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Los Jaivas - Arrebol CD (album) cover

ARREBOL

Los Jaivas

Prog Folk


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ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars The last studio album from "Los Jaivas" to date is not the worst one of their career. But not the best one either. It holds some good compositions like the title track for instance which is also the most prog oriented.

Even if a good guitar break is a pleasant surprise during "Milonga Carcelaria" the finale is pretty difficult to bear. One of the weakest song here is "Todos Americanos" which is just a pure Andean folk song. The childish "Por Los Nińos Del Mundo" is another one of these. Press next.

The mood is fully folkish for most of this album. Prog fans will hardly find any relation with prog music in here. So, depending on where your taste is, you will love this album or feel bored while listening to it. I belong more to the latter category (throughout their whole work I must say).

At times, some good electric guitar moments will highlight this album. They are mostly blended into their native music, though. "Chile" is a good example. Nice fluting adds another dimension to it, but I guess that South Americans might be more receptive as I am about it. Vámonos guajira.

The last five tracks sound like they were recorded during a cocktail party and include some audience atmosphere (mainly conversations and clinking glasses). Nothing to write home about.

The band will release several albums called "Voragine" (I through V) after the decease of Gato Alquinta. These albums being some sort of compilation works of their early days (68 through 71). The band is extremely popular in their home country. The sad deaths of several of their members during their career (remember, they started it some forty years ago) give them a huge emotional signification.

I rate this album with two stars. Los Jaivas music doesn't speak to me really.

Report this review (#162129)
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008 | Review Permalink
ClemofNazareth
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Prog Folk Researcher
3 stars I’m not really keen on the band’s movement toward a prominent synthesizer and keyboard sound in this era, but there is definite maturity in their songwriting and especially the musical arrangements in the albums nearing the end of the nineties and early in this century.

Los Jaivas had a very long and productive run as a band, and their lineup remained the same on their fourteenth studio album after more than thirty years with the exception of Juanita Parra replacing Gabriel on drums. This would unfortunately be the final recording for Gato Alquinta, who passed away from a heart attack while swimming not long after this record was released. And on that note I feel bad about commenting on his vocals, but they do appear a bit strained at times on this record. Still better than most Latin prog folk singers, but not quite as strong and resonant as in the group’s younger days. Then again, we all have to age sometime I suppose.

Much of the Chilean percussion and ethnic acoustic instrumentation is gone by 2001, replaced as I said with a lot of keyboards including moog and plenty of strident piano. The better songs are those that feature piano over the synthesized keyboards in my opinion, such as with the energetic “Milonga Carcelaria”, “Libre Albedrio” and the title track. Elsewhere the band still manages to insert some trademark flute sounds from time to time, but I believe most of that is synthesized as well.

The band has long had a tendency to include at least one song with multi-part vocals, and this album is no exception with the choral and spoken-word passages courtesy of a children’s choir on “Por los Nińos del Mundo”, a feel-good anthem for kids everywhere that reminds me just a bit of their debut album. Bassist Mario Mutis delivers vocals here and there as well, although as in past albums where he’s sung the mood is more subdued and less grand than that of Alquinta.

The second half of this record is quite a bit more modern and fast-tempo than the first few songs, beginning with the torrid “Chile” and not really winding down until near the end with “Que Suerte Tengo”. The closing “El Residente Nacional” is a slow, jazzy song that in retrospect almost sounds like a requiem for the group’s longstanding leader.

This is certainly not my favorite Los Jaivas album, but as Gato Alquinta,’s final release it has some sentimental value. And because of that I’m going to say it deserves three stars, especially with consideration for its timing in the band’s career. Modestly recommended to Los Jaivas and Chilean folk fans especially, but this one may have some appeal to those who enjoy a more lively brand of progressive folk as well. Worth seeking out if you haven’t heard anything from the band since their seventies heyday.

peace

Report this review (#230174)
Posted Wednesday, August 5, 2009 | Review Permalink

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