I Recommend...

avestin wrote: The Saturday routine - a day dedicated to a certain subject. Two weeks ago it was Italian symphonic day, last week a VDGG day. And today.... South American day. Not much credit is given in this site to the music from this part of the world. I hate to refer to it as South American because there is much diversity there and to treat it as one sort of music is humiliating, offensive and disrespectful. But I think in order to get attention to that I think I can allow myself to categorize it as one. I apologize to all those offended. I would appreciate it if Cesar Inca, Atkingani, ivan_2068 and also Chamberry and Anael. I know Mexico and Puerto Rico is not South America, but you have proven your knowledge here, and I am sure you have many things to contribute. would join us here and give us their recomm's, since I myself am not well versed in this field of prog. Recommended stuff by country: Argentina: AGNUS (already recommende that one if you remember) AMAGRAMA (that one as well) BUBU (excellent release they have. A must) ESPIRITU MIA SUPERNOVA CRUCIS (excellent) MÁQUINA DE HACER PÁJAROS, LA   Brazil: ALPHA III ANGRA BACAMARTE (Depois do Fim is an essential album) TERÇO, O MUTANTES, OS CASA DAS MAQUINAS MINDFLOW RECORDANDO O VALE DAS MAÇÃS A BARCA DO SOL SHAAMAN   Peru: FLOR DE LOTO (very good prog folk) FRAGIL LAGHONIA (this needs reinforcements)   Chile: AKINETÓN RETARD (very good) ANGULART (relatively new band. Check out the interview wth them here in the interview section) ERGO SUM EXSIMIO JAIVAS, LOS (the classic prog folk band. Legendary status) MATRAZ SARAX ENTRANCE TRYO   Venezuela: PIG FARM ON THE MOON KRÉ ESTRUCTURA TEMPANO ODRAREG FICCION   Uruguay: TIRELLI, ARMANDO   What about Ecuador, Paraguay and Colombia? Anyone knows bands from there? Please, take time to explore these. I promise a very rewarding experience. I won't bother you with my playlist of the day, it consists much of what is mentioned above. Good day / night to PA forum members.

 

Love South American Prog!! Good list, but you really need an update!!!

ARGENTINA

NEXUS - classic symphonic prog. Beautiful female vocals.

CHANETON - good Neo Prog band

BRAZIL

APOCALYPSE - Excellent Neo Prog band

PERU

SUPAY - Only listened a couple of samples, but what I've heard sounds great!! I'm waiting to get their album . Prog Folk

CHILE

AISLES - The Yearning a wonderful symphonic album

EOS (EndOfSilence)- If you like Rush, you may like this band.

JAIME ROSAS CUARTETO - The best SA band (IMPO) Superb Symphonic Prog.

SETI - Very interesting Symphonic Project. A must.

BARROQUEJON - Concerning the Quest, the Bearer and the Ring. A Nice mix of Prog Metal/Medieval and Symphonic. Based on Tolkien's LOTR. GORGEOUS!!!

Many more, I'll post them later. oncerning the Quest, the Bearer and the Ring
Concerning the Quest, the Bearer and the Ring

 

 

 

 

Not a recomm, just thoughts...

I've been thinking about the concept of originality a lot lately, due to bands like Wobbler and because of chats and comments by forum members such as DallasBryan. And he has a very good point. Much of the music (I refer to prog, because it is quite obvious for all the rest) is often more than reminiscent of other previously released music. The influence is noticeable in many groups (say, Anglagard). In some, it is like a clone (say Citizen Cain). The thing that matters is that even if you are influenced by some other group, you still manage to put your touches and your personality in it. Anglagard does that quite successfully IMO. Citizen Cain does not. That is not to say that the music in Somewhere but yesterday is not good. It is in fact, very good if you judge it by musical standards without bringing in the originality issue. But some of us have critical minds that cannot bare lack of originality. You need to put something into it that is your own, to twist the prime musical reference and put your mark on your music. Not to make it better, but to make it yours. So, should we judge albums by virtue of originality as well? It is done here everyday on PA when people constantly refer to Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Camel, Gentle Giant etc as the old masters. Their time refered to as the golden age. The music refered to as very original and never heard before. Their originality is one of the reasons they are still treasured and adored by even young prog fans to this day (there are more reasons, obviously). So we can not turn a blind eye on lack of imagination and originality. It is too a criterion by which music should be measured. Only, it is not the most important. I will still enjoy Citizen Cain and Sinkadus and other bands that bare a striking resemblance in sound to other bands. But, I will always appreciate the pioneers for their vision and talents.

