Latin Music

In the Name of Allah, The Source of all Grace, The Source of all Mercy,

Many greetings of peace to everyone. I live in the United States of America, so I only got exposed to Outlandish through Sami Yusuf's album "My Ummah." However, their singing on the song "Try Not to Cry" got me hooked and so I got their album "Closer than Veins." Let me tell you something: This is my favorite album, because they don't try to sugarcoat anything. They tell it like it is, and I am among many who appreciate a different viewpoint other than what Fox News and other mainstream channels give us. My favorite songs are, in particular order, "Look Into My Eyes", which talks about the unfortunate situation in Palestine, "I've Seen", which laments the condition of the Muslim community as well as the world community, "Callin' U", which is a beautiful devotional song to God Almighty, and "Una Palabra," which talks about the discrimination that Muslims go through on a daily basis, both here and in Denmark, apparently, as well as many other non-Muslim countries around the world. That's just the tip of the iceberg, because they cut out the cursing that has infested hip-hop/rap, and instead have given dignity to women, which is lacking in mainstream hip-hop/rap, and shows that, whatever religion you are, we are all human beings who God Almighty created to live in peace and justice on the earth in preparation for the certainty of death and the Last Judgement in the Hereafter. The beauty of the group itself is that Isam Bachiri and Waqas Ali Qadri are Muslims, and Roger Lenny Martinez is Catholic Christian. My father was born and raised in Colombia of Lebanese parents, so I can identify with Lenny to a certain extent, just as my Muslim faith makes me identify with Isam and Waqas Ali. If you don't have this album, just get it! It's a must-have for any avid music fan, period.Closer Than Veins

I loved the mix in the music. A bit of Arabic instrumentals, Latin influnece and every thing in between. The message is also great and inspirational. I loved the music about occupation and resistence.

I LOVE the cd Closer Than Veins and so do my kids. It has Very Good messages from religion to current world events. I recommend Everyone to check out this cd. I tell my friends about it and let them listen to the songs so hopefully they'll buy and support their music because they deliver good messages And their music And voices are Good! I'm looking forward to buying more of their cd's! I already have two of them.

The rhythm, the sound, the lyrics - all awesome! A must hear for all outlandish fans.

With a wide variety of songs, this colection is a must have. Don't forget, the message is clean and positive. Highly recommended for parents to give to their kids.

The cd is awesome. I bought it because it reminded me of the music my parents played while growing up

I had heard clips of this CD on NPR before I purchased it. The story of Puerto Plata, his music and the era in which he sings is very charming. It's a CD I listen to almost everyday, and I plan on buying more music from this artist. He is a classic musician, his style of music is wonderful, romantic and I might be brushing up on my spanish so I can understand the lyrics to his songs.

Not much I can say but,simply wonderful. Old style Dominican music that makes me want to be there drinking a Guavaberry at the beach.

There's no Plata (Silver) in here, everything in here is Oro (Gold),

What a great cd, full of amazing guitar work, soulfull singing and wonderfull stories, play once and I dare not to play it at least 2 to 3 times in a row, it's very hard not to do it

Thank God for cd format, because if this was a LP (remember them) by know I would have to buy a new Puerto Plata due to all the use I got from the first one

Astounding and remarkable music and musician

A friend of mine sent me a review that NPR made about "Puerto Plata" and as soon as I heard the whole piece I rushed to Amazon and bought the CD. Is truly astounding music, out of this world, and well performed. The recording is flawless and crystal clear. This music represents a "lost" era when "bachata" was socially forbidden and this music was disdained and abhorred as music from the "cabarets" (houses of prostitution). Bachatas were outlawed by Trujillo (the infamous dictator of Dominican Republic) for more than 30 years and musicians like "Puerto Plata" lived in the fringes of the law. What is also amazing is the tale of "Puerto Plata's" life in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Santiago, Dominican Republic (La Jolla) and its "red light" district. To top that off "Puerto Plata" is becoming recognized and famous at the age of 84, waiting more than 60 years to expose his art.

