Lazaro Ros and Grupo Olorun - Olorun 1 (reup)

barabara sounds sez:

There's been plenty of interest in this one, so I decided to reup it, this time at higher bitrate.

It gets deeper all the time...

...and (to save you time digging back down into my archives) here's my original post:

There are plenty of people who know a lot more than me about the Yoruba/Orisha religion and the praise music for the various gods. All I can say is that the old religion of the Mother Continent underpins all the music that comes out of Cuba. On one level, the rhythms of the drumming and the call and response-style chanting seem simple; but at the same time they are compelling and profound. This is probably the first time this music has appeared in the blogosphere.

Here's a comprehensive list of Orisha music (originally put together by Ish, the man behind the primo, not-to-be-missed Ile Oxumare) that offers a multitude of possibilities for further listening.

And here is an article on women's contribution to the sacred music. Definitely worth a read.

Lazaro Ros and Grupo Olorun - Olorun I

barabara sounds sez:

Here's another album I picked up on the same trip. There are plenty of people who know a lot more than me about the Yoruba/Orisha religion and the praise music for the various gods. All I can say is that the old religion of the Mother Continent underpins all the music that comes out of Cuba. On one level, the rhythms of the drumming and the call and response-style chanting seem simple; but at the same time they are compelling and profound. This is probably the first time this music has appeared in the blogosphere.

Here's a comprehensive list of Orisha music (originally put together by Ish, the man behind the primo, not-to-be-missed Ile Oxumare) that offers a multitude of possibilities for further listening.

And here is an article on women's contribution to the sacred music. Definitely worth a read.

Juan Formell y Los Van Van - Te Pone La Cabeza Mala

barabara sounds sez:

Los Van Van are playing Key West later today, so in honor of this new crack in the musical embargo, it's time to dust off this old CD... and a host of memories along with it.

It was 1997 and we were in Santiago de Cuba for Carnaval (it happens in mid-summer, not at mardi gras time) and we heard a rumor that Juan Formell and his crew were going to play a free gig, but nobody knew when. Turned out they had to wait until after Fidel's speech finished (it was being broadcast on every radio in the city). That eventually happened some time after midnight -- after a mere 4 and a half hours (short for the legendary long-winded el Jefe). The crowd was huge, and the cheap malty slightly sour beer dispensed from ancient tanker trucks soon ran out, but it was definitely a memorable night.

Te Pone La Cabeza Mala (standard translation: 'You make my head spin') was a massive hit on the island at the time, and each time they sang the chorus everyone made this spinning circular motion around their heads. These days I don't listen to timba too much, but at the time those indefatigable incessant rhythms were fresh, a new direction with Juan Formell in the vanguard. Needless to say, I went out and picked up the CD the next day, just for the title track alone.

There's a bit more on Los Van Van here.