SOMBRA Y LUZ

Review Nº 900

Triana was a Spanish progressive rock band of the 70's. They were probably the most famous Spanish progressive rock band in those days, or even today. The three members of the band, Jesús De La Rosa (singer, keyboardist and author of a large part of the band's repertoire), Eduardo Rodríguez Rodway (guitarist) and Juan José Palacios Orihuela "Tele" (percussionist), already had a long musical career within the first generation of the Spanish Sevillian rock bands.

Triana was formed in Seville in 1974 with their musical career spread between the 70's and the early 80's. The band took their name from the Seville neighborhood of Triana. The embryo of Triana was in the group Triana Tabaca, which initially had Carlos Attias, Miguel Ríos, Emilio Souto, The Solitary Cantor and Eduardo Rodríguez Rodway, guitarist of Os Payos. In 1973 with Attias away from the band, Jesús De La Rosa took his place as bassist and singer. Finally Juan José Palacios "Tele" joins Rodway and Rosa, on drums, laying the foundations for Triana. The first line up of Triana also had Dolores Montoya and Manuel Molina, although they both quickly left the group to form a duo, Lole y Manuel. So, Triana was reduced to a trio that would be the last format of the band. The initial objective of Triana was to merge flamenco with the progressive rock, in the aim of bands like Pink Floyd, Caravan or the early King Crimson, and many other similar rock bands of the 70's. That fusion sound defined not only Triana, but the rock of Andalusia in general.

Their first three albums clearly reflect the aforementioned trends. Their debut studio album of Triana, generally known as "El Patio" and released in 1975, was a big hit with restless youth despite virtually zero promotion. However, it wasn't a resounding success. But, it was hailed by critics as the best fusion of flamenco and symphonic rock made since the experimentations of the Smash group. On their next album "Hijos Del Agobio" of 1977, published at a critical moment in the modern history of Spain, they are breaking down political issues like the exaltation of freedom. This album features a more progressive trend than its predecessor. It was considered their best work. The album quickly gained critical favor and was listed as the best album of the year. Already as one of the most popular and valued bands of the moment, their third studio album, "Sombra Y Luz" of 1979, maintains all the progressive aspects, although the music is a bit more darker and experimental than the two previous albums, with some jazzy elements and an electric guitar presence.

So, "Sombra Y Luz" is the third album of Triana and that was released in 1979. The line up on the album is Jesús De La Rosa (vocals and keyboards), Eduardo Rodriguez Rodway (vocals, voice and flamenco guitar) and Juan José Palacios (voice, drums and percussion). The album also had the participation of Miguel Angel (vocals), Antonio Pérez (electric guitar), Enrique Carmona (voice and electric guitar), Pepe Roca (voice and electric guitar) and Manolo Rosa (bass).

About the individual tracks, "Una Historia" takes you into the soulful and in the rock soundscapes of the Iberian Peninsula, in which Jesús De La Rosa's singing, which can hardly be surpassed in terms of expressiveness, is at the center and is wrapped in a sublime pathos with the filigree playfulness of the acoustic guitar. "Quiero Contarte" is a more upbeat number in the same vein as "Rumor" from their previous studio album, "Hijos Del Agobio". The title track "Sombra Y Luz", in the instrumental part, after a catchy beginning, has a more complex sound network unexpectedly struck up. The keyboards of Jesús De La Rosa remain elegantly in the background of the track. In the following long track "Hasta Volver", Triana reach their usual strength from the two previous albums in a transfigured pathos and luxuriate in the yearning harmonies. Supple key inserts know how to refine this symphonic euphony in a very pleasant way. "Tiempo Sin Saber" is a classic Triana's track in all senses, with that flamenco influenced progressive music that only they know who to do so well. "Vuelta A La Sombra Y A La Luz" was basically the weird part of the title track that was revisited here. It takes things in a more experiential way, where some more creative ideas were implemented.

Conclusion: With "Sombra Y Luz", Triana completed a brilliant trilogy where the fusion between flamenco and progressive rock is almost perfect. This trilogy put Tiana as one of the best progressive rock bands that appeared in the Iberian Peninsula, one the best exponents of the progressive Latin rock in the 70's and probably the best Spanish progressive rock band in those years. While probably their two previous studio albums "Triana (El Patio)" and "Hijos Del Agobio" can be considered two best works by many, "Sombra Y Luz" is probably more progressive despite being a less cohesive effort. Anyway, "Sombra Y Luz" gave the Spaniards Triana their big commercial breakthrough in 1979. While the most well known English prog rock bands were more in a pop vein, Triana still had their folkloric mainstay on which they could lean. Without completely throwing the progressive symphonic rock idea overboard, the voluptuous use of keys on the third album was scaled back by one level, by emphasizing the emotionality derived from flamenco.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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