Son: Soul of a Nation

• Artist: Sierra Maestra
• Rating:
• Release Date: July 19, 2005
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Latin

Review

Son might be a bit of a catch-all name for many of the Cuban styles, but there's no doubt it's completely associated with Cuba. What Sierra Maestra offer on this album is a brief history of son, with big songs from such classic composers as Beny Moré and Arsenio Rodriguez. As is apparent from the glorious resonance of the tres on the opening "El Son No Puede Fallar," they don't try and shoehorn all the songs into a single style. They mix things up, sometimes stripping things down, sometimes utilizing the band and their guests for a '50s sound reminiscent of the globally successful Buena Vista Social Club. There's plenty of melody here, as you'd expect, played with plenty of vigor and zest -- but there's also a great deal of tenderness, the full breadth of son and its possibilities. If you want to understand what makes son so special, not only to Cubans, but to the world, Son: Soul of a Nation is an excellent place to begin. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
El Son No Puede Fallar	Eduardo Himely	Sierra Maestra	(2:49)
Al Vaivén de Mi Carreta		Sierra Maestra	(3:35)
Santa Isabel de las Lajas	Beny Moré	Sierra Maestra	(3:22)
Ausencia/Aurora/Se Fue/La Mora	Eliseo Grenet, Ernesto Lecuona, Manuel Corona	Sierra Maestra	(4:21)
Bruca Maniguá [Son Afro]		Sierra Maestra	(4:37)
A la Loma de Belén [Traditional Son]		Sierra Maestra	(3:25)
Pa' Quien un Pollito [Versión Libre]	Traditional	Sierra Maestra	(3:24)
El Paso Franco-Bardo [Guaguancó]		Sierra Maestra	(3:55)
No Hay Como Mi Son		Sierra Maestra	(3:03)
Si Me Pudieras Querer	Ignacio Villa	Sierra Maestra	(3:16)
Suavecito	Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro	Sierra Maestra	(3:03)
Olvido	Miguel Matamoros	Sierra Maestra	(2:59)
La Yuca de Casimiro (Dile a Catalina)		Sierra Maestra	(3:34)
El Son Es Para Siempre	Eduardo Himely	Sierra Maestra	(2:45)

Credits

Duncan Baker (Design Coordinator), Amado J. Dedeu (Conga), Eduardo Himely (Musical Direction), Luis Barzaga (Choir, Chorus), Eduardo Himely (Bass), Eduardo Himely (Guitar), José Antonio Rodríguez (Vocals), Eduardo Himely (Post Producer), Eduardo Himely (Song Selection), Carlos Puisseaux (Guiro), David Flower (Liner Notes), José Antonio Rodríguez (Arranger), Eduardo Himely (Musical Director), Amado J. Dedeu (Guest Appearance), Eduardo Himely (Arranger), Luis Barzaga (Group Member), Mijail Arteaga (Engineer), Luis Barzaga (Vocals), José Antonio Rodríguez (Group Member), Eduardo Himely (Group Member), Carlos Puisseaux (Group Member), Mijail Arteaga (Post Producer), Eduardo Himely (Adaptation), Eduardo Himely (Mixing)