Search - Lola Flores :: Faraona

Gypsy fire

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 07/02/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Lola Flores (1923-1995) was a phenomenal performer. I saw her in the 50's in Buenos Aires, and 15 years later in New York, and both shows were exhilarating, memorable experiences. She was a wild, fiery dancer, with stunning, exotic beauty, and a throaty voice that was a delight to hear.
In the 40's, she teamed with the great Manolo Caracol, and for 8 years they became one of the most famous duos in Spanish flamenco history (also one of the most scandalous, as he was married and much older).The songs included here have orchestral arrangements, with the exception of # 4, "Catalina Fernandez", which sounds like a rap song, with its repetitive verses set to taconeados and palmas, and # 9, "Que Te Pasa Frasquita", which has solo guitar backing.
Unfortunately, this compilation does not have many of the songs that she was famous for, like "La Zarzamora", and my favorite, "Ay Pena Penita Pena".Total time is a short 28'26. These recordings go back many years, and have not been re-mastered, so the sound quality is not good...but even though this isn't the best compilation of her work and you can do much better on other CDs, it's a piece of marvelous flamenco history, and still worth a listen."