FEATURED ALBUM: Mezquita - Recuerdos De Mi Tierra

[moecurlythanu]

They’re named for the fruit (Spanish for pomegranate), as illustrated rather suggestively on the cover to Valle del Pas.

Learned something else now! I never knew the artwork was connected to the band name. That Fonomusic CD, while legit, is very spartan, with no liner notes.

[GentleFriend]

^ You need to listen to Granada. Some of the earliest CDs that I bought, way back in the day, and still some of my favorites from Espana. Instrumental Andaluz Prog-Rock, and quite sublime.

Granada made 3 completely different albums. One of them is Andalucian induced, alright, the others are not. (They were not from Andalucia as their name would suggest.) At any rate, good suggestion.

[Trane]

I'm not sure I own this album anymore.

Always felt that this belonged in that we’re-Spanish-so-we-gotta-toss-in-some-Flamenco-licks school of prog that hasn’t aged particularly well.

Agreed, but I think that most '70s progressive rock sounds dated, in the sense that the instrumentation can be time-stamped to a certain time/era.

I like the album. I don't think it's one of the greats or anything, but I'd give it a solid B+. I play it from time to time.

I kind of agree about not having aged well, though it could be that I'm not very receptive to it now, because I don't understand how I wrote my rather good review some 10 years ago. I can't help but feeling a bit embarrassed by the more overt symphonic and flamenco influences on the album.

I'll give it another shot end of the week, to see if it's just a temporary thing or not.

^ While true at heart, I think it has stood up rather well because that wave was such a period piece and passing fad. Unlike several other Spaniards of the day and age, I mean. One of the better 'Flamenco-rock' records, IMHO.

mmm!!!... it depends about which current of Spanish prog we're talking about.
Personally I think the Basque folk-prog has aged relatively well. The Italian-style symphonic prog (like Crac) have done alight as well, but Triana-type flamenco rock have always had a bit of an embarrassing issue with me.

Precisely the flamenco flourishes are what make it special. Mesquita was part of the so called Rockandaluz movement that was ignited by Triana when they hit it big with their flamenco-rock fusion stylings.If I remember correctly, Triana even sold more than 300,000 copies of one of their first LPs, and then a whole wave of bands tried to follow in their steps. And the flamenco stylings are not limited to the guitar... it includes a particular way of anguished singing, exemplified by the great Jesús de la Rosa (Triana) and, yes, Rafa García (Mesquita). Other leading bands were Ibio, Granada, and singer Miguel Rios.

In post-Franco Spain, regionalism - which for years had been suppressed - came back with a fury in the mid to late 70s. And progressive rock was but one of many different art forms to be affected by this passion in a positive way. Mezquita were from Corboda, right in the heart of Andalusia. It's a place I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days in while backpacking through southern Spain in 1996. It's a part of the world that is electric - alive in color, taste, and sound.

Recuerdos de mi Tierra is one of the best examples we have from this time and place. It takes the blueprint laid out by Triana, and accelerates it forward, while adding large doses of complexity. A complexity that is found in Flamenco music in general. There are speedy guitar runs, acoustic interludes, synthesizer explosions, and dramatic Arabian voices. Mezquita have perfectly captured the realization that progressive rock has a place in this mysterious world, that of southern Spain. This is a type of music that has sadly gone extinct, almost before it begun. By the 1980s, Spain was anxious to be part of a general Europe, and this too was reflected in the music. Likewise, Mezquita's followup effort was just a mere shadow of its predecessor, an album that could have been from anywhere. But we still have Recuerdos de mi Tierra, an album that has stood the test of time well. Along with Triana's El Patio, and Medina Azahara's debut, Mezquita's album represents the third piece of the triumvirate of masterpieces of Rock Andaluz.

today's listen gave me an impression of needless virtuosity in a lot of passages.

I love many facets of Spanish culture (not just the women, food and cinema), but cannot stand the usual dominant clichés like Flamenco & castanets, Paella and Corrida

[GentleFriend]

This is true of course, and to the point, but I believe that this Andaluz Rock phenomenon is also a special case. In my humble opinion, the local influences have not been fully integrated into the western rock tradition, and at times they sound foreign or alien in this particular context. My remark goes for Triana and Mezquita, which are the only bands of the genre that I have listened so far. I get mixed feelings by both these bands - the immense talent is obvious in both cases, there are brillant parts etc -, yet I consider that the flamenco element is somehow rubbed in our faces, particularly with the gypsy vocals -which makes the whole thing a bit embarassing.

In the end it is all a matter of taste. To my ears the Flamenco vocals are wonderfully integrated with their Progressive Rock style (or vice-versa). As for emotion, few singers could match that deep connection of Jesus de La Rosa Luque (Triana) singing or even Pepe Roca (from Alameda). They are not gypsy, and they don't try to rub their Folk origins in your face. It is just the arabic-tinged air that they breath. It is not very different from the Scandinavian bucholic Prog of Kebnekajse or Samlas - before they turned into RIO - phenomena. (... or Kostas Tournas ...)

For gypsy you would have Cameron de La Isla for instance. I don't recommend.

Maybe for you Iman Califato Independiente or Guadalquivir would work better as a starter for the unparallel flamenco-prog bliss journey?

There is a discussion going on on Mexican prog music, and I didn't hear any Mariachi sections on any of the bands mentioned, the local Mexican colour is very strong and obvious, but it is incorporated into the music in a far more subtle way. The same goes for the great rock bands and musicians from Argentina.
Anyway, maybe I am getting a bit grumpy here. All I am trying to say is that these bands haven't won my whole-hearted love, and this is the reason for it.

