Soul Of Cuba

Collection Contents

#		Title	Length
1		El Reloj De Pastora	6:10	Play
2		Camina Y Prende El Fogon	4:27	Play
3		Sobre Un Atumba Una Rumba	6:05	Play
4		Macorina	4:53	Play
5		Yo Si Como Candela	5:54	Play
6		Consuelate Como Yo	5:00	Play
7		Suavecito	5:07	Play
8		Huella Del Pasado	6:19	Play
9		Bilongo	6:51	Play
10		Sarandonga	4:51	Play
11		Perla Marina	4:09	Play

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Description

Adriano Rodrguez is one of the undiscovered treasures of Cuba. A 74-year-old master sonero, his powerful baritone voice has been featured with many prestigious Cuban musicians, among them Celia Cruz, Merceditas Valds, Barbarito Dez and Pablo Milans. Adriano is a consummate artist, whether interpreting a traditional son, accompanying bat drums or singing Old Man River.

Edesio Alejandro is part of the successful new breed of Cuban musicians and composers. His credits include over thirty-six film scores. He is obsessed with making Cuban music with a very contemporary sound. This passion has led him to push the boundaries of what is possible with Cuban music. Soul of Cuba brings together these two generations of Cuban musicians. They met as neighbors in Havana, where Edesio heard Adriano sing every day. Edesio would bring his latest works to Adriano for his comments. This easy friendship grew into a desire to create something completely different, a recording that flawlessly bridges the old and the new. Soul of Cuba is the result.

While this is a compendium of the most traditional Cuban music from the 1950's and earlier, Edesio's mark of audacity and ingenuity is quite evident here. These classics resound with unusual harmonies, offering an exquisite contrast of light and dark moods. The funky bass and drums present a solid foundation over which the vocal melodies and trumpet lines float luxuriously. Adriano's mastery of the music binds all these elements together into a unique, compelling whole.

The outstanding musicians who collaborate on this recording are the final pieces of the puzzle. Gerardo Garca is the group's arranger, along with Edesio. Carlos del Puerto, longtime bassist with Irakere, creates the driving bottom to each song. Julio Padrn, Irakere's current trumpet player, weaves the compelling horn lines. Over twenty musicians and technicians contributed to the project.

In Cuba, the release is called Cora Sn de Son, or "heart of son". We translate it as Soul of Cuba both because of the soulfulness of the music and the fact that the Cuban son is part of the soul of the Cuban people. It is also the primary root of all contemporary popular Cuban music.

Soul of Cuba is clearly rooted in the Cuban son, yet it has a flavor unlike any other recording. To be sure, there are elements of jazz, techno-music and rap mixed with the traditional Cuban son, however this work is more than merely a combination of genres, it is the creation of an entirely new genre. Edesio calls it acid son .