| Subcategories |
 |
Latin Music |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
South America, Take It Away: 24 Latin Hits
Participated by Xavier Cugat
Studio : Asv Living Era
by Asv Living Era
Release Date : 1997-04-22
Publisher : Asv Living Era
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
EAN : 0743625522327
UPC : 743625522327
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 8 reviews)
List Price : $11.98
Our Price : $10.99
|
|
| |
|
The Great American Song Library--South Wing |
The previous reviewers have caught the charm and attraction of these timeless, inextinguishable melodies and colorful, sparkling, "cinematic" arrangements. Apart from fans of nostalgia and the glory days of exotic Hollywood movies, a younger generation needs to be exposed to this music, all of it as essential to acquiring a sense of the New World's cultural heritage as is the music of Berlin, Kern, Gershwin, Rodgers, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington. In fact, the tunes are so irresistible that mere "exposure" is most likely sufficient: no doubt you'll discover that even when the titles don't ring a bell the music is instantly recognizable. It's been in the atmosphere all of these years, slowly but surely taking residence in the corridors of subconscious memory. As a pianist, I've played all of these tunes, so finally learning the titles is a small, extra amount of satisfaction.
If you wish to download the album, essentially the same 24 songs--with slightly improved audio and a lower price tag--can be downloaded from Marketadvisory's MP3 store. Instead of "South America, Take It Away," look for the 2006 collection: Xavier Cugat: "The Classic Years." |
| |
|
So much more than mindless muzak!! Xavier, I yi yi yi yi I like you very much !!! |
Xavier Cugat and his Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra performed so wonderfully you could swear you were in heaven. This CD boasts a marvelous collection of their recordings made between 1935 and 1946; we get a fantastic assortment of rumbas, tangos, congas and more! Dinah Shore and Bing Crosby also lend their fantastic vocal abilities to several of the tracks on this disc.
The CD opens with the classic number "The Lady In Red;" the band makes great use of the percussion, horns and piano as it often did in Cugat's Orchestra. Don Reid & Chorus do a great job with the vocals, too. "The Lady In Red" is chock full of energy and whets your appetite for more. "Jalousie (Jealousy)" follows; this tango opens with a dramatic flourish by the horns and harp and "Jalousie (Jealousy)" generates a whopping amount of energy, too. You'll want to dance to this number for sure!
Other great numbers by Cugat and his Orchestra include the classic "Cielito Lindo" with a particularly upbeat, faster than usual beat and vocals by Chacha Aguilar and Carmen Castillo. Awesome! "La Paloma (The Dove)" also shines as the orchestra plays this so well. "Perfidia (Tonight)" scores another coup for Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra, too.
But there's more. This CD features Dinah Shore with some of her earliest recordings; she sings along with the orchestra as they play the bolero tune "Yours (Quiéreme Mucho);" "La Cumparsita;" "Jungle Drums" and "The Breeze And I." Great! Dinah's voice is in excellent form on these numbers.
Bing Crosby also lends his talent on several tracks including "Siboney" and the wonderful "Baía" which is a slow, romantic samba.
The CD ends with "South America, Take It Away;" I believe that Bing Crosby is featured on this track even though he is not credited as doing the vocals. The chorus does a great job, too. The song has a big band flavor that was so popular in the 1940s.
The liner notes give you an essay about Cugat and his Orchestra by Peter Dempsey; and the songs credits are there, too. The art work is very good.
The quality of the sound is very good considering the age of these recordings. These are the original mono recordings, so please keep in mind that there will be some surface noise but it won't detract from the quality of the sound too much.
Overall, I highly recommend this for fans of Latin music from the 1930s and 1940s; and Cugat fans will consider this CD to be a "must-have" for their collections. The music is romantic and it also provides us with hours upon hours of easy listening music enjoyment.
¡Olé!
|
| |
|
Classic Latin Magic |
Great selections, great sound; hard to believe these weren't original stereo recordings.
Buy! |
| |
|
Excellente! |
|
Just got this today and it's exactly what I hoped for! The other reviewers were on the mark! The earlier Cugat orchestration and arrangements are so lovely and evocative. I'm a sucker for the sound of old recordings--these are from the 30's--they just had a warmth that is lost as recording equipment improved. But I still must get something with Besame Mucho . . . |
| |
|
HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID |
|
This compilation of Cugat recordings from 1935-1946 is one of the "sexiest" CD'S my collection. If you're a fan of many Hollywood films of that period these arrangements will send chills up your spine. Close your eyes and you're sitting at the Waldorf Bar in white tie with Bogie or George Raft; or you're an OSS agent sitting in a South American cabaret with Andrea King keeping one eye on Conrad Veidt and the other on Akim Tamiroff. The tunes are familiar and haunting. You may not remember the titles but you'll recognize the music of that genre.Several vocals by Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore add to your listening delight. The slow samba "BAIA" is an elixir with greater power than Viagra. The other rumbas, congas and tangos are superb; Cugat's distinctive rhythmic arrangements cast a hypnotic spell on the listener. Buy this album! |
| |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Helping Shoppers Make Smarter Decisions, Baby Clothes, Auto Accessories, Gourmet Foods, Sporting Goods, DVDs, Movies, Computers and more |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Black Friday Online - Discount prices, fast delivery on Music Black Friday Online - South America, Take It Away: 24 Latin Hits only $10.99 at marketadvisory.com products. |
|
