Search - Alpamayo :: Folklore De Peru Y Ecuador: America Nuestra Esperanza

Great music from the Andes

08/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This and another disc by Alpamayo (Music of Peru and Ecuador, also available from Amazon.com) are my favorite two discs of Andean music, which I acquired while broadening my musical experience to include more worldmusic. I had always enjoyed the earthy sound of the pan pipe, combined with energetic guitar and other instruments, heard as background music during television shows about the Andes. Some of my earlier attempts were failures, however, because the music was either too authentic (i.e., off-key street musicians seemingly recorded by a tourist on a portable machine and transferred to disc)or way too slick (Andean night club music?). This group gets it just right -- authenticity with just enough polish. The songs are rather varied, yet all have that familiar sound. Melodies are simple but interesting, instrumentation is diverse, energy is high throughout, and the vocals (not present on all tracks) add additional flair. Highly recommended to anyone wanting enjoyable, upbeat music or an outstanding sampler of the Andes. The other group I like, Sukay, is similar and, again, available from amazon.com."