Composers: Horacio Dur n; Horacio Salinas; Patricio Manns; Bobby Cap¢; Pedro Villagra; Chabuca Granda.
Illustrator: Donald Sanders.
Arrangers: Jose Seves; Horacio Salinas.
A greatest-hits compilation from the Chilean supergroup Inti-Illimani. Their four Xenophile releases are documented relatively thoroughly here. The basic foundation of Andean song and music is mixed successfully with everything from ranchero to Afro-Cuban to tango. Given the wide breadth of styles touched upon by the group, the coherence is slightly lower than one would find in an average release, but still the structure is held together by both the band's general abilities and the underlying Andean base throughout. As such, the album is perhaps not perfect for someone looking to make inroads into authentic Andean music, but it's suited quite well for someone looking for a fusion between Andean and other forms of Spanish music, from all corners of the former Spanish empire. The band might not be as good at Afro-Cuban as Irakere or as good at tango as Piazzolla, but it's the mixture of genres that powers the album along, trying to give a little bit of something for everyone. Pick it up for an interesting listen, but the album is not for the purists of ethnic musics. ~ Adam Greenberg
Professional Reviews
CMJ (6/12/00, p.32) - "...A fine introduction to this celebrated group....[who] incorporate a wide array of influences into its sound, including Western jazz and rock, traditional Chilean influences and hints of other Latin musical styles..."
