bagpipe playing. This is a shame, since Hevia proved himself to be a genius in "Tierra". I couldn't get enough of it! Also, the music on the new CD has a more conventional international electronic sound, whereas "Tierra" sounded more exotic and indigenous, despite some "modern" elements. The same goes for the vocals.On the other hand, on the new CD Hevia aptly demonstrates his ability with the flute. Still, there are plenty of things to like about "The Other Side". I've had the CD for two days, and have listened to it three times already. My favorite track is definitely Tanzila, which is a fusion of the Celtic and Arabic traditions, and a great way to start off the CD. "Fandangu los Lobos" and "El Saltón" are good, as are "Baños de Budapest" (after the introduction) and "Marcha del Dos de Mayo". All in all, there are probably only a couple of tracks I could do without, and they're easily skipped on a CD player. As with "Tierra de Nadie", any Spanish speaker will notice that some of the CD notes, along with the vocals on a couple of the tracks, are actually in Asturian rather than (standard) Castilian Spanish. (To see how the languages differ, there are a number of Asturian web sites you can visit, such as (web site). Also of note is bonus track #12, though I found the music to be rather disquieting. Undocumented bonus tracks seem to be a standard feature on Hevia CDs. Kind of like the toy surprise in a box of cereal. All in all, if you're a fan of Hevia I would judge the CD to be worth the money, particularly if you get it through .... But don't get your hopes up too much.END
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a glorious sound..., April 8, 2001
Forget what you know about the bagpipes. We're not in Scotland here. As a Spaniard, Hevia has taken the 'pipes to places you've not heard it before. Blending Celtic, Southern European, North African, and Middle Eastern influences, Hevia has delivered a true world music album. And it has a darn good dance beat, too! Truly one of the most enjoyable recordings in my collection. If this type of music interests you, I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you are adventurous where music is concerned, you won't be disappointed. This is great listening!
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