Search - Skruk, Altiplano :: Misa Andina

WONDERFUL, ETHEREAL SYNERGY OF ROMAN CATHOLIC LITURGICAL CEL

C. Scanlon | among us humans | 03/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Composed by the Chilean folk music composer and performer Mauricio Vicencio with the assistance of his group Altiplano, then composed of Mauricio, Conrado Garcia, Efrain Enriquez, etc., this Mass was recorded in Norway in 1993 with a wonderful choir called Skruk, who also later recorded a disk of Christmas carols called Stille Natt.



Unfortunately, Mauricio's other several recordings are not available under his name nor that of Altiplano, such as confusion, etc., and are not now available here upon the amazon. His mastery of the music has been frequently called upon for recording, nearly solo, with several other Andean groups from Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and his native Chile, from which he had to flee the brutal right wing military dictatorship imposed by Nixon and Kissinger on 9/11/73, because he plays Chilean folk music as did his martyred hero Victor Jara.



Thus Mauricio may be heard, often alone covering all instruments, recording for such groups based in San Antonio, TX as ...de Los Andes, as well as Boston based groups such as Inca Son Canto a La Libertad Vol. III Music and Dance of the Andes and the unavailable Inca Sapi. I produced a CD with him playing all instruments for another group, Inca Antares, called Inkan Blood and Gold, which is how I came to hear live this Misa Andina, renewed, with a professional classical choir in Northampton, Massachusetts, taping that rare and wonderful performance in a tape now lost.



The CD of this Misa which I most often heard I must admit was pirate, and rather reduced in length and in quality from this present disk, which features strong and solo vocals, and a recording of a traditional hymn in a pre-Columbian language and tonality.



The high level of production values on this disk makes it worth purchase alone, as it faithfully and powerfully presents this beautiful Mass, with its many movements and moods, all very exact and appropriate and reverent.



We can hear in this recording Mauricio with the fullness of his powers. His charango playing when I met him was still extraordinary, but one could sense he grew tired of the road and the bitter salt of exile, and of losing the friends he had in this recording, in which he is truly inspired and inspiring. His charango here on this recording can never be equalled.



In the same way his quena when I met him was powerful enough to raise a roof, with that simple bamboo flute whose mouthing I could never master but which Mauricio could bend at will. In this recording he bends and breaks not only to demonstrate virtuosity but also to express the ineffable, the depths of this religious music.



Please hear this music for a cultural synthesis which draws us to experience that which transcends culture, in our Universal and infinite mystery of Eucharistic Love. Here the high Andes and high Europe encounter and produce a liturgical expression of great power and beauty and significance. Acquire it here while we still may.



This CD comes in a triptych package with plenty of information and a sixteen page booklet, loaded with photos and lyrics. Of course, it is written in Norse, and in Spanish, with the final Benediction reading:



El Senor te bendiga y te guarde

Haga el Senor resplandecer su rostro sobre ti

Y tenga de ti misericordia

Vuelva el Senor su rostro a ti

Y te conceda la paz."

Beautiful and different

Elendir Turlinde | Cedar Park, TX USA | 05/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A friend told me about this music which she had been searching for since hearing it on the radio. It took us months to find a copy but it has been worth it. The blending of Andean music and Norwegian lyrics is perfect. Find out for yourself!"

Absolutly beautiful!

Elendir Turlinde | 04/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i heard this at a record store by chance and it caught my ear
immediatly. the combination of norweigan choral and andian music
is astounding. the melodies are very charming in this mass. the recording is first class. this is a cd to die for. it is also very rare here in the states. your best bet is to order online."