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ANIMA MUNDI

Symphonic Prog • Cuba


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Anima Mundi picture
Anima Mundi biography
Formed in 1996 in La Habana, Cuba - Still active as of 2019

ANIMA MUNDI have always combined prog sounds with other music genres and used instruments that are uncommon for rock. Echoes of Celtic, Cuban, New Age, and Symphonic Rock music can be clearly distinguished.

On the 2002 debut album "Septentrion", ANIMA MUNDI's band members consist of Roberto Diaz on electric & acoustic guitars, Virginia Peraza on keyboards, programming, Ariel Valdes on drums & percussion, Ariel Angel on bass, Andremil Oropeza on lead vocals, Regis Rodrigues on bagpipes, recorder, & whistle, Anaisy Gomez on bagpipes, recorder, & clarinet. The followup album "Jagannath Orbit" was released in 2008 with a different band lineup; Yaroski Corredera on bass, Osvaldo Vieites on drums, and Carlos Sosa on lead vocals joining the regular lineup. This album featured guest musicians; Javier Mauri on percussion, recorder, Donna Betancourt on bassoon, and Jacobo García on didgeridoo.

In 2010 the band released "The Way" with 4 tracks one of which is a 26 and a half minute epic, "Spring Knocks on the Door of Men". This time the lineup was new with Virginia Peraza (keyboards), Roberto Díaz (lead guitar & vocals), Yaroski Corredera (bass guitar), Manuel Govin (drums) and Carlos Sosa (also vocals) and as guests Mónica Acosta (bassoon), Yailin Martinez (flute) and Javier Mauri (percussion). In 2013 the next album "The Lamplighter" saw the light of day featuring 2 Suites and an Epilogue clocking a total of 53 minutes. The band again changed with Emmanuel Pirko-Farrath on vocals, Roberto Díaz on guitars, Virginia Peraza on keyboards, Yaroski Corredera on bass and José Manuel Govin on drums.

The band have released undoubtedly some of the best Symphonic Progressive Rock albums from Cuba, namely "Septentrion". On this debut there are also nice intermixes of Celtic influences within the overall structure which add a wonderful sense of ambiance. There are 12 tracks (5 instrumental) and one can get lost in the overall multi-layering of the music. 2010's "The Way" has also gained some high ratings from reviewers. AMINA MUNDI are highly recommended for Symphonic Prog fans.

UPDATED 2014 ---AtomicCrimsonRush (Scott Tuffnell)---
UPDATED Dec. 2015 -- Quinino and E&O Team -----------

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ANIMA MUNDI discography


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ANIMA MUNDI top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.54 | 70 ratings
Septentrión
2002
3.83 | 127 ratings
Jagannath Orbit
2008
4.06 | 269 ratings
The Way
2010
3.74 | 146 ratings
The Lamplighter
2013
3.93 | 205 ratings
I Me Myself
2016
3.89 | 108 ratings
Insomnia
2018

ANIMA MUNDI Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.40 | 15 ratings
Live in Europe
2012
4.67 | 3 ratings
Once Upon A Live
2018

ANIMA MUNDI Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.14 | 7 ratings
Live in Europe
2012
5.00 | 1 ratings
Once Upon A Live
2018

ANIMA MUNDI Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

ANIMA MUNDI Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

ANIMA MUNDI Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Septentrión by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2002
3.54 | 70 ratings

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Septentrión
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by Thierry

4 stars Cuba is certainly the last nation one would think of to discover progressive rock bands. There is a fabulous band called Anima Mundi yet. I had the opportunity to see them twice in concert and it was a treat, really! I did not know this first opus released on a small Italian independent label, Mellow records, which also hosted the only album of my first participation in a group, Anoxie ("Pastales"). Unlike the following albums, these first steps include strong and welcome Celtic touches (bagpipes) that are more reminiscent of Scotland than Cuba!! The rest is a beautiful symphonic prog conducted by Roberto Diaz (guitars) and Virginia Peraza. Brilliant!
 Insomnia by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.89 | 108 ratings

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Insomnia
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by Windhawk
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Veteran Cuban band ANIMA MUNDI can trace their history all the way back to the mid 1990's, and unless I'm much mistaken they are the main and most important progressive rock band of their home nation to boot. "Insomnia" is their sixth studio album, and was released in 2018 by German label Progressive Promotion Records.

I find it hard to conclude Anima Mundi's latest album into any of the predefined sub-genres of the progressive rock universe. It is a compelling and enthralling album however, at times hypnotically so, a dark descent into a universe that in mood and atmosphere is as bleak and ominous as the aforementioned movie Blade Runner. If cosmic, dark and dystopian progressive rock sounds like something you would enjoy, "Insomnia" deserves to be placed on your list of music that needs to be given a spin. A darkly compelling and bleakly enthralling experience.