Taragon is doing a great job of reissuing Kaempfert product. This particular disc to me, is the cream of the crop. These two LPs showcase the Kaempfert orchestra at the top of their game. The first disc is an amazing collection of latin standards (and a couple of originals!) and the second disc is one of his most beloved albums and all time best sellers. Together on one CD, they make for quite an enticing package. Besides the Kaempfert classics (Blue Midnight, L-O-V-E, Red Roses for a Blue Lady and Three O'clock in the Morning) there are many outstanding yet lesser known gems in the Kaempfert catalog. Bert's incredible arrangements of Besame Mucho and The Breeze and I sound as exhilarating today as they did over thirty years ago. Other highlights of the Latin album are Cha Cha Brasilia, Chicken Talk, and Bert's Bossa Nova (samples of which have been turning up on hip hop records and in television commercials lately.) You may want to start your Kaempfert collection with Taragon's excellent 16 track Best Of compilation, but this is an indespensible companion to that disc as many of Bert Kaempfert's best recordings are not always his best known.

The reason why everyone who has ever heard music by Mr. Bert Kaempfert has tapping toes is evident in this two-album CD! I can't tell you how much I missed his music, but I can tell you that I have almost every CD recording of Mr. Kaempfert's extraordinary and talented production. What a fine class of work this man created! His trumpet blowing is refreshing and delightful. His guitar playing is incredible and smart. Mr. Kaempfert has never fall short of remarkable when he composes (or scores) music. I was young when I remembered my first toe-tapping experience. I don't forget music that made me do this. Therefore, you too won't forget that it was no other than Mr. Bert Kaempfert, one of the finest 20th century composer of toe-tapping music. Enjoy!

Easy listening/dance music doesn't get much better than Bert Kaempfert. Kaempfert possesses one of the most distinctive and recognizable sounds of the last fifty years! Taragon's release of his product is to be applauded; the remastering is superb! The tunes---ah, there isn't a bad one on here! The use of Bert's signature trumpet; the omnipresent bass riffs; the impeccable percussion; smooth strings; and that enchanting female voice, this is what makes Bert Kaempfert one of the Best!

I've been a fan of Laura Pausini's Italian-language songs for some time, and took a look at "From the Inside" to hear her sing in English. Result? Mixed feelings. While Laura is as great as ever, the songwriting is sub-par compared to what Pausini herself usually writes, and some of the production is a bit over-the-top. That being said, the album isn't at all bad. It's just not what I would have expected.

Pausini recorded this record after her Italian greatest hits album "E Ritorno da Te" and before mega-hit "Resta in Ascolto". At that time, Laura was best known for her adult contemporary ballads, a la Celine Dion in the mid-1990s. In that sense, this album somewhat fits in with what she was doing then. However, when viewed in the current context of Laura's repertoire, it fades compared to more recent work.

As others have mentioned, some songs are translations of previous hits. 'Every Day is a Monday', which was also recorded as 'Il Mio Sbaglio Piu Grande'/'Un Error de los Grandes' isn't nearly as entertaining as its foreign-language counterparts. 'It's Not Goodbye' was written by Pausini herself as 'In Assenza di Te'/'En Ausencia di Ti' - and it shows. The song is performed beautifully with emotion.

Along with 'It's Not Goodbye', other great tracks from the record are the piano/vocal reprise of 'Every Little Thing You Do', 'If That's Love', and 'Without You' - all of them are gentle, tender tunes that evoke strong emotion. And while 'I Need Love' and 'Surrender' are very upbeat, they're filled with the magic Laura has become famous for. Least favortie tracks? 'Do I Dare' and 'I Do to Be' definitely top the list, more for their sheer over-production than anything else. But don't let these two discourage you.

Overall, the album is worth a solid three stars. Some tracks are better off being skipped, but many of them are charming. A few stand out as true gems, and all of them contain great pronunciation by a woman who doesn't speak English as a first - or even second - language. While "From the Inside" isn't what I would have expected from Laura Pausini, it's a decent album that brings a smile to my face.

