Slick and Commercial Yet Hugely Entertaining
Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 12/04/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In the last twenty years a huge number of Nouveau Flamenco musicians have appeared on the scene to vie for the public's ear. Some, like Strunz and Farah and Ottmar Liebert have managed to remain innovative enough to attract continuing interest, others have just come and gone. Roni Benise is one of those who was not an instant success but who has slowly and steadily built a fan base to the point where now he appears poised for international stardom.
My introduction to the music of Benise came via the strong recommendation of a Southern California friend who had seen him play a number of times on the streets of Disneyland. At first, his CDs were available only at shows and through his website but now you can obviously buy them on amazon.
If you look over the Benise catalogue, you will quickly notice that most of his CDs have a theme. There's surely no guessing as to what the theme of Cuba is. By now, I have heard most Benise CDs and enjoy them quite a bit. Though they are slickly arranged, formulaic, and very commercial, Benise and his musicians play with such elan that they are also hugely entertaining. The issue of Cuba marks the perfection of the Benise formula which is calculated to give maximum aural pleasure for your music dollar.
Though you may cringe at the unimaginative and sometimes downright corny song titles, you will thrill to the actual music. Every song is a winner. Cuba can be broken down into three types of songs: Those with a stereotypically Cuban sound, those reminiscent of some of the less frenetic work of Strunz and Farah, and those which evoke other Latin themes. Unsurprisingly, Salsa Salsa, Dos Mojitos, Cuba Libre, and Rhumba Rhumba are in the first group. Havana Cafe, 60 Tacos, Romanza, and Spanish Eyes (not THAT one)are those that evoke Strunz and Farah, while the remainder of the songs can be filed as otherly-inspired. Of that group Senorita is a real standout.
That California friend who introduced me to Benise made the observation that the audiences at his shows have been fairly evenly divided between men and women. That indicates wide cross-gender appeal that you will notice the first time you play Cuba through. If you like nouveau flamenco and haven't yet heard Benise you are in for a treat when you get this.
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Fabulous new release by Benise
UCLAProf | Los Angeles CA USA | 08/27/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I received my CD of Benise's Cuba 2 days ago and haven't stopped listening to it since. It's simply fabulous music - the kind I haven't heard in a long time. It contains a wonderful overview of all of Cuba's rich music sounds in the form of Benise's own unique compositions/arrangements. This is the third Benise CD I've purchased and although I love the other two, I'd say this is his best. The variety of music is tremendous and every track is enjoyable. If you love great guitar music, this is the CD for you."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1