 Insomnia by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.89 | 108 ratings

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Insomnia
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars For some reason this is the first time I have come across Anima Mundi, but this is their sixth album, having released their debut as long ago as 2002. Tow of the members of that line-up are still in the band all these years later, but what I find quite unusual is that these guys are from Cuba, not a country normally associated with symphonic prog, and according to the bible which is ProgArchives, all five top progressive albums from Cuba are by this band (which is at #3 as I write this, if you are interested). However, their debut album was released on Italian label Mellow Records and apparently, they have quite a following in mainstream Europe, and indeed this has been released on the German PPR label.

This is the second part of a trilogy which started with their 2016 album 'I Me Myself', which has very similar artwork with a hand there partially open, but in blue, so I can only guess that the next will continue in the same vein. As I haven't heard any of their earlier material I cannot say if it also follows on musically, but it is certainly intriguing. There are times when it is almost techno in its abrupt approach, and others where it is far more languid, but always taking the listener on quite a journey. This is the first album to feature Alvis Prieto on lead vocals, and he sounds as if he has been in the band forever, although there are long passages where he isn't involved at all. We are often treated to lengthy sections which are primarily keyboards and sound effects, as the band build on their story of a fictional city in a world which is ruled by political, financial and technological powers.

The guys bring in additional sax to good effect, and everyone knows their place, but it is the keyboards of Virginia Peraza which has most impact, as she uses Eighties sounds to create dynamic effects, or drops in harmonic backdrops. It is Steven Wilson, but with additional use of jazz and lounge plus some dance here and there. It means the album is always interesting, and at the end one isn't really too sure what has happened, but it makes sense to put it back on again. Not a band I had previously heard, but I am looking forward to the follow-up with interest. Really nicely presented booklet as well.

 Insomnia by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.89 | 108 ratings

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Insomnia
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by Rivertree
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions

4 stars I was already keen on the epic 'The Chimney, The Wheel And The War' which can be found on the forerunner album 'I Me Myself'. Have to confess that they really surprised me at first, as the new stuff did not sound like that identically named band I was aware of before. 'Insomnia' marks a step away from the dwelled symphonic fundament, towards eclectic art rock, this augmented with some spacey vibe and weird moments. Or maybe one can say they have opened a new session which is focussed on a more widespread and experimental approach? Let's see. Good for us most certainly.

There are only a few prog bands hailing from Cuba, and ANIMA MUNDI probably are the best known, partly because intensively touring Europe in the past. The band's core remains stable on this occasion, that includes Roberto Díaz (guitars), Yaroski Corredera (bass), Marco Alonso (drums) and the lovely Virginia Peraza taking care of a wide range of keyboard stuff. The task to cull a new lead singer may have caused some insomnia anyhow. But it's okay. Aivis Prieto comes in provided with a qualified voice and little accent. But I'm not sure if he is undertaking the lead during the gentle ballad Her Song where the vocals are showing advantage at best. Though maybe it's Roberto Díaz actually.

Certainly nice, seriously, not joking yet, a proper method to lull you into sleep, without the need for any pills. But before that will happen, there is a lot going on which needs fair attention. The opening Citadel is serving a groovy entry. Prominent synths and jazzy hints throughout. The spacey Swans will take you far away into another spheric dimension, which finally will end into an Electric Credo, a fantastic avant tinged band outing. The Hunter is underway then on well known symphonic paths.

Every song has its own identity, saxophone and trumpet input here and there, smooth jazzy excursions from time to time. The title song expresses a fascinating silky mood with singalong ability, which will end Porcupine Tree alike somehow. On the other hand they are offering neat aggressive impulse during New Tribes Item. Excellent, great move. All correct when it comes to my taste. In the face of a diversified behaviour a coherent result anyhow. 'Insomnia' is an album I'm really fond of in the meanwhile.

 Insomnia by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.89 | 108 ratings

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Insomnia
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by Keyboard Crazy

5 stars Unexpected, dark and bold!

Cuban sympho-rock Dream Team got quite a bit of recognition due to their amazing albums "Jagannath Orbit", "The Way", "The Lamplighter" and "I, me, myself". However, their recent album "Insomnia" confused many fans of the band. It is very unexpected and different to the previous ones. It received very small attention and recognition among the progrock fans. At the same time I discussed opinion on "Insomnia" with a number of Anima Mundi fans and was surprised that they love the album as much as I do.

My favorite albums were "Jagannath Orbit" and "The Way". "We are the light" and "Spring knocks on the door of men" are among my 20 favorite contemporary progressive rock pieces. They are in a good vein of Yes, Wakeman, Tchaikovskiy and Borodin, with magnificent keyboard pads, synth passages and great guitar solos ? soaring in the space or penetrating the listener. Sorry to say but my favorite Anima Mundi singer is still Carlos Sosa.

