SOMBRA Y LUZ

Triana's third album was the one that took the band to real commercial fame in their country. Persistent promotion, catchy melodies, and a ever-growing cult led this recording to big sales in a short time. This kind of success feels natural since the fine sound production really helps the material to shine in an attractive manner. But it is also true that Triana was starting to lose some of its distinct prog drive. Not that it had come down to nadir, since there's lots of impressive material here, full of complexity, genuine passion, and that special magic that only Flamenco can give to a prog sounding ensemble: yet, it is becoming clear that the writing tends to incorporate somewhat simpler ideas, and that the will to experiment is more restrained than in their excellent previous efforts. The main reason for this lies in the fact that de la Rosa seems less interested in using his synth parts as a counterpart to the guest lead guitarist, allowing this guy to steal the limelight and carry the aggressive side of Triana's music on his shoulders exclusively, most of the time. 'Una Historia' is a blues-tinged rock piece, filled with serene melancholy. On the other hand, 'Quiero Contarte' takes a happier mood sustained upon an easy listening motif: the long overdubbed guitar solo during its closing part really helps the track to build an effective climax. Two good songs, but nothing special actually. Things start to get better (much better) with the title track: starting with a brief jazz-rock sung section, there follows a psychedelic tour de force of multi-layered synth and eerie guitar effects, supported by Flamenco guitar arpeggios, hand clapping and a hypnotic 9/8 drum pattern, and seasoned by weird vocalizing courtesy of Palacios. This section is the only moment when de la Rosa lets his synths assume the leading role: by doing so, Triana recaptures some of the essence of their earlier albums. After this bizarre number comes the 10-minute epic 'Hasta Volver': the musical concept of this beautiful song is literally epic, but the emotional drive is more introspective, with occasional moments of exaltation. 'Tiempo sin Saber' is another beautiful song (penned by guitarist Rodriguez), introduced by a fiery Flamenco guitar solo, then developed within a symph prog frame. The closure is nothing but a reprise of 'Sombra y Luz', keeping the same structure (a sung part and a 9/8 psychedelic part) but 5 minutes shorter. Well, as I said before, this is a great record but only partially essential: all things considered, it is fair to add that it would make a nice addition in your prog collection if you're really into Flamenco-tinged prog. 3 1/2 stars.

Although there is obviously not much of their flamenco-dominated style from the beginning left on this album, I've got to say I like it and almost prefer it to their debut. I really like the guitar work of Pepe Poca and I think this guest musician is a good addition to bring some more rocking elements as a counterbalance to the flamenco in their music. Highlights are "Quiero contarte" with its great guitar solo at the end, the rather psychedelic "Sombra y luz" and the long epic ballade "Hasta volver". In contradiction to my fellow reviewer, I would rather rate this one as an interesting one for any progfan, not exclusely lovers of flamenco prog. Probably not really an essential one, but I'd like to give this one a higher rating than EL PATIO. 4 stars for this very good album!

Triana is the most legendary progressive rockband in Spain. Their stunning debut-album was a seminal blend of flamenco and progrock and paved the way to flamenco-inspired progrock in Spain, culminating in bands like Azahar, Cai, Alameda, Quadalquivir, Mezquita and Medina Azahara. The story of Triana started in Seville, the beating heart of the flamenco. Jesus de la Rosa (keyboards/vocals) was a known musician in the local music scene and he even had international success with "Los Bravos" and their single Black Is Black. But he wanted to form his own band to make progressive rock, so he recruited Eduardo Rodriquez Rodway (vocals/guitar) and Juan Jose Palacios 'Tele' (drums/percussion). The trio called themselves Triana, named after the most traditional part of the town and they moved to Madrid. With some help they were allowed to record their music in a studio with highly advanced equipment. In '74 Triana first released a single titled Bulerias 5x8 (it became a failure) and then the debut album El Patio ('75). Unfortunately their flamenco-progrock did little, eventually the album sold 1000 copies. But after a big presentation in Madrid in '76, things started to improve and in '77 the second album Hijos Del Agobio came out, followed by the single Rumor. The emotional lyrics (about hope after the end of general Franco's dictatorship) were embraced by the Spanish youth when the radio started to play Rumor. Triana's music boosted the youth's identity and it gave them a way to show their emotions. And how ironically, Triana's music became less progressive while the band became more and more famous. This third album entitled Sombra Y Luz, released in 1979, turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for me because I was so delighted about Hijos Del Agobio and especially El Patio, in my opinion the absolute highlight of the Prog Andaluz movement. Listening to Sombra Y Luz I am less carried away, some songs even tend to sound a bit boring, despite the invitation of a lot of guest musicians like Pepe Roca, Enrique Camona and Antonio Perez on electric guitar and Manolo Rosa on bass (also to be seen on the 2-CD/1-DVD Se De Un Lugar, highly recommended). There is still some magic, then you can enjoy the very distinctive and compelling experience of the Prog Andaluz like in the titletrack. But in fact you can compare this album to And Then There Were Three by Genesis: their last progrock minded effort and then "goodbey to prog and hello to commercial success" and for sure Triana got commercial succes in the following years with their polished blend of rock, pop, and some prog and flamenco!

