Interactive Poll # 6 - Latin America!

My top 3 in order of appearance. I couldn’t really distinguish a first, second, and third:

Exuma – Exuma, the Obeah Man: This was great. I enjoyed the native feel of it with the earthy vocals. A contender.

Metá Metá – Logun: I am really liking this band. I added as much as I could from Amazon onto my cloud. From last week’s instrumental track to this week’s with vocals. The layers and textures really draw me in.  The horns and effects on this track give it a cinematic feel.

Lula Côrtes & Zé Ramalho - Trilha De Sumé: This song weaved in and out and wrapped around me. I like the distinct elements that came up over the backing rhythms. The tribal sounds and deep in the jungle exploration groove worked for me. Also, preferred the whole side with the concluding flute part.

The rest:

Francesco Guccini – Scirocco: I liked this. It was one that ‘grew’ on me after a repeated listen as it’s not my personal style. Stuck with me more than the Guccini track that was posted in an earlier poll.

Djavan (w/ Manhattan Transfer) – Capim: Nice track but just a bit too laid back for me.

Inti Illumani – A La Caza del Ñandù: Nice. An early contender. I like the mix of the wind and string instruments.

Tribe of Gypsies – Admit It: Solid rock tune. Felt a little ‘slick’.

Carlos Reyes – Niko’s Rumba: This was fun. You can see the joy and enthusiasm in Reyes’s performance.

Kronos Quartet and Astor Piazzola – Five Tango Sensations: Anxiety: my selection

Hauser Orkater – Dichtgervroren Vijver. I let this run long and got the feeling that this is a part that is best experienced in the context of the whole album. Will try to give the whole album a listen later.

Working Week – Venceremos: Cool jazzy feel. I went to look for this off Amazon and they didn’t have the album track. Instead, I came across the Jazz Dance 12” version with vocals by Tracey Thorn (Everything But the Girl) and Robert Wyatt, which I really liked, maybe more than the album version.

Stan Getz and Jao Gilberto – O Grande Amor: Peaceful. Suits this Sunday morning as I type this, but didn’t make it up to my contenders.

Chicoria Sánchez – Tonada por Despedida: Liked this and the great playing. Didn’t make my top 3 but worthy listen.

Alexandre Klinke – Lugar: I like the rhythms and the guitar lines. Kind of trance-inducing. This I like but not quite to make the top 3.

Rodrigo y Gabriela – Hanuman: Fun video and they are definitely rockers in disguise of two acoustic guitars.  Good track but didn’t make my top 3.

Doug Sahm – Mendocino: I have heard Doug Sahm (and Sir Douglas Quintet) but never really listened before. I like this and would have it on my road trip playlist.

And bonus vids:

As I mentioned, I liked the 12” of the Working Week track:

Also, I realized (forgotten) that I have a few third wave ska albums that I got back in 90’s. Usual bands that had hits such as No Doubt, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Sublime. Since ska didn’t get represented this time, I have one from the Pietasters.

Edited by mathman0806 - June 28 2020 at 06:04

jamesbaldwin wrote: 10) Working Week. Very relaxing song. On the beach, with a drink in hand, and a girl to approach... or maybe in a disco at night, a disco on the beach. It recalls Sade to me. Relaxed and relaxing song, easy listening, pleasent. But too smooth for my taste.

the chosen three

Oh, thank you, Lorenzo.  I kind of have a liking of unusual instruments, now I just learned a new one!  

Edited by Snicolette - June 27 2020 at 18:32

Lula Cortes & Ze Ramalho - Trilha De Sume ends very abruptly. I suppose it is because it crossfades into another song on the album it is taken from?

Third step

Edited by jamesbaldwin - June 27 2020 at 17:30

Well, just think, if it was in PA's database, then his name wouldn't have been appropriate for this poll. Silver linings, man.   Sometimes it's down to the music, or the individuals and teams evaluating it, sometimes it's down to poorly made suggestion threads, sometimes neglected suggestion threads, and sometimes it's because no one suggested it. A well put together suggestion thread can go a long way. I don't recall his evaluation, sort of seem to, so no comment on any specifics.

Edited by Logan - June 27 2020 at 15:27

[UPDATE: Heard Lewian's out-of-competition 'Contrabajissimo' and wow..  now that I think of it..  seems that I kept with the 'Piazzolla' concept I had many years ago..  pre- internet/youtube/streaming...  even I think I knew him mainly for some scores for guitar..  great great error..  totally captivated by that piece!  EDIT: Kronos Quartet as well keeps growing].

[UPDATE: did one more run.. I find it musically correct, good, creative also.. sounds great, superb saxes, but I don't know, somehow I can't seem to 'grab' it from any side.. for me is a bit hard the brazilian singing in any other contexts that aren't the usuals.. maybe if it were a bit darker… or jazzier.. or had some progressive instrumental passages in between…  I know, it wouldn't be in the poll    ..in short, that kind of fusion I like when progressive or jazz...  but…  still growing…  it is addictive. EDIT: Now I like it].

[UPDATE:  This one also grew!   it must be the one that grew most..  I couldn't listen it through until the 4th or 5th try..  what a fun trip..  and the finale got me laughing hysterically..  No, I was wrong..  really a superb entry!  this is the good thing of this poll being on PA!]