I have not addressed this issue enough in previous recomm's. I wont focus on it from now as well, but I will comment about it when appropriate.

Another thing related to this, is I was thinking that all the prog we know and especially here on PA, we tend to classify it to genres and not to geographical locations. Even though we have had great threads of Spanish, Belgian, French, US, Italian, Russian and Japanese prog, the categorizations we made were based on the usual classification - symphonic, RIO, jazz-rock etc. Only when it comes to Folk does the geographical start to play a part. Geography is not always a sound determining factor in band's music. And sometimes it is.

Enough for now.

 

sorry about the uppity comment, guess I have been lopping heads of late. continue, my bad.

no offense, but upon close inspection I find Solaris in the same category with other eastern block bands from the same period, ie- Omega and Tako, following the trend of mid 70's Eela Craig from Austria, encompassing many styles and catchy as a whole. But with the time frame being early to mid 80's, I find their sound on the CHEEZY SIDE. Others may not have this opionion but I think by the 80's the really progressive sound was more mature.

Just my view on the progression of music.

Edited by DallasBryan

Thanks to our Collaborators for sharing their knowledge. I hope to see you here often. I still hope Cesar will contribute a post (I PMed him).

Anyway, after the 80's threads started up by DallasBryan I started going over 80's releases and there is actually very good stuff from that era, that is really excellent prog and not Neo-prog as is usually thought of when thinking about this era.

There is the excellent must have album Anabelas by BUBU (don't remember if I recommended it. If not, Get it. I can compare it to Ys by IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO, another essential album).

But what I really wanted to mention here is the album Marsbéli Krónikák (Martian Chronicles)  by Hungarians SOLARIS from 1984, based on the book The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, if I am not mistaken.

This a dynamic album but the music is not complex. There are three dominant instruments sharing the fromt stage - a flute, electric guitar and heavy synth. while the flute give the album its more elegant side the synth give it a bombastic element aided by the guitar. The msuci is most of the time relentless and always on the move keeping the listener in this Martian world till the end of the album.  

Well worth checking out, as well as other fine 80's prog releases.

http://www.solarismusic.com/

Really I know very little of African Prog, except for OSIBISA's first three studio albums and the double Live one which are all outstanding.

There was another band called The Africa 70 with Ginger Baker who played with Fella Ransome Kutti a Nigerian musician who was very close to Prog  before joining Baker, but they were more oriented towards Funk or Afro Beat.

There's also the Afro Celt Sound System (appeared in Peter Gabriel's WOMAD) who blend Celtic music with African Rhythms, but it's not exclusively African and not really Prog.

Jean Luc Ponty played the album Tchokola with excellent African Musicians, even when the album was one of his weakest, because he never really blended both genres.

Peter Gabriel has played with outstanding African musicians as Jean Claude Naimro (Afro Caribbean), Papa Wemba, Reddy Mela Amissi, Styno Mubi and Matadi with African roots

Honestly it's hard to find an African Prog band, even when I remember reading something about a band from Pretoria, but I don't know if it's formed by British decendants or really African black musicians.

But try the first two OSIBISA albums, I'm sure you will enjoy them.

Iván

Now that we're talking about Prog in other countries I want to comment that just added OSIBISA, the Ghanian band formed by musicians of this African country and Central America.

The people who know their late career may feel strange, but I ask to listen this trilogy (Specially the first two):

	1971	4.00 (1 ratings)	OSIBISA	Studio Album
	1971	not rated	Woyaya	Studio Album
	1972	not rated	Heads	Studio Album

 

OSIBISA the debut album is simply outstanding, they blend Psyche/Proto Prog/Jazz/Raggae/Afro Folk and many other styles to create something absolutely special.

