KETAMA - Sus 50 Mejores Canciones (3-CD) 3 slimcases in cardboard slipcase
Ketama has always shaken things up with the addition of other musical genres to their conception of flamenco; they create quite a world music flamenco stew. Jazz plays a significant part of their sound, as does electronic sounds. The result is very interesting. There are the occasional ballads that are very popish; love songs with slighlty upbeat pop rhythms. This is not their strong point but I`m sure their big fans love this part of their repertoire. "Alguna Vez" is one such song and comes complete with extra horns and chorus in pop big production style. These Spanish gypsies do not forget their roots but rather expand the horizons of the genre; they were doing it before it became popular, they were at the forefront as this disc captures the last twenty years. The lead vocalist Antonio Carmona and his brother Jose Miguel pen most of the music that has no borders. The Middle Eastern sound brought to International audiences by such groups as Rumba Argelinais evident on certain tracks, certainly on "Estatua de Sal." There is a live track,"Vente Pa Madrid` that features a duet between Antonio and his cousin Antonio Flores who has a gruff-smoked-too-many-cigs-between-late-night-wine-voice taht makes for a good counterpoint to Antonio`s pleasant voice. A curious elemnt of their music is the addition of instruments usually not assocaited with pure flamenco. The use of the mandolin is something that thet explot with favorable results. There is something for everyone on this collection of songs from the pioneers of nuevo flamenco. Recommended for nuevo flamenco aficionados.
4. Y Es Ke Me Han Kambiao Los Tiempos
9. De La Isla A Las Antillas
12. El Oasis De Los Dioses
7. Se Dejaba Llevar Por Tí