THIS IS ONE OF HER GREATEST ALBUMS YET... IT HAS HELPED ME IN SO MANY WAYS. SHE/IT HAS TORN DOWN MY WALLS AND BROKE ME DOWN. IF YOU REALLY LISTEN TO THE WORDS AND FEEL THEM, YOU WILL SEE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS ALBUM IS "FROM THE INSIDE". "DO I DARE" HAS A BLUESY FEEL TO IT AND "DO TO BE" IS AWESOME AND UPLIFTING, JUST FABULOUS.

I'm partial to Laura's Italian stuff and didn't realize that this particular album is all in English - but she still has a great voice. Even though it is not in her native language, I would encourage any fan of Laura Puasini to not let this album pass by.

kills me it's her only english speaking album.
makes me wish I studied French harder in high school or really learned Spanish way back when I was involved with my South American amour 20 plus years ago...

one day Pausini will do another album in English I hope and suspect, but until then, let it suffice to say that if you like pop romantic melodies and lyrics this is as good as it gets...

What prompted me to write this is that just walked into the other room and heard the TV playing a song of hers I had never heard called "One More Time" which is the final song from a Kevin Costner film from 1999 called "Message in a Bottle" and while I missed the film and just caught the song during the closing credits I knew it was Laura imediately. Interestingly, this song in English is not on her other albums and the only other english speaking song not on "Fromthe Inside" that I am aware of is "Go the extra mile" which is one of her all time best songs, in my opinion.

Listen to her stuff, she was Grammy Latin artist of the year 2 years ago, for a reason.

Thank you C.L.T. for introducing me to her in 2001. Drop me an email if you see this review, too.

I love Laura. She's got an amazing voice, as powerful and bright as Celine Dion's but also with the ability to purr softly and convey tons of emotion. Her Escucha album completely floored me, I listened to it over and over again, and the one thing that I missed was really understanding the lyrics (not that it made any difference...). So buying her English debut was an easy call.

The first time I listened through it, I was disappointed (well...mad), though. Another reviewer put it thusly: "it's as if the people handling her english songs don't quite know which ones are best for her". That's for sure, and moreover, they didn't do her any justice in arranging & producing the songs that they DID give her. Laura is great, and there are tracks on this disc where she carries them, but there are also silly mis-steps. Lyrics that just don't work, moments where you know the producer voicecoached her into certain deliveries (how they managed to make her sound like Natalie Imbruglia in one song, I'll never understand), and when you've got one of the finest voices in international pop music, you don't overdub her three times or throw a GOSPEL CHORUS behind her!

Having said that, once you get past the surprise at what her producers did wrong, you can focus on what Laura does right, and she sounds great. This is a good addition to the Pausini catalog, and makes her a little more understandable to people who just don't get why you'd listen to someone singing in Italian or Spanish if you don't speak the language. What I'd really love to hear from Laura is another English album, perhaps a mix of good originals and some carefully selected covers, and maybe a duet or two in there to boot. I found out about her through her appearance with Michael Buble, and fell in love with her voice in that duet.

I love going back and listening to something I liked in a different time and place and that is exactly what this colloboration does, it takes you to another time and place. That place is where everything stands still and the music engulfs your soul. The beauty of the moment, the here and now come together as the lush sounds and contemplative vibe by Cosmic Carlos and Alice Coltrane send you on ride through the universe, floating on air created by their notes. This is a beautiful disc to good for words. This is Cosmic Carlos at his best, reaching to the furthers of time and space and laying down some fantastic guitar riffs. The eloquent guitar phrasing is passionate with out being dazzling; it is in word, sublime. Alice Coltrane contributes beautifully with her instrumentation, playing counter and in direct flow to Santanas lead. Listening to this timeless disc reminds me of all the beauty within and around us all everywhere. If you have never heard this disc, were not born yet or just missed this one because it wasn't in the rock or jazz rock vein than check it out; it is one of Santanas most progressive, challenging and engrossing works. In particular I like a few outstanding tunes that stand above the rest. The epic "Angel of Sunlight"(14:40)is a musical odyssey in one song, it covers the Santana sound in all of it's diversity, it is a tour de force,the surreal tones and beauty of "Angel of Water" is a blessed song that has nearly religious qualities, it is as though an angel were present guiding in the studio and the finale "Illuminations" is a fitting farewell bringing complete closure to this bit of cosmic revelry. Like exploding and expanding universes resulting in rebirth this music cleanses your soul and sets you free again. Great stuff and highlty recommended for those moments of solitude and meditative peace that we all need.