I know we must not buy an album because of it's cover, but due to the fact that Roger Dean is always very careful with who does he work with is also a reccomendation for the self titled rlelease and the even better Woyaya.

Heads the third album is a bit more oriented towards mainstream, but it's still worth to listen.

Iván

Thanks avestin, Iván etc. for all the recommendations about South American prog...  I must admit, I know next to nothing about this side of prog ...

I thought I'd recommend something as well for a change.

This artist isn't even in the archives, but that's probably due to the fact that he only made one "true" prog album.

Jukka Tolonen - Tolonen!



Jukka Tolonen is probably best known for being the guitarist in Tasavallan Presidentti (one of the most famous Finnish prog bands), but he did release many brilliant solo records as well. Tolonen! was his first solo album, and it is certainly his best effort, recorded back in 1971 when the man was only 19-years old!!! He is joined by absolutely the best rock musicians in Finland, bandmate Pekka Pöyry, and almost all of the guys from Wigwam (Jukka Gustavson, Pekka Pohjola, Ronnie Österberg).

The music presented here is an amazing blend of instrumental prog-rock and jazz .... His style is not really comparable to other artists IMO. Of course, on some level it could be compared to his band TP, especially their Lambertland album (without the vocals), but Tolonen's approach to music is rather unique. The first track Elements - Earth, Fire, Water, Air shows all the different aspects that made him so great: Highly energetic guitar playing (but no showing-off), beautiful wind instruments, classically inspired piano playing etc. Brilliant stuff! A must for anyone into jazz-rock, and it's probably one of my top 10 ... (from any genre!)

His second solo album Summer Games (1973) was already quite different, still very good, but much more jazz-oriented (and highly acoustic), with influences from Indian classical music. Tolonen also did his share of somewhat mediocre blues-rock releases during his career later on, but that's another story!

I'll try to recommend something that is not from Finland next time...

^^^

Thank you very much, Ivan.

I will definitely look for these recommendations.

The Saturday routine - a day dedicated to a certain subject.

Two weeks ago it was Italian symphonic day, last week a VDGG day.

And today....

South American day.

Not much credit is given in this site to the music from this part of the world. I hate to refer to it as South American because there is much diversity there and to treat it as one sort of music is humiliating, offensive and disrespectful. But I think in order to get attention to that I think I can allow myself to categorize it as one. I apologize to all those offended.

I would appreciate it if Cesar Inca, Atkingani, ivan_2068 and also Chamberry and Anael. I know Mexico and Puerto Rico is not South America, but you have proven your knowledge here, and I am sure you have many things to contribute. would join us here and give us their recomm's, since I myself am not well versed in this field of prog.

Recommended stuff by country:

Argentina:

AGNUS (already recommende that one if you remember)

AMAGRAMA (that one as well)

BUBU (excellent release they have. A must)

ESPIRITU

MIA

SUPERNOVA

CRUCIS (excellent)

MÁQUINA DE HACER PÁJAROS, LA

 

Brazil:

ALPHA III

ANGRA

BACAMARTE (Depois do Fim is an essential album)

TERÇO, O

MUTANTES, OS

CASA DAS MAQUINAS

MINDFLOW

RECORDANDO O VALE DAS MAÇÃS

A BARCA DO SOL

SHAAMAN

 

Peru:

FLOR DE LOTO (very good prog folk)

FRAGIL

LAGHONIA

(this needs reinforcements)

 

Chile:

AKINETÓN RETARD (very good)

ANGULART (relatively new band. Check out the interview wth them here in the interview section)

ERGO SUM

EXSIMIO

JAIVAS, LOS (the classic prog folk band. Legendary status)

MATRAZ

SARAX

ENTRANCE

TRYO

 

Venezuela:

PIG FARM ON THE MOON

KRÉ

ESTRUCTURA

TEMPANO

ODRAREG

FICCION

 

Uruguay:

TIRELLI, ARMANDO

 

What about Ecuador, Paraguay and Colombia? Anyone knows bands from there?

Please, take time to explore these. I promise a very rewarding experience.

I won't bother you with my playlist of the day, it consists much of what is mentioned above.

Good day / night to PA forum members.