Flamenco de vuelta e ida (Gazpacho Andalú, 2006)
New York-based band Gazpacho Andalú surprises with its fiery delivery of Nuevo Flamenco. This is not the new agey stuff that many times is passed off as Flamenco in the United States. Instead, Gazpacho Andalú is led by singer-songwriter Alfonso Cid, a Spaniard from Andalusia, which gives the music authenticity. Cid provides the vocals, as well as flute, palmas (handclaps) and cajón. The rest of the of the group is formed by Arturo Martínez on flamenco guitar; Gary Raheb, Cuban cuatro guitar, bass and electric guitar; Tony de Vivo on drum kit, percussion and vocals; Jainardo Batista on cajón, small percussion and vocals; and Sean Kupisz, bass and cajón.
Gazpacho Andalú plays various Flamenco forms such as tangos, rumbas, tanguillos and bulerías. One could find similarities with the music of Ketama, Radio Tarifa and Son de la Frontera, with the addition of the multicultural urban sounds found in New York.
"The title of this album is a game of words," says Alfonso Cid. "It comes from the term "Cantes de ida y vuelta" or round trip songs, these are a set of traditional Flamenco songs that were influenced by the music that Flamenco artists heard when they traveled to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. In the late 19th Century styles such as Tangos, Rumbas, Guajiras, Milongas, Colombianas, Vidalitas were incorporated into the Flamenco repertoire. Since Gazpacho Andalú is based in New York City, we reversed the term and created a new and meaningless term to title our album: "Flamenco de vuelta e ida".
As to the name of the group, Cid says: "Gazpacho is a cold soup made of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, garlic, olive oil, salt, bread and sherry vinegar, a wonderful summer dish that comes from Andalusia in southern Spain. It is this fresh blend of ingredients which includes produce from the New and Old worlds what gives us inspiration for our creative process."
Get the CD: Flamenco de vuelta e ida
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
