Rumba Argelina

Radio Tarifa | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1997)
• Original Release Date: July 1, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B000005J53
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,686 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Authenticity is a tricky construct in pop music. In Rumba Argelina, guitarist and composer Fain Dueñas, wind player Vincent Molino, and vocalist Benjamin Escoriza, the core of the Spanish group Radio Tarifa, blend traditional North African music, flamenco, and a dash of rhythms from the New World, most notably Cuba, with a contemporary pop sensibility. The results sound surprisingly organic--even when some of the mixes take disorienting turns. "Oye China" suggests a son or guajira--until an accordion and a mysterious wind instrument (bansuri?) come in. When the song turns again, however, it evokes a vallenato. "Soledad" alludes to flamenco but also to Brian Eno. Then again, as Dueñas & Co. define it, this is border music, the music of an imaginary radio station in Tarifa, the southernmost point in Spain. What it suggests depends on your point of reference--but leave that for musicologists. Most important, Rumba Argelina is a delightful, rich, sensual experience, armchair traveling at its best. --Fernando Gonzalez

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bridging cultures, October 26, 2001

By 

Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Rumba Argelina (Audio CD)

For some strange reason I began listening to this disc even more after the 9/11 events and it has been a little unsettling. The looks one gets from listening to what some mistakeningly may think is Arabic music is odd. The music itself is hauntingly beautiful has a result. There is not a weak song on the disc and each has a unique flavor reflecting the Moorish influence resulting from Spains proximity to North Africa and the indelible mark left from the Islamic occupation for 700 years. The music is a remarkable combination of instruments, both old and new world, coming together to create a synthesis of sound reflecting the duality of Spanish culture. Images of the Alhambra, Christian motiffs mixing with geometric tiles, fretwork windows revealing orange and palm trees, pools of water and distant mountains with white buildings in the foreground, all this brought you by Radio Tarifa. There are not many more beautiful discs than this. Some of the songs have a spiritual feel, each is transcendental is some way. Each track takes the listener to faraway lands, a different time period, exotic images slightly tarnished by the modern harsh realities of a post 9/11 world. To say this disc is genius is not hyperbole, it is simple yet complex, a dense and fluid arrangement of songs for the time traveler, truly unique and enchanting. The opening track "Rhumba Argelina " is a perfect example of the gitano experience that awaits. Not sure? Check out track two, "Oye China," with it's lament and melodic interplay between the musicians. A truly fantastic piece of music to be enjoyed by all who love world music.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly special and unique combination, May 26, 2000

By 

M. H. Bayliss "book queen" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rumba Argelina (Audio CD)

I have not tired of this CD even though I've heard it almost a hundred times. I used to live in the south of Spain and this music brought back the flavor and intensity of the region. It's Arabic, Spanish, North African, all rolled up into one -- everyone who's ever heard this on my system has immediately wanted to get ahold of it for themselves. It's still one of my favorite "international" choices and has no weak songs at all. It's hypnotic and will carry you away.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Iberian Musical Essence, March 16, 2000

By 

Jose L Titos jr (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rumba Argelina (Audio CD)

I decided to pick this up on a whim as I'm a Spaniard looking for some authentic sounds. This album blew me away! The amazing blending of classic Spanish guitar, Moroccon and Middle Eastern Influence, with Canto Jondo (Gypsy Soul Song), and Medieval textures makes this an incredible album. It also showcases the rich cultural and musical nature of the Iberian peninsula. I liked Rumba much better than Temporal, but I would highly recommend both..

Que Viva España !