Search - Julio Jaramillo :: Valses Con

El inolvidable Jaramillo

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 01/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Julio Jaramillo (1935-1978) was known as "El hijo favorito de Guayaquil" and is still a beloved music idol in his native Ecuador. His beautiful, sweet voice is filled with a pure emotion that touches the soul, and there is a simplicity to these songs that make them endearing and speak to us of a time when things were slower and less complicated.The accompaniment is marvelous, mostly using acoustic guitars as the main instrumentation, with one song including a Paraguayan harp, and another with a fabulous piano arrangement. The musicians are top-notch for this genre, and will delight even the most critical audience. The sound is quite good for its age, and like most of these compilations, there are no liner notes. The total time is 31'40. My first memories of music are of the pasillos and valses I heard during my childhood spent in Ecuador, so Jaramillo, as the premier interpreter of these lovely, melodic songs, is dear to my heart; but anyone who likes the music of Latin America will appreciate and treasure this great artist, the "Favorite son of Guayaquil", and Ecuador's musical gift to the world."