Best General
Amalia Rodrigues is the unchallenged queen of fado--the Portuguese equivalent of flamenco or blues--and one of the greatest singers on record.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I recently discovered Fado after seeing Misia sing Lagrima on a DVD recorded in Leipsig. So I Googled Misia and found out about a whole genre of "pop" music which I had never heard of before. In my search, I found that one name stood out above all the others. With an open mind and complete ignorance, I played this over several. times. There were two familiar tunes: Lisboa Antiga and Coimbra, pop tunes from the 50's and 60's. They beat - thump, thump, thump, thump - like a human heartbeat. The response in my core is the same listening to Amalia's Gaivota as Maria's Suicidio."
"Amalia is the acknowledged queen of Fado."
"Love it."
"I am very pleased with the purchase, I recommend the seller."
"Not only that her incredible voice and interpretation style made her the "Queen of Fado" for decades, but I find the music that she sings to be one of the most passionate in the world."
"Still I thought I liked Mariza's voice better with that deeper and huskier and at times playful voice."
"Amalia, brought music to the millions."
"My absolute favorite collection of Amalia."
Feel the nocturnal rhythms of hot Brazilian nights in the rhythmic musical experience featuring Latin guitar.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is a good addition to other Latin American music that I have in my CD collection."
"I love the fact that it carries you away to a walk on a beach duing sunset in an enchanted land."
"Amazing quality recording, with the entire CD all through listening was fabulous..."
"Enjoyable music, well played, not overly "Brazilian", but, enough to display the good feel of the Brazilian vibe."
"My husband and I both loved this album - great background music and wonderful end of the day gear down experience."
"Beautiful music that makes me want to dance."
"Jack Jezzro and his friends do a wonderful cd."
"I am delighted with this cd."
The label may not set the world-music crowd on fire with its regular releases, but this series, aimed at kids but translating up, sizzles. Latin Playground 's party gets started with a wind-you-up traditional Cuban number ( Omara Portuondo 's "Guantanamera") and from there traverses North, South, and Central America, making stops in Mexico City, Colombia, the American Tejano region, Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico. There are sample wacko lyrics ("The day will come when I will leave you / Because you smell like the armadillo," from Lila Downs 's "Hanal Weech"), unexpected instrumentation (accordions punch up the polka flavoring of Flaco Jiminez 's conjunto, "De Bolon Pin Pon"), and not a whiff of what's expected from the latest slice off a music education program--even the informative, engaging liner notes are gentle gatekeepers to a land of rhythms everybody wants to get into and get down with.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"So, the Hawaiian CD when we went to Hawaii when she was 5 months old, the Cowboy CD when we headed west to California (wish there were a beachy, California coast CD!). At 18 months old, our child can now dance and even beat a toy drum to the rhythm of the music, and there's no better music to beat a drum to than Latin music!"
"This is a very pleasant album."
"Was just ok. A couple of the songs are good, Cielito Lindo especially, but seeing as it's marketed towards children I was hoping for something more sing-aling to play in the car for my bilingual kids."
"Okay, when I put this in my computer, all the song titles changed, but all the songs are the same (weird)."
"I love the Putumayo series of children's music."
"Enjoyed listening to the album."
"My husband is Latin and he loves when we play this for our 2 year old son."
"Great music, excellent songs, my kids love them and I do, too."
Best Tango
Argentine tango meets folk meets improv!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As advertised."
"NO Review ,just good music."
"Groove, orchestration, timbres, cross rhythms, wonderful lyrics, variety of arrangements and instrument pairings, space and resonance, improvisational magic -- it's all here."
"First I must mention the excellent recording and production, any audiophile will like it simply for that."
"If you can't say something nice: I'd call it a good album to fall asleep to, with some of the most superbly recorded silence I've ever heard and truly virtuoso echo work."
Best Flamenco
Each artist exhibits a unique approach from dynamic and upbeat to quiet but intense. Having witnessed the rise of Tango Nuevo, the refurbishing of Argentina's best-known native music by bandoneon maestro Astor Piazzolla , listeners might muse a bit that "New Flamenco" is an odd renovation to the Spanish guitar music's storied traditions. Instead, Ottmar Liebert , Strunz & Farah , Oscar Lopez , Luis Villegas, and eight more artists examine on Guitar Greats how Flamenco shakes the hand of pan-Ethnic music, New Age ambience, and--of course--virtuoso guitar playing.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I use this CD for massage therapy, or for just driving around sometimes."
"Really nice CD, purchased after hearing only parts in a store and being very impressed with it."
"Good listening and a great variety of players."
"Soothing music to do whatever you need doing."
Best Rock en Español
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Some compare them to Iron Maiden, I just hate comparisons and simply go with how it feels and sounds."
"muy buen heavy metal de esta banda espanola, las liricas son en espanol y la musica es verdadero heavy metal con un toque de power metal,si eres fanatico de iron maiden esto te gustara!"
"Tierra Santa es una exelente banda de metal española... Y para ello todos los albums son de lo mejor. Recomiendo este grupo para los metaleros de la decada de los 80's y de Maiden con riffs de Judas Priest & Helloween."
Best Latin Pop
Bandmates Joey Burns and John Convertino have their hands in so many musical pies--including projects with OP8, Giant Sand, Victoria Williams, Giant Sand, and Richard Buckner--one wonders how they find the time to create the sun-soaked music of Calexico.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Love their musical style."
"I was watching the movie Committed on Netflix starring Heather Graham, and was really digging the soundtrack thinking that I wanted to listen to the kind of music I was hearing that makes me want to take a sexy road trip."
"CD is good quality but the jewel case was cracked."
"great fast shipping, awesome item, better than described, would buy from again!"
"excellent sonic sounds from back in the day!"
"I really like the Mariachi El Bronx sound and found this to be compatible, but sympatico."
Best Salsa & Merengue
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Muy Bueno CD por la familia."
"Muy buena produccion del Gallo salsero como es de esperar."
"TITO ROJAS IS BRINGING TO THE WORLD "TRUE" PUERTO RICAN SALSA MUSIC WITH LOTS OF STYLE."
"Con este disco Tito Rojas triunfo con el exito "Por Mujeres Como Tu"."
"Este album esta buenismo uno de sus mejores incluyendo a Perseverancia... Comprenlo y te encantara!"