However, if the previous albums should be commented as "We are the Light", then the "Insomnia" can be commented as "We are the Dark". My beloved pieces from the previous albums were magically and calmly developing, while the "Citadel" grabs you hard and drags you along. "Insomnia" is a great album of matured composers and musicians! Yes, it is dark and very bold. One should have strong guts to turn the band in the totally different direction ? towards more spacious, psychedelic, fusion, jazz rocky atmosphere. To my opinion - "Insomnia" is a great concept album with sometimes "Canterbury" moods and sometimes modern and avantgardish turns. In "The Wheel of Days" one might recognize great reminiscences of Miles Davis.

The skill of magnificent playing by Virginia Pereza on keyboards and Roberto Diaz on electric and acoustic guitars is still impressive. Yaroski Corredera on bass and Marco Alonso on drums (and great saxophone) even increased their skill and reached impressive sound. By the way, Aivis Prieto made a good job in the album as well, his voice is nicely fitting the concept of the album while singing complicated and sometimes weird melodies.

Compared to the previous albums the "Insomnia" does not "impress you during the first listen", however I wanted to listen to it again and again. I'm not sure that Anima Mundi will further follow the direction of "Insomnia", but am absolutely sure that further on they will reach another level of music. They already did! And it was very brave and unexpected experiment. Life around us is not that bright and funny, and life of progressive rock musicians (especially in Cuba) is not funny at all. To my opinion this album is worth to be rated 4,5 stars, however due to the unexpected and bold decision to produce it I will rate it with 5 stars.

Keyboard Crazy

 Insomnia by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.89 | 108 ratings

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Insomnia
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by emperorken

4 stars Anima Mundi is the cream of the crop when it comes to symphonic prog. Their last 3 albums have all garnered 5 stars from me. This album will, however, break the streak.

In fact the only way one would know this is Anima Mundi is by looking at the disc. Firstly because there is another new lead singer, their fourth in the last 4 albums. But mostly because the style of this album has taken quite a turn away from the band's prior symph style. Not to say this album does not provide some great symphonic moments- it does. But for the most part, this album is more a mix of spacey/psychedelic and jazzy prog.

So I would rate this album 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4, simply because of the band's continued superb musicianship and production. As a footnote, I think the new lead vocalist is quite good, in fact better than his 2 predecessors. But still, with my expectations so high for this release, I can only think of it as a slight disappointment.

 Jagannath Orbit by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2008
3.83 | 127 ratings

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Jagannath Orbit
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by TenYearsAfter

4 stars Between 2002 and 2016 the captivating Cuban formation Anima Mundi delivered five studio albums (their latest I M Myself is from 2016), and one live album entitled Live In Europe, from their 2011-2012 tour. This review is about their second album, six years after their acclaimed debut album entitled Septentrion (2002). I bought this CD after a splendid gig from Anima Mundi on a Dutch progrock festival in 2011. And I was not the only one, Anima Mundi made many friends since that first gig in The Netherlands, their blend of skills and emotion in their music appeals to many!

On Jagannath Orbit the sound is more in the 24-carat symphonic rock tradition than their debut CD. And there are a very pleasant and subtle contributions by guest musicians on clarinet, bassoon, bagpipes and digeridoo. The long and varied first compsoition We Are The Light (close to 18 minutes) turns out to be the way to Progheaven: first mellow with piano and soaring keyboards, then alternating between swinging, bombastic, dreamy and a mid-tempo featuring wonderful work on vintage keyboards (Hammond, Mellotron, Minimoog), wah-wah guitar, Yes-like bass and vocal harmonies and a breathtaking final part with sumptuous choir-mellotron and sensitive electric guitar, goose bumps. The other six compositions (two instrumentals) also deliver lots of excitement.

Like the strong guitar work (including biting wah-wah) in Toward The Adventure.

A majestic church-organ sound, moving guitar and beautiful Mellotron waves in There's A Place Not Faraway.

A spectaculair break with guitar and keyboards, again wonderful vintage keyboards and wah-wah guitar in the long and compelling instrumental Rhythm Of The Spheres.

And splendid Minimoog flights, choir-Mellotron and a Progheaven Grand Finale with fiery guitar and lush keyboards in the final track Sanctuary.

A big hand for this Cuban progrock formation, these guys have perfectly used the six years between their first and second album, highly recommended.

