Title: Música latina fácil (for 4 guitars)
Subtitle: 1. Danza Maya 2. Bossa do Brasil 3. Cuna Cubana 4. Tango Argentino
First published: 2005
Description: MÚSICA LATINA FÁCIL for 4 guitars
by Annette Kruisbrink
It's a curiosity of language that the title in English - Easy Latin Music - is back to front, because this really is “Music” foremost, “Latin” next, and “Easy” last.
And putting the music first is just the right thing to capture the attention of beginners.
Danza Maya has some gloriously simple arpeggios on top of which fits a chant-like theme in bare intervals, with imitation in Guitar Three.
Bossa Do Brasil has a tricky accompaniment rhythm, but once mastered a smoochy set of easy seventh and sixth chords slides out from the fingers. Easy harmonies and a straight rhythm from the other guitars conceal one more rhythmic trick - some simple octaves that interlock with the bossa bass really effectively.
Cuna Cubana has some chunky little chords and a tango-like vamp that support a simple tune that encourages the novice to nip up the neck here and there for one or two extra notes. It is nice to see chord names on the page, to help the novice integrate their chord work from theoretical and practical perspectives.
Tango Argentina is all together more gutsy, with simple strummed chords and plenty of fire in the form of punchy accented notes and minor runs, or rather, major runs in a minor key. And this is a fitting finale to a charming little suite, which ends as confidently and as elegantly as it began.
The parts are devoid of page turns, though one guitar part is, as a result, just a little tiny bit dense on the page. Although there are no performance indications, it's selfevident where the phrases are and easy to change volume or tone at each new phrase. For this stage in a guitarist's education, it's good to have a suite where the learner can be invited to help decide the performance details.
Beginners will love it - it's straightforward to play but it has massive audience appeal and there's a lot of musical effect wrung out of a modest number of notes.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)
LC classification: M