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Cd Review
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Nashville City Paper, Cd Review >>
By Ron Wynn, rwynn@nashvillecitypaper.com
March 17, 2006
The great Cuban vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer had actually been retired for more than five years when Ry Cooder arrived in 1996 to begin recording sessions for an album he’d previously discussed with Juan de Marcos Gonzalez. Gonzalez recommended Ferrer to Cooder, who was immediately and permanently impressed with the then 69-year-old’s still amazing facility and skills. Eventually The Buena Vista Social Club sold millions, turned Ferrer and others like Compay Segundo into international celebrities, yet it didn’t really display the complete range of Ibrahim Ferrer’s skills.
A subsequent Wim Wenders documentary in 1999 shed more light on Ferrer, as did two additional releases under his name before he died last August. However, now the release of Toda una vida — Rare Unreleased Songs (Dynamo/import) presents material from Ferrer’s prime, when he was the engine driving rhythmically flamboyant, fierce ensembles backed by exuberant horn sections, and also performing on occasion tender ballads and participating in spirited group vocal exchanges.
The interplay between congas and timbales is just as exciting, along with loping, imaginatively syncopated (a lot more intricate than much of what you hear in the American versions of this music) arrangements. There are absolutely no complaints about the performances on such songs as “Ay. Candela,” “En que parte de Cuba nacio’ el son” and “El son de la Santaguera,” and the commitment to keep things authentic is commendable. But some additional information would be good for the non-Spanish speaking audience, although it’s pretty evident from the atmosphere and musical styles presented that this is predominantly
(if not exclusively) mid-‘50s material.
It’s also great to have it available, and it hasn’t been edited or altered for release. Still, while many companies sometimes overdo the reissue treatment and include too much detail and numerous unnecessary alternate and bonus cuts, hopefully any future editions of posthumous Ferrer material will at least provide the names of participating musicians, the studios where songs were cut and the original years they were produced. A singer of Ferrer’s stature and skills deserves that kind of detailed presentation, and it would also help those not that familiar with his history better understand his importance and accurately gauge his stylistic evolution. But those are minor quibbles, mostly things that only concern the music hardcore. The most important thing is that Toda una vida presents tremendous classic Cuban music, and spotlights a wonderful artist doing songs that most people living outside Cuba’s borders have never been privileged to hear. 03/17/06 >> go there
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