I first heard this when I was in my teens, when my old guitar teacher used to play it. I always loved Santana's playing, but (as a fellow reviewer also said) I had to grow up a bit before I could understand this music.

However, once I was able to "hear" this music, it resonated within me, and touched me deeply like few music is able to.

Santana's guitar work is, as is usually the case, passionate and flawless. But even more so on this recording. His tone, phrasing, all marvelous. Alice Coltrane's part in this as harpist, composer / arranger, and keyboardist is the work of a master musician by any standards. From the lush chords, harp work, and string arrangements that sweep through much of the album, to her Hendrix inspired howls and shrieks of joy on the organ in "Angel of Sunlight" are astonishing.

I cannot imagine - and refuse to allow - my CD collection without this one.

I opine that this has to be Carlos Santana's BEST work EVER. With Alice Coltrane on harp and the beautiful arrangement for small orchestra, this album transports me to the place with all the angels in the picture on the album cover. This is truly a spiritual album and enables me to experience a myriad of many emotions and feelings of which the human mind is capable. This music is timeless and you can really feel LOVE emanating from the music. The album starts out more melodic then gradually melds into a beautiful chaotic kind of fusion reminiscent of the mid to late 70s, all the while still being beautifully chaotic and captivating! This is a prized possession in my music collection. Illuminations used to be out of print for quite awhile, so NOW is the time to buy this beautiful and spiritual album while you can. This album is best listened to in the dark with a good set of headphones, some Ruh Khus incense (made by Primo), and just the lights from your stereo components (or any other party lights you have to hang up). You'll think you died and went to Heaven. Yes, it's THAT GOOD of an album.

This is another daring Fusion Jazz Rock musical work for Carlos Santana.
Anybody who bought this album some 30 years ago hardly understood this musical work, since Santana's audiences were totally into different kind of music. For that reason Illuminations was the first Santana release not to go to Gold.
After the release of "love, Devotion and Surrender" and "Caravanserai", both in 1972, Santana continued exploring different routes from the Rock and Latin sounds he already was famous for.
On this album Santana is fully into Fusion, Jazz and Rock; with David Holland on bass, Tom Coster on Keyboards and Alice Coltrane on Harp, topped by a Classical 18 member band. The result is one of Santana's finest accomplishments.
This album is mainly for the lovers of Fusion Jazz Rock, Santana fans and any guitar great sound lover.
If you like this album, make sure to listen to "caravanserai" and "Love, Devotion and Surrender as well". 3 Santana albums that go hand in hand.

The names Coltrane & Santana sold this album to me as I found it accidentally one day searching through some experimental jazz albums! The album it self is a orchestral/jazz trip through warm washes of bass and drums through to the yearning call of the saxaphone blended with Carlos's typical solo routines backed with tabla beats. Any sample searchers out there should note that the orchestral arrangement in the first song was used by The Cinematic Orchestra for 'All That You Give' and has the same epic effect on you as the CO song does.
defintaly recommend this album if you are in to the Prog Rock sound and ambient jazz. Combined well to create a interesting album.

Bluesy and melancholic ... The cd's expensive and hard to get, but totally worth it!

Music for Love and peace. We listen to it in the operating room.

I first heard Francisco Cespedes on vacation in Manzanillo Mexico. I just enjoyed the smoothness in his voice. I could have just melted where I sat.

