While the Buena Vista Social Club album and film gave Omara Portuondo some international exposure in the 1990s, the extensive body of work she recorded for the Cuban market remained little heard outside of her native country. This 32-track, two-CD set presents nearly two hours of those recordings spanning 1959 to 1998, though only two of the tracks pre-date 1970. Perhaps because these were recorded over such a wide span of time, and with various orchestras and accompanying musicians, the styles are quite diverse. Though ...
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While the Buena Vista Social Club album and film gave Omara Portuondo some international exposure in the 1990s, the extensive body of work she recorded for the Cuban market remained little heard outside of her native country. This 32-track, two-CD set presents nearly two hours of those recordings spanning 1959 to 1998, though only two of the tracks pre-date 1970. Perhaps because these were recorded over such a wide span of time, and with various orchestras and accompanying musicians, the styles are quite diverse. Though much of it's the buoyant, percolating blend of Latin rhythms and jazzy pop that listeners might expect from Cuban music, there are also emotive torch song ballads ("Ahora Para Que"), acoustic-oriented pieces that come close to folk ("Chile Lindo," "Gracia/A La Vida," "La Era Esta Pariendo un Corazon," "Vuela Pena"), numbers with a hue that's more melancholy than ebullient ("Siboney"), and an almost experimental-sounding cut where there's little accompaniment but whimsical notes that seem like a cross between a bass and a human voice ("Como Fue"). Most unusual of all is 1972's "A Santiago," which moves from something of a "Hang on Sloopy" chord progression (complete with garage rock-like organ) to some wildly psychedelic soloing that sounds like someone from Soft Machine invaded the session, never losing a Latin base to the rhythms, vocals, or melody. As much because of the wide array of styles and arrangements as Portuondo's formidable vocal skills, it's an impressively eclectic collection, with liner notes offering an overview of the singer's career. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
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Add this copy of Essential Omara Portuondo to cart. $52.99, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2006 by Manteca.
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