CONFUSIÓN

From the very initial passages of this album's opening track you can tell that Supay's music portrays a special kind of magic, a magic that can only arise from the heartland of Inca folklore. And that's what Supay's prog offering is all about: the creation of a symphonic prog sound that is enriched and recycled by the incorporation of various colours from Andean folklore, something that is not only provided by the two woodwind players, but also by a number of melodic lines performed on lead guitar and harmonic bases laid by the keyboards. The rhythm section, simultaneously, lays a solid ground for the overall sound, allowing it to flow cohesively through all the motif variations and tempo shifts, which get linked to each other with a most delicate fluency. The statement so majestically incarnated in 'Pueblo Mío' is later reinforced in the title track, as well as in 'En el Viento' and 'Imperio' - the latter two are perhaps the most vivacious numbers in the album, and they could be loosely described as Jethro Tull's "Songs from the Wood"-meets-Los Jaivas' "Alturas de Machu Picchu". A special mention goes to bassist Danuser, whose melodic lines flow powerfully beneath the keyboard layers and guitar/woodwind solos, especially on the last three tracks. The almost 9-minute long "Avanzando" is one of the longest tracks in the album, and also the one with the most complex structure: it includes some occasional jazzy flavours, as well as a higher level of energy during the rockier sections. Proaño's guitar shines here and in 'Confusión' like it won't in any of the remaining pieces. "La Nueva" (almost 9-minute long, too) is the track with the most overtly mystical feel to it: starting with a tellurian motif played on three woodwind instruments on a martial rhythm pattern, the track soon moves to the central motif, which is mostly a well-sustained exercise on textures displayed across a meditative atmosphere, especially featuring Reaño's lead guitar. Picture the spirit of PF's 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' seasoned with some Agitation Free spices, and cooked in an Andean kermesse. If "Avanzando" shows Supay at their most intense and colourful, "La Nueva" finds the band heading for the realms of introspection. 'Chicago Chico' closes down the album as a sort of recapitulation of the first two tracks, combining the full frontal Andean magic of 'Pueblo Mío' and the varied sophistication of 'Avanzando'. Even though this is the band's first album, you can notice a solid mark of maturity and clear artistic vision: this mark has certainly allowed them to exploit the nuances of their compositional ideas with enough proficiency as to make a completely excellent album out of them. "Confusión" is one of the most pleasant surprises to emerge from current South American prog folk: therefore, Supay reveals itself as a musical force worth checking out.

When I was a young boy, my father taught me that it was important to meet other cultures. So we often went to musea about native Indians and he used to play LP's with music from Greece, Russia, Roumania, Spain and often Latin-America, especially the Andean flute sound like Los Paraguayos, Los Incas and Los Calchakis. When I got in touch with progrock I was very pleased with Los Jaivas, the wonderful blend of ethnic and symphonic prog. Last week I was advised to buy Peruvian band Supay, I am very grateful (thanks Hans) because their blend of Andean folk and Western prog/rock is amazing! Supay is a new band that consists of six members, four are playing the 'quena' (an often used Andean flute) and two of those also play the 'zampona', a double panpipe from the Incas. Most of you will know these instruments from the Andean street musicians playing in Europe.

The CD is from 2004 but re-released in 2006 by the French label Musea and the Chilean label Mylodon Records. It contains seven pleasant and melodic compositions that sound like a progressive blend of Andean folk and rock music. In general the songs deliver fluent rhythms with an adventurous rhythm-section with the focus on the flutes and electric guitar. This results in a great tension between the cheerful 'quena' sound, the melancholic 'zampona' sound and the fiery and harder-edged guitarwork, in my opinion inspired by Hendrix and Blackmore. The guitarplayer makes impression with his frequent soli, often biting and howling and the duels with the flutes are great like on the first track when he uses wah-wah while the flute sounds like a nightingale! The keyboard player sounds a bit subdued: in Avanzado he delivers a bit jazzy organ solo, in La Nueva he plays a fine duet with a flute and in most of the other songs he accompanies on organ in a very tasteful way. That is also the strong point of Supay: the band sounds like a band despite the frequent soli and instrumental adventures.

If you like a musical encounter between two different worlds, this is an excellent CD!

Well this is a tasty morsel. I bought this CD on the strength of the streamed track on this site and was very pleased. Supay's amazing "Confusion" is not confused at all. This is some of the most lively, spicy instrumental prog I've heard from a band that is totally new to me. I've been playing it constantly.