Although very much praised by now, the first two albums of the band were a total mess in terms of sales (even in their home country). But things changed dramatically with Sombra Y Luz. This album got the necessary promotion it deserved and sold pretty well in Spain (over 250,000 albums).

There are some excellent tracks featured on this album, even if their early flamenco/symph and unique style is abandoned little by little. Of course, the emotional and so Spanish vocals are very much present during Una Historia. It is a song full of emotion and strong themes.

Shadow and Light (which means Sombra Y Luz) is yet another good album from the band, but they were investigating new sounds already: the jazzy Quiero Contarte brings a new and interesting angle in their work. for the recording of this album, the band reverted to the basic trio of their debut and Eduardo Rodriguez plays an excellent electric guitar throughout the whole of this good song.

Triana hasn't forgotten its roots of course: the excellent title track is there to remind us that the band is originating from a suburb of Seville (Triana is the name of the place). The song is also more difficult to apprehend: it is quite chaotic and experimental for most of its duration. It is one of the least accessible track of their whole discography. Fully psychedelic aznd extremely weird.

The epic of this album is also the most accomplished song form this Sombra Y Luz album. Several theme changes, wonderful and symphonic keys parts and as usual in their best tracks, this incredible mix of Andalusia music (even Middle-Eastern one) combined to some brilliant symphonic one. Hasta Volver is the first highlight from this work.

I know I'm repeating myself but the combination of flamenco with prog is pretty unique. Even if some other Spanish bands brought some of the ideas of Triana in their work, no one came close to this brilliant mix; which sounds totally different in some sort. But when it is played so fervently, one can only stand up and applaud. It is really the only reaction I can suggest while listening to the very special Tiempo Sin Saber. Another highlight.

This album is probably not as good as their first two ones. The innovative feeling is probably not the same as for their debut album. Still, this is a good album that deserves more exposures on this site.

Three stars.

TRIANA formed right at the end of Spain's long years under the dictatorship of Franco and were one of the first bands to emerge from the oppression with an interesting fusion of their native Flamenco rock or Andalusian rock with the symphonic prog most similar to the Italian scene with hints of English prog such King Crimson and Genesis. While the debut "El Patio" was the most accomplished with this new fusion of disparate genres, the band that consisted of vocalist / organist Jesús de la Rosa Luque, flamenco guitarist Eduardo Rodríguez Rodway and drummer Juan José Palacios didn't find much commercial success as it came out just before Franco's death however beginning with the second album "Hijos De Agobio" TRIANA started to attract a following, sold more albums and created a more complex sound than on the debut.

While the band started out as a progressive rock band they would jump ship and become pure pop in the 80s. On this third album SOMBRA Y LUZ (Shadow and Light) the band completed the trilogy of progressive rock albums that have become the most well known of their output. SOMBRA Y LUZ is a much different album than its predecessors and while it's always a good thing that a band doesn't ride the same wave album after album, on this one they started going a little more into the mainstream with a heavier emphasis on blues based rock mixed with the expected flamenco and symphonic prog. Despite the prog part of the equation still in play, it has been clearly tamped down and replaced with more straight forward rock segments.

There are still plenty of unadulterated flamenco aspects such as the breakdown on the title track which displays the ubiquitous flamenco styled singing style albeit less Italian prog influenced this time around as well as the flamenco guitar style that is allowed to express itself as the dominant factor. The tracks are a little uneven in how they flow. The first couple of tracks "Una Historia" and "Quiero Contarte" are clearly less prog oriented and almost pure rock whereas the excellent title track takes the band sound into the next logical synthesis of its disparate elements with an interesting mix of staccato guitar, atmospheric mellotron action and proggy time signatures.

The most progressive moment on the album comes from the lengthiest track, the ten and a half minute "Hasta Volver" which goes through various movements and sounds more like the material from the previous album with lengthy bass grooves punctuated by time signature deviations and a return to the Italian symphonic prog sound with the similar classical constructs. The track slinks along at a mid tempo pace and features a mix of the symphonic prog style along with what sounds like a mandolin but probably the flamenco guitar along with a guitar solo and a rather PFM vocal style. The track despite its running time never really deviates from a rather persistent groove and doesn't pick up much steam either as it seems to spin its wheels and leaves a rather unsatisfying result. While a chorus or equivalent section does pop in now and again, the track is actually fairly repetitive.

The finale two tracks "Tiempo Sin Saber" and "Vuelta A La Sombra Y La Luz" focus more on the flamenco grooves and take things into slightly more experiential realms with more creative ideas being implemented and perhaps the best tracks on the album. TRIANA once again delivered lyrics in its native Spanish regarding the changes of the nation and was accompanied by many session musicians to add extra touches however in the end, SOMBRA Y LUZ is very uneven and the tracks don't flow together very well. This signified a downturn in the band's most innovative material but yet would become their most successful album in their native Spain at a time when the public was becoming more familiarized with the progressive rock scene. After this one they would drop most prog and steer into the world of Andalusian pop. There are some great tracks on this one but many are rather generic at this point and the album as a whole is unsatisfying.

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*)