5 comments about Revés/Yo Soy.

1. I am biased because 'I think' Cafe Tacvba is, and might always will be my favorite band.
   
   (15+ years of consistently great music)
   
   Look at the year this came out. WAY AHEAD OF IT'S TIME.
   
   This album is a perfect album for them as a band, because they really do show how DIVERSE and talented they really are.
   
   Yo!, but what's up with these prices???!!!



2. Este es probablemente el mejor disco de los tacubos. Sin embargo, muchas personas sienten que no sirve porque es tan diferente a otros disco de la banda, pero esa diference es lo que hace este album una obra de orta. Canciones como El Padre y Dos Ninos demuestras la madures del grupo. Este grupo es mas a alegre en otras producciones, pero no hay nada de malo en ser mas analitico. La primera vez que escuche este disco no me gusto francamente, pero despues me di cuenta de que el disco es impresionante despues de escucharlo varias veces La musica es genial. Este album es una excellente inversion.



3. In 1999 Café Tacvba released this double album entitled `Reves/Yo soY' (both were also sold separately) Again, the graphic design is very unusual but compelling at the same time, the double cd edition didn't have any bonus at all but the two cd's in a carton box with a very suggestive design on it.
   
   The idea behind this double album seemed interesting but odd at the same time: `Yo soy' would include 52 new tracks (they are actually 15, but two of them are divided into many) from the band and `Reves' would include 12 instrumental themes original from the band and performed by themselves and other artists, such as Kronos Quartet, Arghul and Compañia Nacional de Danza Folklorica.
   
   Yo soY
   
   This album is different from its antecessors, we listen to a more mature and calm band, the vocal style of Nru has obviously improved from last album (listen to `El rio' and you will know what I'm talking about) and the mature ness of the band is present in the entire album. This album may not contain their most famous pieces but I believe what happened is that a lot of people got so caught with `Re' that they were expecting something similar.
   
   Songs like `El rio', `El polen' (sung again by Emmanuel) are pieces that didn't transcend as much as `La locomotora' for example, but that are very interesting pieces, the piano and the vocals in `El polen' are something like never before shown in their albums, `Bicicleta' is another very interesting piece from this disc.
   
   Reves
   
   Among all the Café Tacvba albums this is the one I find the most experimental. It contains 9 instrumental songs performed by the band in a variety of styles that are hard to define. One of the highlights of these is track 9, that would later be entitled `Reves'.
   
   The most interesting pieces from this album are tracks 7, 8 and 10. `10' is a musical piece made with the sound of people dancing, what you actually listen to is people stomping their feet on the ground directed by Nieves Paniagua, this track gives you a sense of emptiness on the performance but it definitely is one of a kind song. `5.1' performed by `Arghul' is a classical type piece performed with `clarinetes'. The last piece is `M.C.' performed by none other that the `Kronos Quartet', this song is just beautifully played and well executed.
   
   Overall, this is a very enjoyable album for any Café Tacvba fan interested in the evolution of the band and not in having another `Re'. It shows an evolution and mature ness, but it is not definitely the ideal album if you are going to listen to them for the first time, you had better buy their first two albums, enjoy them, understand them and then listen to how they evolved in these two interesting pieces that are `Reves/Yo soY'



4. These guys are re-inventing music!! It is such a refreshing CD!! After years of being bombarded with the boy bands and the britney spears, and the limp biscuits this album is an oasis of beauty, creativity, talent, and courage! Once you listen to this album you will get hooked forever! It is like nothing you have heard in your life! Buy it!



5. Just get to your closest music shop and buy it, no matter if it is extremely expensive (wich it isn't)

3 comments about Masters at Work Part two 1996-2000.

1. MATERS AT WORK: The Tenth Anniversary Collection
   PART ONE: 1990-1995 (4 cd's) `silver box'
   PART TWO: 1996-2000 (4 cd's) `gold box'
   The Definitive Remixes and Original Productions.