Edited by Machinemessiah - June 30 2020 at 22:19

micky wrote: TCat wrote: Good idea Mick.  Let me see if I understand it correctly.  Everyone put in their choice that is in contention and an "alternative" choice.  If enough people like the alternative choice, then it gets placed in contention and then the voting starts the next day.  Is that right?  or handful.. or none..  no rules per se.  The main change I would do is not filling the poll options immediately. No early votes and if someone either changes their mind or senses via feedback that people really like one over the other..or simply think of another.. they put that one out to be their poll option. might stimulate even more discovery, feedback and discussion..  not just over the actual choices.. but potential choices and I think that could be pretty bitchin' considering how good everyone's tastes generally are.   If a blond redhead and brunette all think you are cute.. go Micky style.. don't choose one..  take all 3   then vote

Okay, first listen:

Francesco Guccini - Scirocco: I like this and as I have quite an Italian collection it makes me think I should have been thinking of music from Italy (maybe some spaghetti western music). Neat to see that Vince Tempera plays on it, as I am a fan of his. He's been involved in so much great music.

Djavan (w/The Manhattan Transfer) - Capim: I enjoyed this. I like a lot of laid back music, but I guess the consistent cheerfulness makes it seem rather superficial/ vacuous to me. Life is suffering, get with the program! With more contrast and variation, it would have been more appealing. Bouncy in its way, but I would like a little more cojones, bouncy or not, but meaty.

Inti Illimani - A La Caza del Nandù: I definitely like it, but right now I am looking for the cojones.

Tribe of Gypsies - Admit It: Remids me a bit too much of boy band music. Slick, not really for me. Gimme something a little more edgy, unique, and maybe raunchy. Well, I don't know what the song is about.

Carlos Reyes - Niko's Rumba. I know him, if not that tune, but it just seems too safe and mainstream for me right now. Enjoyable, but not what I'm into today.

Kronos Quartet & APiazzolla - Five Tango Sensations: Anxiety: A bit of anxiety sounds like just what I need. I do already love lots of Kronos Quartet Music.
I want to be put on edge right now. I do like that very much, and that is a contender.

Exuma - Exuma, the Obeah Man: Now this is one I've known very well for a decade or so. I have Exuma's first two albums and have listened to them many times over the years. While It would definitely be a contender, due to my very abundant familiarity I may end up discounting it in my voting.

I'll stop there for now, and continue this later.

By the way, I hadn't known that instrumentals would be included as "songs". Perhaps to avoid confusion, when both instrumentals and one with vocals (songs) are included, we might ask for tracks/pieces of music or some such terms. I know some use the word "song" in a more general way than others.

EDIT: Now continuing with the selections:

Hauser Orkater - Dichtgevroren Vijver (1979): Dutch, now that's thinking out of the box and into the Dutch Oven. I really liked this and it will be a strong contender.

Meta Meta - Logun: Yes, yes, yes! I am quite confident that this will be my winner. I loved that. It's everything I was hoping for du jour and more. Gets a clappy and a bold stamp of approval from me. It's gettin' spicy.

Working Week - Vinceremos: Very much in my wheelhouse, and reminiscent of music I've been very into the last few months. I like it. It's a contender. It almost feels a little too familiar to me and a little safe per my tastes,and that it safely falls into what I have been into. Still, different enough.

Stan Getz and Jao Gilberto - O Grande Amor: I really like and it sounds very familiar to me. I know Stan Getz. Much as I enjoy it, it might be just a little safe for me right now. Hoping for something really surrealistic, or even horrific, right now.

Chicoria Sánchez - Tonada por Despedida: I love that guitar. Feel stupid not to have realised that songs could refer to pieces without singing, but now I see that people define it differently from me. Again, I love the guitar and fully enjoyed that. It's a contender.

Alexandre Klinke - Lugar: That failymotion vid wasn't working for me, but is easily found on youtube. I really liked this and it is a contender. It is different enough from the other choices to stand out. On the negative side, he now lives in Vancouver and I feel that no one should live in Vancouver (well, me and my family get a pass). Nice city, beautiful scenery, but it could do without the people. ;) Just kidding, the restaurants and pubs would be less fun if I had to serve myself.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Hanuman. Good stuff, but I don't like them mocking Gary Numan with the title, as in Ha-Ha Numan, may the Tubeway Army blow up your Cars. Good piece, but I have little to say as is evident. They look every metal in performance style in the video. All part of the set and fun of the video.

Doug Sahm - Medocino: Nice to hear some Tex-Mex. A contender for the sheer fun of it.

Lula Côrtes & Zé Ramalho - Trilha De Sumé - my selection, so no comment and out of my contention, of course.

Hope I didn't miss any. Wll need another spin at least to decide based on these, and not sure if more are going to be added. I;m confident that Meta Meta will be there, and probably the Kronos Quartet. Exuma would be if I didn't know it so well already.

By the way, there's another track I thought of when I saw this poll, but I wondered if it fit enough at the time. Confident it would have. Not changing it, but I forgot that I had been planning to go with this one. I found this so beautiful. I'm happy to have gone with something more unusual though.



Edited by Logan - June 27 2020 at 16:02