Search - Vieja Trova Santiaguera :: Pura Trova

Before the veterans of Buena Vista Social Club made Cuban music hip, the geezers of Vieja Trova Santiaguera were already weaving their vocal and instrumental magic. This impressively packaged two-CD set looks back at the first part of their career, from 1993 to the present, offering a highly detailed book and a retrospective that puts the band's formidable abilities at sons, guarachas, and boleros into stroking perspective. The meat, however, comes on disc two, made up of live and rare tracks. Not only do we get their first, stunning demos, and some previously unreleased studio work, but a long concert excerpt which illustrates just how good Vieja Trova Santiaguera are. The music might be less orchestrated than other old-time Cubans, but once the five-part harmonies kick in, and the filigree guitar and percussion work frame the songs, it's pointless to resist. Look up "joy" in the dictionary and you'll find this. --Chris Nickson