Argentina and Mexico (along with Quebec) are the most European countries of the Americas. And although they certainly have their deep cultural roots, many of them were integrated with Spanish and Italian and other European immigrants.

[FredOCal]

This is one of my favorites from Spain. I feel that some of the keyboard sounds are dated, but that's part of its charm for me at this point. There was a point when I was a kid in the early 80's that I loved those sounds anyway. I'm not astute enough to recognize the sloppy playing that has been mentioned; I just find it to be a wonderful blend of prog with local influences. One of the reasons why, after almost 30 years, I still love "prog" is the way that bands from other countries took the idea and fused rock with their influences, as opposed to staying the symphonic, European realm.

[Zappathustra]

@GentleFriend: I equated as a figure of speech flamenco and gypsy - I am clueless about whether they were gypsies or not (but I'll take your word for it).

Of course it is a matter of taste. To my ears it sounds somewhat extraneous (is that the right word???). There are parts where the Mezquita guy sings less overtly Spanish-like and I think it suits the music better. The example of Samla and Logarides I would use in favor of my argument. There the traditional influence is very well integrated, in my opinion.

But the naivete of the whole endeavour actually wins the day. I like it - yes, the charm of it - although it gets on my nerves at times ☺

But I prefer Iman Califato as you rightly guessed. We were discussing them recently in another thread here.

[yoyiceu]

I still like Triana as the first and best of all Rockandaluz bands, as well as the most popular and inspiration to what came next. The flamenco influence mostly comes from having a flamenco guitarrist playing on most of their songs, although there's ´plenty of rock guitar as well, and Jesus de la Rosa's voice, keyboard playing -with lots of organ and moog- and poetic and romantic songs produced a very original sound.
As for Argentinian rock, the thing I find most compelling is that the so called Rock Nacional has a very recognizable style, specially in the way of singing, that is very Argentinian in that it typifies Argentinian rock, although it doesn't mine traditional Argentinian music (the tango or whatever).
That said, there were exceptions like Arco Iris, who were trying to integrate andean rhythms into their music in the same way, say, that Santana integrated salsa and latin music in general to their rock centered sound.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Samlas - before they turned into RIO - phenomena.

They never "[...] turned into RIO - phenomena" but were invited and tempted on artistic and social acquaintance. And the band's most overt "RIO" productions - Schlagerns Mystik, Familjesprickor and Zamlaranamma - also happen to be the titles where their complete integration of Swedish folk tone is absolutely most prominent.

What PE needs is certainly another voice of no awareness as to what the hell "RIO" actually implied.

[GentleFriend]

They never "[...] turned into RIO - phenomena" but were invited and tempted on artistic and social acquaintance. And the band's most overt "RIO" productions - Schlagerns Mystik, Familjesprickor and Zamlaranamma - also happen to be the titles where their complete integration of Swedish folk tone is absolutely most prominent.

What PE needs is certainly another voice of no awareness as to what the hell "RIO" actually implied.

What PE doesn't certainly need is misquotation.

[Scrotum Scissor]

What PE doesn't certainly need is misquotation.

Well, I'm afraid that was simply another semi-sarcastic, internally cocky and wholly deliberate trait on my part, for which I'm entirely sorry. And I absolutely agree that PE most severely doesn't need such obtuse naughtiness.

Now please explain how Samla "turned into RIO".

[GentleFriend]

@GentleFriend: I equated as a figure of speech flamenco and gypsy - I am clueless about whether they were gypsies or not (but I'll take your word for it).

Of course it is a matter of taste. To my ears it sounds somewhat extraneous (is that the right word???). There are parts where the Mezquita guy sings less overtly Spanish-like and I think it suits the music better. The example of Samla and Logarides I would use in favor of my argument. There the traditional influence is very well integrated, in my opinion.

But the naivete of the whole endeavour actually wins the day. I like it - yes, the charm of it - although it gets on my nerves at times ☺

But I prefer Iman Califato as you rightly guessed. We were discussing them recently in another thread here.

Fair enough

Do you enjoy any other South Spanish acts? Or Andaluzian related rock/jazz/prog ala Sabicas & Joe Beck's Rock Encounter or Al diMeola's Elegant Gypsy?

[Zappathustra]

Fair enough

Do you enjoy any other South Spanish acts? Or Andaluzian related rock/jazz/prog ala Sabicas & Joe Beck's Rock Encounter or Al diMeola's Elegant Gypsy?

I am not very familiar with most of it - but there are many good suggestions here (Medina Azahara sounds very interesting, I like the heavy sound of it).

I think my encounter with Triana some years ago (which is highly esteemed by people whose opinions I trust) put some ice in my relation to the scene.

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ This is a nice thread from the past: http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...hlight=Spanish

[simon moon]

I have this CD, bought it from Greg, when he lived close by and I used to go to his garage and listen to stuff before I bought.

I guess it's been a while since I pulled it out, but I'm sure I liked it...lol

I used to go to Greg's every couple of weeks!

I miss those days...

As far as this album goes, I love the the Flamenco influences.


What does not quite hold up for me, is the compositions are a little one dimensional. Makes one wonder what a bit maturity could have done for these guys on follow up recordings...

[moecurlythanu]

^ There is a 2nd album, which is not too expensive. I haven't heard it, though.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

I have the 2nd album... not really the same style... more straight Rock with little Andaluz flair

I'll post one of the "good" tunes if I get the chance

[GentleFriend]

It isn't bad per se, just don't expect to be on par with their Recuerdos masterpiece.

Here's a nice one. The title track is also great.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

that's the best tune on the album