ALTURAS DE MACHU PICCHU

I own both the film that was made in the slopes, stones, and ruins of Machu Picchu for this music as well as the album and love both. The 1970s costuming is a bit dated (and slightly embarrassing), but the rock blend of classical and Andean folk musical traditions that these men pulled together to accompany the words of revered poet Pablo Neruda is ingenious not to mention brave and courageous. Each of the musicians is quite adept at their instruments (including singing!) though there are a few awkward moments where the transition and blending of electronic rock instruments with Spanish or Andean folk instruments (which are, obviously, acoustic) take some adjusting for we, the listener. The music, I'm sure, would have far more impact on me if Spanish were a language I command, but even without, this is it is highly engaging and often quite emotional. I love the pacing of the album's first two songs--slow, methodical, building both mood and power. Some of the melodies are foreign and a bit grating to my own sensibilities (like the opening to the third song, "Amor Americano"), but I can accept, appreciate, and respect them for the regional and ethnic traditions that they represent. Also, the sound engineering could have been better in places but it serves. All in all, I cannot argue that this is in fact a masterpiece of progressive rock music--a shining example of one of the highest achievements of what our artistic genre can accomplish. is the seventh release of these Chilean Prog Folk masters but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest of their output for two reasons: 1) it is a concept album based around the poems that Pablo Naruda did of the same name, and 2) a movie version of the album was filmed on site among the ruins of the ancient Incan capitol city of Macchu Picchu. The film gives the music a much fuller impact. Check it out if you can, it's breathtaking for the scenery (if a bit comical for the period clothing and hair styles).

LOS JAIVAS is exceptional for the extraodinarily effective way in which they were able to blend traditional Andean and Hispanic folk instrumentation with the European and electrical rock instruments and effects--and Alturas de Macchu Picchu is a brilliant representation of this fact. Pan flutes, ceramic pipes and flutes, big mountain drums and horns mixed into the same weave with piano, electric bass, synthesizers, expanded drum kit and acoustic and electric guitars--with neither backing off to the other, each holding their own in the mix, in the weave--it's amazing to hear! The first fourteen minutes of the studio album--consisting of 1. "Del aire al aire" (2:14) (10/10) and 2. "La poderosa del muerta" (11:08) (10/10) are absolutely flawless. It is only with the festive drinking song, 3. "Amor americana" (5:26) that the choice of song styling gets a little out of my comfort zone (though many native Latin Americans would probably love and appreciate it). (7/10)

Luckily, the music gets back on track with the gorgeous multi-instrument weave of 4. "Aguila sideral" (5:19) in which bass and piano are as important as native flutes and voices. (10/10)

5. "Antigua America" (5:37) opens with a kind of multi-instrumental Native American Jethro Tull riff before solo flute and solo classical grand piano preparing us for the build and blend into the powerfully paced and dynamic themes of the body. I can't help but hear a kind of Asian influence in the melody--I don't know if this is intentional as representational of the anthropologic evidence of the arrival of Native American population from Asia via the former Bering Straits land bridge or not, but it could be. (9/10)

6. "Sube a nacer conmigo hermano" (4:47) brings us back into the realm of local, traditional Latin/Andean musical styles and rhythms. Very dynamic with the choral call-and-response sections that seems so pervasive in Latin American musical traditions. I would like to mention here how pianist Claudio Parra shines throughout this album. He is extraordinary. (8/10)

7. "Final" (2:33) is a gentle weave of multiple voices singing over a sea of ever shifting chords of rapid piano arpeggi. (9/10)

Total time 37:04

4.5 stars; B+. Though not quite the equal of the video movie presentation, this music does stand on its own quite well. This is definitely a masterpiece of progressive folk rock music.

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