Casa De La Trova
LikeBuena Vista Social Club,Casa de la Trovais redolent of a bygone Cuba from the '20s. The early styles of thetrovadores(troubadours), mixing inspiration as diverse as street peasant songs and 19th-century Spanish and French classical styles (here in the light orchestrations of several tracks), have produced many beautiful songs still remembered to this day. On this CD they are presented by some of the original practitioners, from 50 to 97 years old, who searched their notebooks for melodic scraps and self-composed tunes, piecing together an unabashedly nostalgic and romantic re-creation of their glory days, their vigor and playfulness undiminished. These 14 cuts comprise a document unlike any other on Cuban music.--Derek Rath