   If you love the "Sweet-House" you must have this collection. It's a "PRECIOUS" work. This box is a treasure that I keep in my heart and my ears too. Solid gold. Sober gold and silver finishes for a collection of gems with the stamp of two heavyweights of New York's house scene: Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez and 'Little' Louie Vega, i.e. Masters At Work. Two lusciously presented box sets, which each contain jewels for the enjoyment of modern music lovers. In this exhaustive tenth anniversary recompilation a large part of their work is brought together, both their own compositions and their remixes 'to order'. The first box features their work under the alias Nuyorican Soul, one of the outstanding examples of the fusion of jazz, Latin sounds and House, with classics such as 'The Nervous Track'. With regard to their work as remixers, the list of artists favoured with the MAW touch has no end. Highlights include their reworks for Daft Punk, Chic, Roni Size Reprazent, Karen Ramirez, Ultra Nate, Jerald Daemyon, Tony Touch, Mel B. and many more... Real House, Latin Style, Jazz and other delights. The amazing track "Dancing in Outer space - Atmosfear" it's a great remix and the beautiful "Runaway - Nuyorican Soul feat. India" and "MAW Expensive - Masters At Work" is incredible the most excellent track. This collection (Part One & Part Two) contains the essential house music that makes you relax and dance. Masters At Work are "SOLID GOLD".

   The Masters also deserve to be compared with Larry Levan, the most influential dance music practitioner of the eighties. Vega's four-and-a-half year residency at the Sound Factory Bar provided the dance music underground with a crucial lifeline given that the Shelter was about to close and Body & Soul had yet to open. And in terms of remixing and production, MAW's efforts in the nineties have surpassed those of Levan in the eighties. Like Levan, they have survived the cutthroat climate of the studio for a long ten years. Like Levan, they have moved from the world of remixing to the universe of production. And like Levan, they have revolutionized the way people listen to music, introducing a series of sounds that have become so entrenched in the dance psyche that it's hard to remember that night-world didn't always sound like this.

   Most importantly, 'Little Louie 'Vega and Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez have maintained an elaborate and unswerving eclecticism at the heart of their work. As with Levan, this hybridity has nothing in common with the superficial skimming of multicultural tourists, whose level of engagement begins and ends with the casual flick of a download button. No, MAW's diversity is grounded in a set of serious musical roots, and it has evolved in conjunction with the kaleidoscopic populations of New York's night network. The Loft, The Gallery, The Paradise Garage, The Shelter, The Sound Factory Bar, Body & Soul and Dance Ritual lie at the heart of this practice, and, more than any other remixing and production team, Masters at Work have provided this creative cultural community with a relentlessly varied soundtrack. Kenny and Louie have demonstrated that we can still dance together, even if today's increasingly factional market demands otherwise, and the wonderful music on this compilation embodies that vision. The first ten years have been `extra`MAW'dinary', and we look forward to the next ten with huge anticipation.




2. There are many fine compilations out there that are a pleasure to listen to. But there aren't many that will stand the test of time. This is one that will. This collection testifies to the mystery of ART and artworks whose life-span is determined by the aura of that which has no name. Some call it 'orginality'. Some call it 'authenticity'. Some call it 'a voice'. Whatever. Kenny and Lil Louie must love, I mean LOVE, what they do to a level not matched by others in the business. The collection packaged here is more than a sampler of what-has-been. In their inimitable way, K and L have bent time to bring back that which never left. Who'd have thunk of doing a George Benson to House without any of that trademark Housebeat, nice tho' that is, and still make great Housemuzik? It is the mark of a great artist, made great by the love he has for his medium, to throw in the unexpected and make it sound like it was the most natural thing in the world. (It is only the lesser ones who are obsessed with "experimentation" and end up botching what would have been a passably palatable product.) It is somewhat ironic that the art that is most democratic in form and appeal should be given an aspect of perfection by two artists who are so thoroughly ARISTOCRATIC in taste. Taste is, in the end, everything.



