LOS JAIVAS [AKA: EL INDIO]

This band fully deserves respect but so far in their career, they haven't really produced brilliant albums. Some good tracks in their early days (fully "Santana" oriented) but to be honest, these were really too scarce.

Unlike Italian prog, I am able to understand the lyrics and to be honest, there is nothing great to retain either. Childish and somewhat not very meaningful. Their image from a Chilean band should have inspired more passion. More anger. More venom towards the governing Chilean regime in those days; but this could have meant dead for them.

Of course, the band had left Chile in 1973. But not for political reasons (at least it is mentioned so on their official web page). They just wanted to include more South American influences to their native music and therefore went to Argentina first and to Brazil to grab as much new sounds as they could.

If ever you fancy traditional Latin American moods, which is very hard if you don't have this in your gene (and I do have these for about twenty-two years), this album won't speak to you. Even if there is a very good percussion work during "Un Mar De Gente" (an ocean of people).

There were more prog influence in their earlier albums. The best from this album is to come with the great "Tarka Y Ocarina". This lengthy and closing number is by far the best of this offering. Superb musicianship (piano and fluting), passion at last! Just what I am expecting. But remember, it is the closing number.

Two stars. Good ethnic music but by no means a true prog-folk album. But this was a concept which didn't exist in those days (1975).