Maracatú

The Elisabeth Waldo Group - Maracatú

Originally posted on June 22, 2006

UPDATE 7/14/2010: This has been reposted here.


Text by muse 1453:

I bought this one approximately a couple of years ago at a thrift store. Elisabeth Waldo is a classically trained violinist who took an interest in the traditional music of Latin America while she toured the region as a member of the All-American Youth Orchestra. Still being fascinated by the music of older American cultures, particularly those of South America, Elisabeth would go on solo tours and perform with Latin American musicians while doing further research into the music and instruments of the native people of this region. She recorded three albums of this music including this album. The liner notes helpfully provide a description. "Lovers of the unusual will find this album a fascinating offering of music and sounds from the lands of contrast. Mystic-rhythmic-exotic-plaintive-whether the strains that predominate have grown out of Indian, Spanish, or African influences, or whether they have their roots in remote jungle lowlands, high mountain peaks or isolated villages-the strains are immersed in the primitive and filled with spiritual symbolism. Before the advent of the 'Conquistadores,' no stringed instruments existed in this hemisphere. With the introduction of the violin and the guitar by the Spanish, a fantastic musical change took place with the superimposition of these instruments on the barbaric percussion and the woodwind instruments that already existed in aboriginal America. The Indians and jungle peoples set about carving new instruments in the likeness of those they had seen, thus creating new sounds and scales. And so, the stone hatchet of the jungles, born before the discovery of America, exists today side by side with that which has been contributed by the European culture. This music is the offspring of those two interwoven cultures."

Note: there is some noticeable surface noise on these tracks due to the condition of the vinyl record; not sure if this would interfere with the enjoyment of the music or not (I've gotten used to it), but I guess that this will do until a better copy comes along.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Siembra {2:51}

2. Carnavalito {1:57}

3. I Coos (Oh Joyous Wind) {2:23}

4. Cueca {2:55}

5. Cancion del Carretero (Song of the Carretero) {2:35}

6. Maracatú {3:51}

Side 2

7. Tun-kul {2:52}

8. Tamborito {2:43}

9. Seri Lullaby {2:20}

10. "La Llorona" (The Weeper) {2:47}

11. Indian Procession (Lament to the Dead Emperor) {2:43}

12. Malaguena {2:55}