Ayombe!: The Heart of Colombia's Musica Vallenata

by N/A

Overview

Musica vallenata, literally the music of the Vallenatos, a small valley region located on the Caribbean coast in northeastern Columbia, has its own distinct cadence and feel, a sound developed in part because of the area's cultural isolation until late in the 20th Century and also because of its subtle African rhythmic tendencies, a hold over from the slave trade. Vallenata is traditionally played on four instruments, the button accordion, the guacharaca rasp, a small drum known as the caja and, since the 1960s, the electric bass, while the music generally falls into paseos, meringues (with triple beats, unlike the more familiar double beat meringue form), sones and puyas, each played, at least on this wonderful set from Smithsonian Folkways, with an uncommon brightness and freshness that is as uplifting as it is energetic. Some two-dozen vallenata performers spanning three generations are featured here, making this a nice introduction to the genre as it has evolved in the 21st century. It's difficult to pick out highlights since everything is cut from the same delightful sonic cloth, but key tracks here include the bouncy paseo "A Blanco y Negro" by Omar Geles that opens the sequence, the wry meringue "A Lo Tuyo Tu" by Isaac Carrillo, the easy flowing "Mi Poema" (another paseo) by Rosendo Romero, the graceful, almost waltzing son "Fidelina" by Alejo Duran, the puya (played at blazing speed) "Pedazo de Acordeon," again from Duran, and perhaps the most revealing track here, the largely improvised "Puya," which features Omar Geles (accordion), Daniel Castilla (caja drum), Gusmalda Kammerer (guacharaca), and Luis Angel "El Papa" Pastor (bass), and allows each musician to shine individually as well as collectively. Bright, fun, and instructive, Ayombe! is a delight from start to finish. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	05/06/2008
Label:	SMITHSONIAN FOLKWAYS
UPC:	0093074054628

Tracks

1. A Blanco y Negro  - Omar Geles
2. A lo Tuyo T¿¿  - Isaac Carrillo
3. Pedazo de Acorde¿¿n
4. Cadenas  - Rosendo Romero
5. La Botellita
6. Fidelina
7. La Ca¿¿aguatera  - Isaac Carrillo
8. Mi Poema  - Rosendo Romero
9. Merengue
10. Sin Ti (Without You)
11. La Consentida
12. Matilde Lina
13. Celos  - Jean Carlos Centeno
14. Puya
15. Ausencia Sentimental

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Silvio Brito   Vocals
Reynaldo Diaz   Vocals
Nafer Duran   Accordion
Gusmaldo Kammerer   Guacharaca
Luis Carlos Farfan   Accordion
Jose Vasquez   Bass,Guitar
Eder Manjarrez   Choir/Chorus
Rafael Salas   Accompaniment
Riquelme Carrillo   Vocals
Isaac Carrillo   Vocals
Jaine Maestre   Guacharaca
Jesus Cervantes   Congas
Jhonny Gamez   Accordion
Deiber Fragozo   Choir/Chorus
Efrain Diaz   Caja
Jesus Saurith   Choir/Chorus
Jesus Vervantes   Congas
Ivo Diaz   Vocals
Hugo Guerra   Caja
Luis Pastor   Bass,Guitar
Omar Geles   Accordion
Orangel "El Pangue" Maestre   Accordion
Fabian Corrales   Vocals

Technical Credits

Carlos Hernandez   Research Assistant,Producer
Charlie Pilzer   Mastering
Pete Reiniger   Mixing,Recording Supervision
Roger David Bermudez Villamizar   Research
Jesus Garcia   Engineer
Emmanuel Pichon Mora   Research
Jacob Love   Editorial Assistant
Mary Monseur   Production Coordination
Abel Medina Sierra   Research,Production Assistant
Isaac Carrillo   Composer
Carolina Santamaria Delgado   Translation,Research Assistant
Britt Amador   Engineer
Omar Geles   Composer
Jean Carlos Centeno   Composer
D.A. Sonneborn   Executive Producer
Rosendo Romero   Composer