The Lost Days: Music in the Latin Style

Denyce Graves (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 21, 2003)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000071WDT
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #172,140 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

While it's tempting to call acclaimed diva Denyce Graves's exploration of Latin classical influences a crossover project, that label's pop lightweight connotations don't do justice to the powerful, often uncompromising performances contained herein. Indeed, Graves leans heavily on her collaborators (who include contemporary composers-arrangers-pianists Chucho Valdes, Eliane Elias, and Jose Maria Vitier, as well as arranger-pianist Pablo Ziegler) for both material and stylistic inspiration, creating a collection that's more concerned with true musical synthesis than it is with commercial exploitation. Even the works of Latin classical standard-bearers like Argentina's Carlos Guastavino, Brazil's Villa-Lobos, and Tango master Astor Piazzolla are cast in stark, contemporary arrangements that underscore both Graves's dramatic mezzo voice and the dusky, rhythmically charged dynamics of her quartet of confederates. Cuban great Valdes composed "Romanza de Denyce" especially for the project, further blurring the collection's boundaries between jazz, classical, and pop. If the listener is only familiar with the better-known Latin classical repertoire, this collection may open up some inviting new horizons. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting, bewitching: a real must have, November 26, 2003

By A Customer

This record is exquisite in all its elements: the Voice of Graves -voice with a capital V!-, the selections, the arrangements! For me it would take hours to try to decipher its mystery of seduction. A real must for those who love poetry, music and the marriage of both. A real must for lovers of Latin American music. A real must for the senses.
The first time I listened to the cd, it gave a jolt.
A lot has been said about Graves. She's a wonderful mezzo, with that rich black timbre in her low notes and her lovely lyric high ones. And never mind the language, she knows how to create magic around her.
However, although she's supposed to be the main attraction here, to me the composers steal the show from her.
I've been listening to good music, from opera to streetside, for decades now. And I had never heard anything like Plancha or Plomada, by Guastavino. They're simply astounding.
The Cubans come out very well. Their songs are simply irressistible. They own the gift of melody and harmony. Soledad is unforgettable.
But what haunts me the most is Milonga sin palabras. What a piece of art!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensual, Spellbounding, and sheerly Sexy!!!, July 9, 2006

By	W. Jermaine Jackson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Denyce's warm and sensual Mezzo voice is truly spectacular when she sings the right rep. This latin album is literally right up her lane. She brings a dark color to the pieces that accentuates the text and the instrumentation. The singing is remarkably beautiful and the musicians play with an entrancing groove that makes you feel warm all over. I recommend just listening to this album while sitting outside in a park on a warm and sunny day. I believe that you will see the world completely differently. Way to go Denyce!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb collection of Latin songs, September 14, 2009

By	C. Patterson (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This CD contains so many beautiful songs. Denyce Graves has chosen them well, because they are perfect for her vocal range. There are some familiar composers (Heitor-Lobos, Piazzola) and some lesser-known (well to me anyway) but I felt like I had discovered the New World when listening to this CD. Yes, I was already a Denyce Graves fan, but I am fascinated by Latin music and loved her bold choices of music. The accompaniment varies from piano to piano + accordian (mandoleon) to full orchestration ... and even some "spoken word" by Ms. Graves on "Los Pajaros Perdidos" (my favorite song). Lovely, lush, dense and sultry!