You might recall this Cuban artist from two previous posts, the best one having come in 1987, here. This one which came 4 years before, is like a combined oratorio / concerto in 5 movements, some sections orchestral, some more like pop with instrumental backing, but never really annoyingly classical, in the way that Deep Purple's concerto was. (Note that the idiot who completed the database information on discogs made a mess of the movement titles, putting instead artists' names, presumably he couldn't read despite the state education he received in Cuba starting at the age of one week intrauterine, as you can tell from looking at the back scan. What a surprise the analists who run discogs didn't boot him out as they so often love to do, being hardcore record collectors. It's even more surprising they didn't hunt him down and feed his body parts to their pet hamsters.)
After his 1987 masterwork, the next release was an OST from 1994 called Strawberry and Chocolate. So not very appealing despite the title. I won't go into the usual Cuban tirade since that seems to have royally pissed off some communists last time, and I generally speaking never stray into the issue of individual countries and their possible demerits, e.g., Italy bad, France not as bad, Russia a complete basket case, USA a worldwide joke, China not even mentionable, Finland fantastic leadership with their just wonderful prime minister-- hard to understand why other countries can't copy their example.
The result is quite uneven overall ranging from mediocre songwriting to average composing. There are at times some inspired passages but they are sometimes drowned out by the overbearing orchestra like a local communist cadre leadership who only allow you one bar of soap on leap years. The 1987 work with its more seamless integration of the rockier, fusion elements, was more successful for sure, this one almost immature (although the composition demonstrates quite a classical education) in direct comparison.
The introductory movement:
ReplyDeletehttps://www13.zippyshare.com/v/86RBwXiA/file.html
https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/yxatz8
lossless limited time only
https://we.tl/t-4M4lXemSe2
this was a commissioned piece by the communist party... and when in cuba the party says we want... you deliver or end up in the black list... that might have to do with the un inspired writing...lol,
ReplyDeleteBoth brothers Sergio and Jose Maria were great musicians that just like so many others just wanted to play rock and later fusion... but in the 60's/70's and 80's it was forbidden... so they had to navigate some pretty difficult roads to be able to make a living as musicians. Several wel known cuban musicians actually spent time in the 60's concentration camps for playing rock music. in the 80's when I was in high school listening to rock music could get you expelled from that great brainwashing state educational system and land in the suspect list of the secret police...
29 years ago i chose freedom to talk, think and listen to music like the one i post on my blog and you post on yours... to the outraged commies... remember that the music you have been listening for the last 4 decades could get you jailed in Cuba... then tell me how much you love the commie paradise if you had to trade it for yout rock, your jazz or your blues (or the forbidden classicals...anything US 20th century, Scelsi..etc etc)... end rant... downloading it and reminiscing of spending time in my youth with some of the musicians that play on it dreaming of playing rock and roll and listening to south florida FM stations to get our dose of rock... end of rant.
oh wow, that's very useful information... love it!
DeleteI figured it was 'forbidden music' but it's hard to believe it's for real-- especially in those countries like former Soviet Union, that made so much great fusion and jazz, how could they have got so good in such an environment?
Listening to rock or jazz was an act of defiance to all the communist values that the new man was supposed to have... it was degenerate music (borrowed that concept from their cousin Adolf) and playing the music, attending the shows was an act of resistance than more than often would end with police raids , beatings, forced haircuts... but for all of us rock meant freedom and freewill in the middle of a society trying to make you a drone... and in the words of good old uncle Lou... "My life was saved by rock and roll" without my little tribe of brigands and the music that went with it, I would have killed myself jus to be free... (depending on the sources between 20,000 and 100,000 cubans have died trying to escape communism in little rafts and makeshif boats, and another 2 million live in exile... how desperate must a person be to risk its life in such way). Me... I'm one of the lucky ones... June 17 it will be 29 years since I went into exile and could finally think and write and say and sing and paint whatever I wanted... without a comrae from the ministery of culture telling me what was allowed and what was not, and what would surelly make me end in a forced labour camp... Let it be a cautionary tale, freedom is such a fragile thing, so easily lost and so hard to get back... that's it... sorry for the rant... Gone to give Zappa's Joe Garage another listen... don't forget... cherish that freedom my fellow music freaks... people have died in other countries for the crime of listening to zappa, coltrane, miles, zeppelin, and so on...
DeleteJulian, was wondering if you have this:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.discogs.com/Between-Stille-%C3%9Cber-Der-Zeit-Silence-Beyond-Time/release/1060655
here you go:
Deletehttps://www.sendspace.com/file/xptbb7
Thank you!
Deleteone album i have been looking for a while... (and its follow up)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.discogs.com/To-Be-To-Be/master/465419... would be really grateful if some kind soul would share it!