 The Way by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2010
4.06 | 269 ratings

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The Way
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by steelyhead

4 stars This my first contact with this group and I have to tell You is a pleasant one. Anima Mundi hails from a part of the world We often overlook when We are looking for prog music: Cuba. The band is well balanced and no instrument is more important than other, no even the voice, and a very good one It is. The compositions are on the epic side of prog and You can hear that Howe guitar been played over and over so You will be in familiar territory. Don't expect surprises, the music is good but It is not opening new ventures, staying the course of familiar paths so I am giving them 3.5 stars rounded to four because of where They come from. ¡Mas música chiquiticos!
 I Me Myself by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2016
3.93 | 205 ratings

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I Me Myself
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by FragileKings
Prog Reviewer

4 stars I can't remember how I found out about Anima Mundi but perhaps it was three years ago that I decided to buy "Jagannath Orbit" and give the band a try. The music was full blown symphonic prog with layers of keyboards, guitars, percussion and vocals singing about "Love and Light", a Jon Anderson/ Yes inspired album to be sure. I bought a song from "The Way" from iTunes and then left the band for awhile, always thinking to go back and try another album someday. In the meantime, they re-released their debut, this time in English (the original was in their native Spanish) and recorded a new studio album "The Lamplighter". Then some weeks back I saw that Oliver Rüsing of KariBow posted on KariBow's Facebook page that the two bands had shared the bill at one venue and had gotten to know each other. By coincidence someone posted on a Facebook prog page about Anima Mundi's new album "I Me Myself". I gave the music a cursory listen and was stunned. I ordered the album soon after.

I'm not sure what I missed in between but Anima Mundi went from a spiritual and uplifting symphonic prog band complete with a didgeridoo to what sounds a lot like a heavy prog band. This album features some pretty darn heavy guitars and more Hammond organ (catch the organ solo in "Flowers" that references Genesis). The mood is dark, generally speaking though there are some lighter and some almost whimsical parts. Certainly though, this album has lost the floating-on-a- spiritual-high feel that "Jagannath Orbit" had. The title track, and parts of "Somewhere", "Flowers" and "Train to the Future" are so heavy and muscular that this doesn't seem like the same band. I like that!

There's another important aspect and that's the stripped down approach to composition. I feel like this album could have been recorded on an 8-track because there's a simplicity, even sparsity to the music at times with only drums, bass and keyboards or drums, bass and vocals carrying the song. Because of this simpler approach the bass guitar stands out more. Add to this the drums, the Hammond sound, Mellotron, or synthesizers, and the harder, heavier guitar and you have an album that packs a punch!

Not everything is so clenched and gritted though. "Clockwork Heart" offers a sly black-cat-cool jazzy touch and more atmospheric passages take us across the oceans between the rocky continents and islands. There's also a sombre but beautiful piano passage in "Train to the Future", which turns into a kind of requiem or dirge before a Pink Floyd-like guitar solo comes in, accompanied by rising strings. It concludes with strummed acoustic guitar and a cello. Come to think of it, the cello has become a pretty regular instrument to hear on prog albums. The closing song "Lone Rider" includes some flute and is possibly the most relaxed track on the album.

Though there was plenty to catch my attention from the get-go, it's taken me a few listens to really soak in all the sounds and songs. Parts I previously dismissed as less interesting have proven to offer some terrific music reaching for different emotions. With this album Anima Mundi have earned themselves a spot on my bands-to-hear-more list, and with Virginia Peraza's remark saying something to the effect that the trilogy of "The Way", "The Lamplighter" and "I Me Myself" make Anima Mundi's three best albums or something, I will be giving this band more attention.

 I Me Myself by ANIMA MUNDI album cover Studio Album, 2016
3.93 | 205 ratings

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I Me Myself
Anima Mundi Symphonic Prog

Review by rdtprog
Special Collaborator Heavy, RPI, Symph, JR/F Canterbury Teams

5 stars After the release of many good albums, the band is back with another symphonic adventure of epics songs. This is another concept album about the relation between human and the technology. And it is just what the music here is illustrating ; a modern symphonic prog rock style with heavier moments display by a heavy guitar sound only possible because of the modern technology of today. As usual, the music has a lot of quiet and beautiful atmosphere where the melody is carried slowly. The addition of sax and trumpet will make you think of VDGG and Pink Floyd, but the influences of those bands including Yes and Genesis are not obvious because the music has that unique Cuban type of Prog Rock. The keyboards lines are more upfront that those bands, but not as much as ELP. I really enjoyed the way the bass lines are flying throughout this album, also the new vocalist voice Bermudez is not bad.The band has the talent to bring the vocals at the right time after long instrumentals and majestic parts. The tree first songs are never boring and the song "Clocking Heart" is the only step back from that excellent album with a relaxed jazzy atmosphere. "Flowers" is less adventurous, but very catchy with a nice guitar solo , and the singer's voice seems a bit forced here. "Train to the Future" is another highlight of the album with a fast tempo pace where all instruments are shining. The last song is some acoustic and a more vocals- oriented song containing another beautiful ending with the electric guitar.
Thanks to The Symphonic Team for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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