Two Cries for Freedom (Dos Gritos De Libertad)

Various Artists - International - Europe - Eastern, Jose Serrano | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 13, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Roir
• ASIN: B00000GBSC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,933 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Billboard

"The quality of their cante jondo (deep song), the Spanish equivalent of the Delta Blues, is remarkable."

Product Description

The gypsies in Spain are looked down upon as "suspicious foreigners", who travel in large families. They are perceived as entrepreneurs in thievery, con games, drug dealing and extorting money from tourists and elderly citizens. Like the African-American situation in this country, a disproportionate number of young adult gypsies are in prison or on probation. In fact, they are an enterprising people with strong family ties, extensive religious rituals and their own strict laws, dating back hundreds of years.

In a country internationally recognized for it's culture of flamenco song, music and dancing, the gypsies reign supreme. The various state provincial governments (juntas) in Spain, along with all the state accredited national flamenco clubs (penas), decided to select the very best inmate singers of flamenco in Spanish jails by running a national contest open to all incarcerated prisoners.

One hundred and fifty inmates, from many different jails, responded by sending in demo cassettes of their singing voices. Many jails were represented, including Malaga, Valencia, Madrid, Alomorca, Barcelona, Sevilla, Ocana, Cuenca and Jaen. Thirty finalists were selected and escorted from their provincial jails by the armed Spanish Guardia Civil to the prison of Cordoba for the final selection of the best singer. The contestants were backed by the foremost flamenco guitarists, clappers and shouters (jaleo) in the flamenco world. The ultimate reward - 5,000 pesetas and the reduction of the sentence being served.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Cries for Freedom (Dos Gritos de Libertad), October 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Two Cries for Freedom (Dos Gritos De Libertad) (Audio CD)

Excellent example of cante jondo and pure, traditional Flamenco. Antonio "El Agujetas" has an interesting voice that really works in this style of Flamenco. Hard-core Flamenco.

4.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent and real, February 4, 2011

By 

Kim R. Shearer "TangoWolf" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Two Cries for Freedom (Dos Gritos De Libertad) (Audio CD)

If you like flamenco, or think you might, and not the nuevo stuff but the real stuff, give this a listen. The story behind it is amazing, and this is wonderful gut wrenching from the heart flamenco. It is really core to what flamenco is about, passion and tradgedy. Highly recommend.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A journey, March 31, 2000

By 

jordan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Cries for Freedom (Dos Gritos De Libertad) (Audio CD)

An album with a meaningful background and a purposeful result. Buy this album. But don't stop here with your journey into the world of flamenco.