Reveling in the richly textured tapestry of Mediterranean culture, Athens to Andalucia is a welcome addition to Putumayo's Odyssey series, bringing a healthy smorgasbord of music--"the quintessential world traveler"--to th... more »e hungry listener. As the liner notes reveal, this compilation, gathering some of the most outstanding sounds from Spain, France, Italy, and Greece barely scratches the surface of what Mediterranean flavor has to offer. Yet the varied and distinct influences of wandering Gypsy, Arab, and Jew all make their presence known along with traditional folk elements of Celtic, Spanish, and Eastern European descent. Particularly bewitching is Barrio Chino's "Saudade," a remarkably exotic synergy of sweet melody, spicy Afro-Cuban drumming, aggressively sensual Gypsy rumba guitar, and wobbly accordion, all of which conjures up images of the dance of the snake charmer and the organ grinder with a barrel full of monkeys tossed in for good measure. --Paige La Grone« less
Reveling in the richly textured tapestry of Mediterranean culture, Athens to Andalucia is a welcome addition to Putumayo's Odyssey series, bringing a healthy smorgasbord of music--"the quintessential world traveler"--to the hungry listener. As the liner notes reveal, this compilation, gathering some of the most outstanding sounds from Spain, France, Italy, and Greece barely scratches the surface of what Mediterranean flavor has to offer. Yet the varied and distinct influences of wandering Gypsy, Arab, and Jew all make their presence known along with traditional folk elements of Celtic, Spanish, and Eastern European descent. Particularly bewitching is Barrio Chino's "Saudade," a remarkably exotic synergy of sweet melody, spicy Afro-Cuban drumming, aggressively sensual Gypsy rumba guitar, and wobbly accordion, all of which conjures up images of the dance of the snake charmer and the organ grinder with a barrel full of monkeys tossed in for good measure. --Paige La Grone
"If the Meditarranean Sea or any of its countries ever captured your imagiantion: you will love this CD. It contains many selections of top musical artists in countries which border on the Mediterranean. The whole CD has creative, talented musicians and singers who stretch their art to limits of traditional sounds - much of it is modern but the roots of tradition, be it ancient instruments, rhythms, or snatches of melodies, are true to the country of origin. My favorite is Greek: this CD is the first on which I heard George Dalaras and Glykeria, platinum and gold sellers in Greece. I would not select Italian, French, or Spanish music on my own but on this CD I love it!!! The blend of sounds from one track to the next builds into a crescendo of eversecence that must be heard to be appreciated. Truly a masterpiece - Putamayo knows how to do it right! Erika Borsos (erikab93)"
Wonderful
Dieatacheako idise | Nigeria | 12/25/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Another superb fusion album from the Putumayo Series. The sound is very modern but not to pop-y or folkys. It a wonderful blend of old world craft with a updated twist that has not rendered any of the songs chosen as bland. I particularly liked the Greek and Italian music but if your expecting Nana Mouskouri to a techno beat think again."
Another gem from Putumayo
aurileo | New York, NY | 05/26/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
""A Mediterranean Odyssey" was the second Putumayo CD I bought - the first was "Africa" - and this one's another great compilation. Generally the grooves here are not the harder drum grooves featured on "Africa" - they are lighter, folkier grooves, but they're just as inviting, conjuring up visions and sounds of the Mediterranean - guitar, accordion and high-pitched ethnic percussion are prominently featured instruments throughout. Again, there is not a single bad track here - each song has its own unique charms. Tracks 5, 6, and 7, by Barrio Chino, Lo' Jo and Novalia respectively, are my favorites and form the groove centerpiece of the CD - these three are all really beautiful and imaginative musical outings. They are sandwiched in between two lovely quieter songs sung by Spain's Maria Salgado and Italy's Lucilla Galeazzi, both of whom possess stunning voices, particularly Galeazzi. Miguel Gil's opening track is irresistibly danceable, and the songs by Spain's Luis Delgado and Sardinia's Calic show an intriguing Arabic influence. The last three tracks, all by Greek artists, are also superb. You can't go wrong with this CD - it will transport you!"
Another awesome collection by Putumayo
Dieatacheako idise | 05/06/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Putumayo is really the premier world music CD producer. This album ranks up there as one of their best with tons of Spanish and Greek music to help you tune absolutely everything else out!"