3. For those who hasnt experienced these two puerto ricans.. you are making a big mistake. MAW consists of Little Louie Vega and Kenny"dope"Gonzales. For the house genre, MAW has ment alot, and they have kept The "nostalgic" house alive by remixing pop and other house music to their and our deliberate taste. They have worked with many many artist from the old times like George Benson and the great timbal percussionist Tito puente (R.I.P) and many others. People who has house genre as fave should not miss MAW. theire essential for house! These cd`s delivers pure nostalgic house. By listening to it, it reminds you of the old era of soul music, with new generation music like daft punk, mel-B and Eternal. It also contain lots of music from Little Louie`s own Nyorican Soul project that some of you may have bumped in to. so this is pure house running with rythmic elements of acoustic sound. House lover must fetch this essential reproduction and remixes. Its allready a milestone for my world of music! Its MAW, and its The best house ever remixed! All respect to little louie and Kenny Dope. you take house seriously and make it real!

No comments about Grandes Clasicos de la Cumbia.

1 comments about Boleros for Lovers.

1. Let me tell you, when I saw the boleros the CD had, I need the urge to buy it. Mu surprise was bigger when I received the box with 5 CDs. All boleros brought me a memory. Is a very good gift for you and for every=
   one in your gift list. Mu sister took the CD to her working place and she found out that she knows exactly what to get them for their birthday.
   Is beautifull/

1 comments about Cuadernos de la Habana (Notebooks of Havana).

1. No reviews of this set yet??? This is a truly wonderful and beautiful release in every sense: the music, the sound quality, the packaging, the concept, the artwork... once again, Winter & Winter provide the standard by which all others should be measured.

   This 5 disc "audio film" takes you on a panoramic and leisurely tour of Havana, Cuba through the music of the streets, the homes, the clubs, and the dance halls. Your tour guide is Italian poet and painter Mario Luis Malfatti, who also assembled the lavishly illustrated collage-style booklets within. The music, resembling "field recordings," was recorded on location and spontaneously. The quality of the sound is incredibly pristine, enhancing the effect of truly "being there."

   Among the many highlights of your journey will be the complex and jazzy sounds of Duo Cachiabache, a children's choir singing traditional melodies, the classically elegant "Contradanzas" performed at the home of pianist Andres Allen, the dreamy mood of Duo Sincopa, and the thundering percussion celebration of Tambores De Bejucal at the carnival.

   Throughout, we are treated to beautiful serenades and interludes played by pianist Frank Emilio Flynn performing Cuban and jazz standards. Also interspersed are the sounds of mechanical pianos, distant musicains down streets and alleys, and all the audiences, crowds, trains, cars, and birdsongs along the way.

   If you're looking for something much more than just another collection of Cuban music, you've finally found it.

   (And if you love this "Habana" experience, you should also check out the Winter & Winter CDs "Ra Da Bang," "Tango Vivo!" and "The Sidewalks of New York.")

2 comments about Wings of Imagination.

1. This is a repackaging of two classic (and hard to find) earlier "albums" by Flora and Airto: 1986's "The Magicians" and 1989's "The Sun Is Out." Both of these titles are excellent, especially as a "twofer" deal.



2. Would consider Flora Purim a hypnotic vocalist...who like Ella and Sarah have that individual style...her unique approach to a song aluminates in a class by herself...this 2-CD-release is a milestone of adventureous times for Flora and her husband, percussionist Airto Moreria...earthy arrangements by Marcos Silva are haunting and wistful with blends of dreamscape...remember her "Butterfly Dreams", "500 Miles High" and "Encounter" recordings from the '70s...Concord once again offers a must have for the true collector...has classic "Latin jazz" written all over it!

   Total Time: Disc One 38:40 on 9 Tracks & Disc Two 42:17 on 10 Tracks ~ Concord CCD2-4973-2 ~ (2001)

1 comments about Simply Latin.