They employ these traditional local woodwind instruments that sound like altered-states flutes, and lay them over blazing electric guitar and bass. The music has much color and vibrancy, full of life and joy. Imagine Tullish flutes blended with Santana guitar but with more urgency and drive. There's some stereo affects with the woodwinds that sound very nice on headphones. Vocals are not missed as all musicians are playing in a highly expressive manner. My CD has a different cover than the one imaged here so don't let that throw you off. I think this band will have wide appeal once they are discovered by more proggers. Not essential by any means but a decent starting point for someone wishing to check out the Peruvian scene. 6/10

Almost every time I listen from a South American Prog Folk band, I end being partially disappointed, because instead of a real Prog Fusion between Rock and Andean sounds, I end listening some watered Folksy tunes with a lot of Rock and very little of Prog, well guys, this is not the case of SUPAY's debut album "Confusión", the Andean essence is present in every tune and the Prog component is more than evident, IMO we are talking about the most promising band to follow the steps of LOS JAIVAS, this time from Perú, the heart and center of the Inca Empire.

But again I find a big problem in the categorization of this bands in Folk Rock, people expect to listen something similar to JETHRO TULL or STRAWBS, to the point that I already have read reviews talking about the TULL connection, please guys, if you expect that, you will probably be disappointed, there's no similarity with Celtic or British Pastoral music, this is pure Andean Ethnic music, radically different even when equally beautiful.

The album starts with "Pueblo Mio" (Town of Mine), a song which from the start presents us a real Andean atmosphere, with the quenas (Peruvian ancestral pentaphonic wood flute) and Zampoñas (Peruvian pan flute) and the folk styled percussion performing a native tune magisterially blended with the guitar and keyboards. The magical contrast between the Andean tune and the radical changes show us we are before a very skillful Progressive band.

"Avanzando" (Advancing) begins with another clear Andean introduction with guitar and quena reminding us of the music from the Peruvian "serranía", but almost immediately the keyboards change the dreamy atmosphere for a Symphonic solo, which is followed by another autochthonous passage, this time faster and cheerful. The changes come one after the other proving us the versatility of the band. An excellent guitar solo follows with a sound that has a distant reminiscence with Metal, but that's not all, vocoders, jazzy sections and more indigenous music performed with piano and quena come one after the other, nine minutes of pure Progressive Rock.

"Confusión" (Confusion) marks a radical change, this ime starts with a clasuic Rock guitar, but SUPAY never forgets their roots and comes back over and over to the native music, jumping from Andean to Hard Rock with amazing skills that allow the music to flow perfectly, as if this mixture was something natural.

"La Nueva" (The New) begins with an extremely beautiful one quena introduction that is joined by a second one and later by zampoñas with the unique percussion that can only be listened in Cuzco or Puno, all the native wind instruments start a contrapuntal section that leads to a melodic piano and winds section of incredible beauty while a lonely Rock guitar in the style of Carlos Santana gives the support the song requires, but never loosing the melancholic mood, again several changes make this track unforgettable.

Is Andean Jazz possible? Well, "En el Viento" (In the Wind) answers this question with an emphatic yes, first making some sort of well structured jamming and later with a clear Rock background, but always with the winds reminding us we are before a Folk band.

"Imperio" (Empire) is a much more pompous track with strong and loud guitars, lush keyboards that morph into a Metal song and later returns to the indigenous roots, that this time come o stay, several variations on the same theme reinforce the impression that SUPAY manages Rock, Jazz and Jazz Fusion perfectly, very interesting song.

The album is close with "Chicago Chico" (Little Chicago) a reference to a district in Lima that represents the fusion of the people from the mountains and the modern part of Perú, in the same way the music is a perfect blend of the native and Rock sounds describe perfectly the creole nature of this part of the country while recapitulating previous tracks.

Last time I rated a Peruvian album and to avoid chauvinism, decided to give only four stars despite I believed it could easily reach the perfect score, but this time I won't be unfair, SUPAY'S "Confusion" deserves not less than five stars, because it's the essential and perfect expression of Andean Ethnic Progressive Rock in the 21st Century.

In the weekends my father used to play LP's with folk music from Russia, Roumania and Spain, and especially from Latin-America, like Los Paraguayos, Los Incas and Los Calchakis. So I grew up with the sound of Andean flutes, the 'quena' and 'zampona', and after falling in love with progrock I was delighted about Los Jaivas, the highly acclaimed Latin-American prog folk band. But I am even more pleased with Peruvian formation Supay, especially their first album Confusion, originally released in 2004 and then 2 years later re-released by the French label Musea and the Chilean label Mylodon Records.

On Confusion two totally different worlds meet in an exciting way: the ethnic Andean sound with the distinctive soaring flutes, and rock music with the powerful electric guitars. This creates a lot of tension, on one side the cheerful 'quena' and the melancholic 'zampona', and on the other side the Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton inspired heavy guitar play. For me it is unique prog, to be carried away by the duels between sparkling ethnic flutes and biting and howling electric guitars, especially with the use of the way-wah pedal, wow, shivers down my spine! The sound of the keyboards can be described as often functional, apart from a jazzy organ solo in Avanzado and a duet with a flute in La Nueva, on the other tracks he delivers pleasant organ layers.

So the focus in on Andean flutes and harder-edged guitar work, fuelled by a powerful and dynamic rhythm-section, highly recommended for those who are into more heavy sounding folk prog.