Maravilloso albun el de Pancho,mescla de bolero, jazz,balada,todo con una interpretacion muy propia y original.Es muy interesante la forma de espresar sus sentimientos tanto como compositor que como cantante.LLega de una forma impresionante a los corazones de quien lo escucha.Por ejemplo no pasa un dia sin que yo escuche "Vida Loca".Felicidades y muchos exitos te decea un cubano cantante igual que tu. Ronald Infante.London 13 de enero del 2000

Desde las bellas composiciones de Pablo Milanés, no había escuchado nada comparable hasta las canciones del Panchito Céspedes. Latinoamericano como soy de nacimiento y crianza, no pude menos que emocinarme al escuchar a este señor por primera vez, lejos de mi país y mi cultura, en España, recién se distribuyó su disco en aquella tierra. Las letras, bellamente preocupadas por la poesía y la rima, exponen el candor y la fuerza sentimental de este compositor enamorado. Su música, fuertemente influida por los ritmos de aquellos boleros con los que crecieron nuestros abuelos, es capás de elevar al más duro corazón hasta alcalzar el climax de un sentimiento puro, pero apasionado, ingenuo, y a la vez gozoso. Es un disco para ser escuchado, disfrutado y vivido de principio a fin e incansablemente, altamente recomendable para todo el que guste de la pureza sentimental y que crea en la fuerza del amor.

This is such a great album, from beginning to end. It's a classic and one of Julio's very best.

This music takes me back to a time when Julio Iglesias was at the top of his game. His voice is unmistakable and timeless. A fun and yet very sensual sound

If you are a romantic and you love Julio this is a cd for you.It makes you feel young and happy!

luv this song please someone help get it for me in english versio

"Hey" is by far the best album Julio Iglesias has ever recorded. It is wonderfuly ochestrated and a pleasure to listen to. If you can only get one of his cd's, this is the one.

One of the most beautiful songs and real heart breaking voice. If you like this genre, you'll love it!

This is my 2nd Vargas CD after Llorona. She continues to enchant with her inimitable, sumptious, throaty voice.The accompanying guitar "Lucho" Baigo & Oscar Ramos are as good as Vargas they never inhibit the solo voice. This lady washes my heart but what mostly captivates my soul is her voice, its sometimes filled with furious, bitter sweet utterances,sometimes you can actually feel tristeza (sadness)in her voice as she sings about love lost and found,general experience about life and her beloved adopted country of Mexico.I dont understand Spanish but the music transcends all barriers and you dont need any special knowledge of Spanish but this CD will appeal more to people who speak the language.By the way there are no liner notes on this Argentinian import but dont let that deter you from the best diva in Mexican traditional music.I have actually ordered another CD "Somos" and cant wait for it arrive.This music will sooth your soul. Vargas is aged 86 this year as she is almost the same age as Dr Nelson Mandela our own political icon in South Africa. The fact that she is so old and still going strong musically amazes me.If you want her best music look for the new records where she is a little bit older her voice is like old wine, the older it becomes the better it tastes metaphorically speaking.For those who have never heard her music, I would recommend the album "Llarona" ,"Macorina" and "Frida movie sound track".

From his 1940s heyday until the late 1960s, Frankie Yankovic was with Columbia records. Then, from 1968 to 1970, he recorded five albums with RCA. This CD contains 23 of the 44 tracks originally released on the first four of these five LPs. It's good stuff, and it's recent enough so that the sound is decent. The five tracks (3,7,13,16,22) from the first LP, Polka Variety, do not sound quite as good as the others, and two or three of the five seem to have been "enhanced" with a little extra reverb. RCA has chosen to include mostly the polkas, rather than the waltzes, from these vinyl classics. This is unfortunate, because in some ways the waltzes Frankie recorded during this "between-heydeys" period were actually superior to the polkas. I hope RCA will produce a Volume 2 of this CD, including all the remaining titles from these LPs, especially Beautiful Rose, St Bernard Waltz, LeeAnn Waltz, Those Were the Days, and Chip on Your Shoulder. Then, perhaps at a reduced price, there could be a Volume 3, an exact re-release of Frankie's fifth RCA vinyl, Polka Time, which for some reason is not represented on this CD at all. The current CD, which includes some very nice liner notes summarizing his life and 1998 funeral, makes me yearn for more, and yearn for the best.