The Bogota, Colombia duo of Lacides Romero, accordion, and Francisco Javier Rivera Montoya, clarinet, presented a concert at the "Fundacion Santillana para Iberoamerica" in Bogota. It is obvious the players enjoy the music and, while the music may be somewhat removed from that which is readily familiar to many accordionists, it could indeed serve up some new ideas for players particularly interested in the music roots in the countries represented. During this concert the duo presented their new CD. The album intends to rescue from oblivion some long forgotten Latin American and Caribbean works from the 10th and 20th centuries, thereby serving as a meeting with their cultural roots. The music is easy to listen to; it is quite pleasant. Brazilian "maxixes and choros" from 1884 to 1920, Cuban "country dances" from 1836 to 1890, and Colombian "pasillos and dances" from 1925 to 2008 are the various rhythms presented. One interested in musicology could spend hours reading about these "choros" which are considered to be the first urban popular music typical of Brazil. While the word "choros" means "cry or lament" they often have a fast happy rhythm instead and are sometimes characterized by virtuocity and improvisation. The "maxixes" also offer interesting aspects of the dance which is in duple time and a precursor of the tango. The duo of accordion and clarinet is accompanied by Gabriel Leon, percussion, Ricardo Zapata, cavaquinho (a small string instrument which looks like the ukulele with 4 wire or gut strings and is sometimes called machimbo, machim or machete), and William Romero, triple (the Columbian triple is a 4-stringed small fretted instrument with a hollow body), Felipe Garcia, traversa flute, and Gabriel León, percussion, on this recording, all of which add to the musical interest of the CD. For further information e-mail: lacidesromero@yahoo.com Reviewed by Joan Cochran Sommers, May, 2010. |
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