4 little gems (140)

 I decided to translate a review I made time ago of this album to post it here in PROGARCHIVES, because I think this wonderful album deserves more attention. Really, Congreso deserves more diffusion due their high musical quality and their deep compromise with the latin american rythms.

In "Congreso", released in 1977, the band achieves a very high creative point, and they reach by far the most progressive, powerful and passionate sound of their career. This is notable, because the disco was released under the dictatorship started in Chile in 1973. The album´s quality is high in all tracks, and most of them are simply unforgettable. "El color de la Iguana" is a very happy and elegant overture, where charango, flute, drums, bass and bronzes interact in perfect harmony. In "Volantín de Plumas", Congreso show their more poetic side, and with a fine cueca rhythm they make a ode to the "chirigüe", little typical chilean bird. "Si te Vas" is a love song with a strong Andean feeling helped by the zampoña. I like how the bass sounds in this song, and I find very interesting how Congreso mix fluently very simple (but beautiful) lyrics with a versatile and complex instrumentation. Then we have "Los elementos", an absolute prog song, amazing, and my personal favorite. It starts with a section that evokes a world morning, a vital wake:

Inútil como una flor de goma, abierto como un ropero viejo Absurdos los ojos y la boca, traté de ser un aeroplano Y ved la tierra justo abajo, cayéndose como una naranja negra.

(Useless like a rubber flower, Opened like an old wardrobe Absurds the eyes and the mouth, I tried to be an airplane And you see the earth just below, Opening like a black orange)

Then drums, charango and zampoña are added to the music, the story begins to be written, and the travel receives more energy.

Antiguamente, antes del reloj, y el campanario.

(In ancient times, before the clock and the church tower)

.This is the antechamber of an awesome section, with fantastic percussion and a simple, but terribly penetrative, guitar pluck. The drums are great, and arise of some deep place.

Cuando nadie estaba existían, sólo planetas silenciosos Parecían todos, un universo submarino Parió la tierra a la luna, de una grieta en el mar, mar y luna se nombró. .Vino el pez, la mariposa, los insectos diminutos Cada planeta preñado, obligaba a su progenie a continuar procreando

(When nobody was live existed only silent planets They looked like a submarine universe The earth give birth to the moon, of a fissure in the sea, moon and sea was nominated The fish and the butterfly came, and the little insects too Each pregnant planet, forced his childs to multiplicate.)

And after a frantic passage, a progressive cueca comes to us, and it gives an end to this masterful piece. You will love it.

Then, "El cielito de mi pieza" is an intimate track, with beautiful lyrics and angelic strings. "Tu canto" is more complex, even sour in some moments, with long instrumental passages. "Arcoiris de Hollín", another highlight, with an emotive and dark beginning shows a very complex structure, even more than "Los Elementos". Lyrics and shades reveals, like many Congreso creations, feeling and facts related to the life under dictatorship. Francisco Sazo delights us with a very strong voice, and his mouth shouts denunciation verses that the little brained soldiers never could decipher. A very notable ending, which remind us we are facing one of the bigger works of one of the more important bands from Chile.

"Para ganarnos el cielo" is a 11 minutes bonus track, unreleased before this album. It tells the arriving of Spaniards to America, with an epic instrumentation, deep and fantastic.

I only can say this album is absolutely essential, and you must hear it if you are fan of prog, the latin american fusion with beautiful and poetic lyrics, the folk or simply if you love the good music.

Five Stars absolutely deserved.