Track Listing

1. El Tecolote
2. Ranchu Gubi�a
3. Flor de Huevo - Lobos
4. Bruja - Conjunto Jardin
5. Rogaciano
6. Mediu Zhiga
7. Petrona
8. Naila - Lila Downs
9. Ra Bacheeza
10. Andan Diciendo - Los Bravos del Norte
11. Son Huini
12. Los Peces - Lhasa
13. Nuestro Nido - Pastor Cervera

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5891 in Music
• Released on: 2001-04-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
Even in the northern states, Mexican music is easy to find on American radio, but airplay almost exclusively consists of the Tex-Mex norteño style. In contrast, there's barely an accordion in earshot on this sparkling collection of traditionally rooted songs. Los Bravos del Norte de Ramon Ayala weigh in with the bouncy ranchera "Andan Dicendo," but on all other fronts guitar trills rather than squeezebox sighs propel the music. With violin swoops and falsetto vocals, La Calaca unleash the galloping son huasteco/ranchera "Rogaciano." The same ensemble graces the gusto "El Tecolote" with less ferocity but equivalent momentum. Los Lobos dip way into their past with a 1977 version of the son jarocho sped up into a self-proclaimed son loco on "Flor de Huevo," complete with dizzying fretwork and a flailing rhythm. The delicate instrumental son istemeno wedding song "Mediu Xhiga" from Dueto de los Hermanos Rios brings exquisitely ornamented requinto guitar from Mexico's Pacific Coast. Rounding out the set is a slice of Latin cabaret complete with braying clarinets and a gritty vocal takeoff on, of all things, a traditional Mexican Christmas carol via Lhasa de Sela's "Los Peces." --Bob Tarte

Customer Reviews

Mexico
Putumayo never disappoints me and this release is no exception. I played it for my parents during a recent visit and they couldn't get to a record store fast enough. My 6yr old loves to dance to it. This cd is a refreshing change from the usual sound of ranchera/mariachi/norteno music that so saturates the airwaves. A nice and surprising combination of traditional Mexican folklorica and new sounds that deserve to heard.

very mexican and a good mix!
Before I went to mexico, i was trusting this as a good mix of mexican traditional music. After goin to mexico and listening to this while i was there, i was not fooled. This is a wondeful selection of mexico music. I love just about every song. It reminds me of Mexico and the wonderful time i had there!

Nice Introduction
If you are looking to buy one CD on Mexico for your global music collection....this is probably one of the very best. Other compilations & Mexican radio in the U.S. present a misleading picture of Mexican music being dominated by Mariachi and Norteno music.

This album gives an unusually big space to music of Central & Southern Mexico, where most Mexicans actually reside...so in many ways it is much more representative of Mexico then Mariachi & Norteno dominated compilations.

Nonetheless, Mexico is way too varied & complex to be put on 1 CD. For example, this CD is completely devoid of Yucatecan Jaranas (kind of a cross between Mexican Sones & New Orleans Rags executed by brass bands). But, it is a high quality compilation that serves as a very good building block for your Mexico collection.