1. Basically, if you're the kind of person who likes a lot of covers, and pretty short songs, this set is definitely meant for you. I was really excited for a lot of the music because I saw some good names on the back. When I listened though, I felt kind of ripped off because so many songs were just cheesy covers, and I just couldn't see why the originals couldn't be put on the CD instead. To top it off, many of the tracks were extremely short. I don't know if it's just because I'm used to listening to tracks that are 5+ minutes, but I still think a lot of the tracks should have been at least 3 minutes long. Personally, I would say that my favorite CD out of the set was the Havana Nights one. The songs are pretty good, but like I mentioned before, pretty short too. If you're looking for something that will expose you to more Latin rhythms, I don't really recommend this compilation.

No comments about Serie Max 3 X 1.

5 comments about Latin Oldies Trilogy.

1. When it comes to those hard to find chicano oldies this collection has got it. Every song on the collection was a hit at it's time and still is today. When i'm talking (Tell Her She's Lovely) by (el Chicano) or maybe even a real love song oldie like (Mujer Mia) by (Joe Bataan) or even (Si Me Paro) by (Johnny Chingas) or (Cinco De Mayo) A not to popular but firme oldie by (war) or most of you chicanos have probably herd of the song (Chicano Park) that was built for the hispanic community. How could you forget it. This is just some of them theres even more. This is 1 collection that really exsplains the ways of the chicano life style. We will always have those memories of back in the days drinking and having partys, making romance with your loved, one or even just kickin back listing to something thats was good worth listing to. I will never forget those days when all this was in and to think we havent changed much, even if you think you have, get this collection and just kick back and you start to remember all those firme oldies and good times. This is 1 collection you chicanos would love my personal favorite song (Mujer Mia) by (Joe Bataan) but all these songs are a chingon must have in your oldies collection cause this is what true chicanos are all about cruisin with the homies, bumpin these oldies down hiland street, as for other chicano oldies collection nothing can beat!!! or even compete!!!



2. All I have to say is that this is a great collection of Chicano cruisin' classics and kickin' it lovesongs. Man it really is a soundtrack to the Chicano lifestyle. A complete collection of the best. The best collection next to this is "Back to the barrio" - rare and hard to find Chicano classics vol. 1. this has many out of print and rare songs from back in the day. It has latin rock, latin funk, and latin soul. contact Chorizo Records www.chorizomusic2003@yahoo.com



3. These songs have been with me since I was 15 cruisin in the '68 Chevy Impala my dad gave mr for my quince anos. They are like the soundtrack to our life. I fell in love with my fiancee for cherishing oldies as much as I do. They bring back so many memories. This box set says it all! Its Memories in a trilogy!



4. I was watching TV last week, and on came a commercial using Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love", still one of my favorite songs. I hopped onto Amazon & found this CD collection. What a great set of choices! Some you would find on the radio today. But some I thought would be lost forever. I was living in Ft. Lauderdale in 1973, when I first heard El Chicano. If you've never heard "Tell Her She's Lovely", you are in for a treat. Still sounds as good as it did then, great lyrics, great sound.



5. These songs are fantastic & make you feel good! They will always be loved and listened too. These songs have been around for many to enjoy, especially Latinas & Latinos. Viva La Raza! As a teen I was cruisin with these tunes... (8 track tapes) Now my hijos, are kickin it with them...(CD's) What a trip! ¡Que Loco!

   And they think I'm not cool... ;-) yeah, right!CUL

1 comments about Grabaciones Completas 1953-1960.

1. Beny More' is rightly considered the greatest overall Cuban singer and performer. I'm guessing that many people who love music have thought of whose voice they would have if they could choose one. Cooke, Elvis, and Sinatra usually come out on top for me, but Beny always manages more than a passing consideration. He was a complete singer, equally comfortable with slow boleros or the fastest uptempo Afro-Cuban music. He worked in a number of bands including the Trio Matamoros and Perez Prado. He was offered a job with Celia Cruz' band, the Sonora Matancera, but didn't like its tame sound and, instead, assembled the rocking, world-class band you hear on Maracaibo Oriental, blazing a unique trail with a harder, more instrument-centered sound. But every single song on this collection is worth hearing. Great and essential.