Track Listing
1 - Canta El Gallo
2 - La Fiesta Campesina
3 - El Marnguey
4 - Puerto Rico
5 - Campo
6 - Mi Cuatrito
7 - Mi Triste Lamento
8 - Mi Jaragual
9 - Cantandole A Lo Nuestro
10 - El Cantar De Un Campesino
There are few recordings of traditional Puerto Rican bomba and plena available in this country. It’s an unforgivable shame because the great practitioners of the genres stand shoulder to shoulder with the greatest exponents of the son cubano. This is no hyperbole, just an observation. The distinctive ringing sound of the cuatro may be considered a counterpart to the Cuban tres guitar but the pulsing afro-centred rhythms are instantly recognisable. Los Pleneros De La 21 are probably the greatest exponents of the music today outside of P R.
They perform on the first half of the recording which moves through the guttural utterances of Canta El Gallo and La Fiesta Campesina with rustic power and blistering cuatro and rhythms to the superb El Marunguey which swings along magnificently centred by a knock-out solo on the humble melodica….for goodness sake. But that’s not all, folks. The title track Puerto Rico bristles with national pride as the coro segues with a stratospheric cuatro break that is promptly trounced by very exciting bongo and percussion playing. The icing on the cake is Canto….."Canto yo vivo triste cada dia sufriendo mas Ay Dios que sera de mi? Si no bailo esta bomba me voy a morir (I sing I have a sad life suffering more each day..Oh God! If I don’t dance this bomba I’m going to die)". This dance of suffering…a traditional bomba is an outstanding vocal/percussion piece.
The second band Conjunto Melodia Tropical is an outgrowth of a leading jibaro group from the 50’s led by the late cuatro player Ladi Martinez who was very popular in PR. Jibaro music is rural music based on forms that date back to the 16th century and enriched by 19th century Cuban guaracha and tropical rhythms. Suffice to say that the music is wonderful, often swooning and melodious but always grooving and soulful and bristling with the sort of cuatro playing from a certain Ramon Vazquez that ruffles the hair on the back of your head. Mi Jaragual is an outstanding number that was made famous by master salsero Ismael Rivera. For me the most beautiful number is Cantandole A Lo Nuestro which builds in waves of elegant intensity. I’ve had this music as a cassette in my collection for 17 years, since 1989 when it was recorded. I’ve listened to it hundreds of times. I never tire of anything on it. What does that tell you? Richard Jasiutowicz
