MANDUKA + LOS JAIVAS: LOS SUEÑOS DE AMÉRICA

Manduka was a Young brazilian composer, his style was acoustic, heavily inspired in Brazilian folklore and lightly influenced by the latest currents of the bossa nova, all this with a strong social message, which made necessary to him to flee from his country after the dictatorship established in brazil in 1970, Then, in Chile, he made some important works, including his first album: Manduka (1972) in which collaborated, among others artists, the brothers Gabriel and Eduardo Parra from Los Jaivas, later, after the coup d''tat in Chile in 1973, again he was forced to flee, this time to Argentina. In 1974 with the jaivas makes this album: "Los sueños de America".

The Album follows the same structure of the original version of "Todos Juntos" (La ventana) album, his A side contains formal compositions, and his B side has improvisations. The first song "Don juan de la suerte", althought not prog, is a good Brazilian folk song, full of warm; just guitar and poetry by Manduka, just with light accompaining of piano and güira (metalic scratch percussion).

"la centinela" is another good composition in this album, not really prog but still a very beautiful and valuable folk piece.

The song: "date una vuelta en el aire", its a cueca by los jaivas, played on piano, charango and trutrucas, honestly it is not one of their best cuecas, besides lacking participation of manduka.

"Ta bom ta que ta" is the first theme in the Album when we really see the style of both artists fuzzed effectively, the singing and guitar folk of Manduka with the rich instrumentation of Los Jaivas in a melodic piece with bossa nova flavor, combining great jazzy drumming lines with piano and sweet flute, disemboguing in an good experimental rock demostration.

The second part of the Album seems like an extension of the more experimental period of Los Jaivas.

Traguito de ron, is very psicodelic becoming weird, "el Volantín" album comes to my mind listening this, but this time is not so funny, three years and two albums since that.

"Los sue'os de america" its the longest recording; about 12 minutes, tipically of los jaivas it contains a great variety of instruments, folk and rock ones, trutrucas, sweet flute, charango, tumbadoras, bongoes, rasca de metal, electric guitar, and finally piano and drums, quite boring at first, becoming more interesting later. I think that 12 minutes lenght theme might had more to offer.

The last theme, "encuentro latinoamericano de la soledad"... I really prefer to talk about another songs of Los Jaivas.

I regret to say, I feel that this album could be a masterpiece of bossa nova/experimental folk rock, however, I think that was not carried out in the best way, the first composition is very little Los Jaivas and much Manduka and "date una vuelta en el aire" is much Los Jaivas and nothing Manduka, also "date una vuelta en el aire" is in my opinion one of the least remarkable compositions in the band's career. Just with La centinela and especially in "Ta Bom Ta Que Tà" we see the real potential of the partnership Manduka-Los jaivas, I would wish that this quality would be maintained in the rest of the album, nevertheless the B side of the album contains only improvisations with some good moments, wich are not so significant as the improvisations in the side B of "La ventana" (todos juntos) album.

This Album contain some important songs for Los Jaivas career, "La centinela" would be reedited in in the album "Trilogía: el reencuentro" with the Chilean Andean folk band "Illapu". But as an album, "Los sueños de America" doesn't hold a very good quality. This album is in my opinion just for loyal fans of Los Jaivas.