Search - Ariel Ramirez, R. / Torregrosa, Jose Fernandez de Latorre, José Torregrosa :: Misa Criolla / Misa Flamenca

Neither fish nor fowl

Paul Magnussen | Campbell, CA USA | 04/13/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This album, quite famous at the time of its original release around 1968, is an attempt to produce two masses using authentic folk music and performers.



The Misa Flamenca, like most such fusion attempts, it is not entirely successful, and (despite moments of great beauty) "interesting" is perhaps the best word for the result: this despite the use of top-notch artists such as (in the Misa Flamenca) singers Rafael Romero, El Chocolate, El Culata and Los Serranos, plus guitarists Serranito and Ramón de Algeciras. The sudden lurches from (for example) a genuine Caña to a full church choir are unnerving, to say the least.



In my opinion, the Misa Criolla, which uses Latin American music, is the more felicitous.



The sleeve notes are unusual in being in French alone, and containing no information whatever about the flamenco artists.



The total time is 41'14".



P.S. a more successful Misa Flamenca (both artistically and commercially), available both on CD and on DVD, has been produced by Paco Peña."