Search - Mercedes Sosa :: Gracias a la Vida

Beautiful music

cp | 04/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had never heard of this CD when a friend gave it to me four years ago. I don't speak a word of Spanish, but I listened to it non-stop. One ugly day, I lost the CD and I was devastated because I couldn't find it anywhere. When I eventually found it, after forgetting about it for a couple of years, I put it on and it still is magnificent music. She sings so powerfully and so movingly. Buy this!"

A music for the ages, a music for life

Manny Hernandez | Bay Area, CA | 11/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A twist of fate would fill in the void that was left in the musical world and in the collective spirit of the Argentinian people, when a bare couple of weeks after the accidental death of tango's greatest, Carlos Gardel, Mercedes Sosa was born to bring joy and hope to the Argentinian people and the world at large.There is not a soul on this planet (with a heart) who will not feel touched when listening to Mercedes Sosa. In particular, this compilation ("Thanks to Life") of works sung by "La Negra" will come in as a drop of healing water in these times of conflict. There is not a single song in this album that is not incredible, but "Corazon de Estudiante" (Heart of a Student), the title track (in a bresthtaking and heartfelt live rendition), "Yo Vengo a Ofrecer Mi Corazon" (from Argentina's rock maestro, Fito Paze), "Maria Maria" (translation from the Brazillian classic by Milton Nascimento) and "La Maza" (from the Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodriguez) stand out as the best songs in this, one of her compilations which can be counted by the dozen these days.Too unfortunate that the album is out of stock: my best advice to you is to grab a used copy when/if you are lucky to find one."

An Authentic Voice of the Americas

Louis Alemayehu | Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN USA | 01/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My passions are jazz, blues, salsa, flamenco, East Indian and other world musics. My Spanish is lousy, but I love this womans voice and consider her one of the major artist and activist of the 20th Century. The power of her performances don't make understanding Spanish a prerequisite for enjoying Mercedes Sosa's artistry. She sings to the heart. If you do understand Spanish, all the better. You then get to indulge in the poetic tradition of Latin America via Milton Nascimento and Silvio Rodriguez among others. What's not to like?



I understand that there were times in her Argentine homeland when she sang on stages not knowing if she would shot for singing her truth and passion. Sometime it takes courage to sing.



Mercedes Sosa has selected such wonderful songs and the musicianship is of such high a quality that it all works at the highest level possible. If you are a lover of music, it would be hard not to completely enjoy this CD. Gracias a la Vida! THIS is the America I love!!!"