| Las Guitarres de Espana hopes to
capitalize on two of the world music phenomena that have turned old world and third world
musical styles into big business for mass American audiences: the rollicking multicultural
flamenco of the Gypsy Kings and the Cuban rhythms of the Ry Cooder’s Cuban filmed
fiesta Buena Vista Social Club.
The band’s energetic mix of those styles,
along with other Latin, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and African influences, makes for a
lively, unusual listen even when these skilled Chicagoan musicians lack some of the pop
polish of those million-sellers.
Like the Gipsy Kings, this band sometimes
filters their multi-ethnic influences through modern American forms like R&B jazz and
gospel, and even a bit from the blues (unlike the Gispy Kings, there’s no electronic
keyboards or pop radio balladry). But those modern influences are mainly embroidery on an
album whose heart is in the traditional styles of other cultures.
The foundation of Las Guitarras de Espana’s
style is flamenco, that distinctive Spanish rhythmic (clap clap!) form that has been
around for so long nobody is quite sure exactly where it came from. Flamenco is generally
associated with southern Spain in general and Andalusia in particular, but its creators
might well have been gypsies who may have wandered there from as far as India.
By the time Flamenco reached Las Guitarras de
Espana, it picked up various other connotations and subgenres like a rolling snowball
picks up snow. The album’s title, Ido y Veulta, which means "round
trip," or literally "gone and back," is, according to the band’s liner
notes, used by flamencos to describe musical forms that have "gone" from Spain
to the Carribean and Latin America and then "returned" to Spain.
Curmudgeonly purists sometimes complain about
American musicians appropriating the styles of other cultures and then raking in money
that might otherwise have been made by those cultures’ own musicians. But
flamenco’s global history should silence any cynics who might be inclined to pass
over Las Guitarras simply because they’re based in Chicago. The Gipsy Kings
themselves, musical emissaries of flamenco to the world, got their start in France.
For newcomers to the style who wish to learn
from the band, the liner notes provide very brief encapsulations of each track’s
musical origins: "Tu Amor: a flamenco rumba with Cuban rumba influence,"
"Cha Cha Cha: a traditional cha cha cha written for our friend from Havana,"
"Conciencia: a rumba flamenca form with a rhythm and blues influence"… The
tracks range from a funky bass-heavy R&B rumba to contemplative classical guitar to a
traditional 12-count flamenco instrumental colored by dreamy use of the Middle Eastern oud
and tabla.
The core of the band is formed by guitarist
Carlo Basile (MA, classical guitar, Northeastern Illinois University), percussionist Doug
Brush (Rose Polenzani, The Weird Sisters) and singers David Gonzalez (a native of Veracruz
Mexico) and Patty Ortega. Those regulars are joined by quite a few other musicians,
including Colin Bunn (formerly of Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire, now fronting Los
Hombres Perdidos), Julie Goldberg and Jennifer Trowbridge.
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