Search - Amparo Montes :: Mejor De Rca Victor

LA VOZ DE LA PASION

Latin Music Lover | Arlington, VA USA | 10/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bolero singer extraordinaire Amparo Montes, dubbed "la voz de la pasion" (the voice of passion), really can't be compared to anyone else in this genre. Her voice and style are unique. Her deep, smokey voice, her attention to the importance of each word in the lyrics, and her selection of songs with sophisticated, complex lyrics by composers such as Agustin Lara and Gonzalo Curiel, draw you into the story told by each bolero. Stories of lost love, despair, betrayal, as well as hope, joy, and unexpected love. Some of the songs have a jazz and blues feel; she might have been a jazz singer if born in an English-speaking country. Her phrasing is incredible. In the song "Asi fue" she draws out the ending "o" in "sufriendo" while her voice gets deeper, conveying her suffering so that it pierces your heart. Her rendition of Armando Manzanero's beautiful "De vez en cuando" is exquisite. I would love to own every song this woman has recorded. She died in April 2002, and I'm sorry I never got to see her perform. She kept performing nearly to the end of her life in her own nightclub in Mexico City, "La cueva de Amparo." This CD has songs she recorded from 1946-1978. Her voice got deeper and more intense as she got older, but still incredible. The CD includes liner notes that list the composers, the date of the recording, and the accompanying orchestra."