Roberto Lopez

Retrouvez les grands standards de la musique sud-américaine interprétés par Roberto Alagna, enregistrés dans le cadre exceptionnel de l’Opéra Royal de Versailles. Une extraordinaire promenade dans le boléro cubain, la ranchera mexicaine et le tango argentin et pas question de dénaturer ces chansons auxquelles il est très attaché car « ces chansons ont toujours fait partie de ma vie ». En préservant l’authenticité de ces morceaux, notamment grâce à des arrangements qualifiés d’ethniques » par Yvan Cassar, mais sans hésiter à secouer des standards comme « La Cumparsita », Roberto Alagna explore ce répertoire avec lequel il a une proximité instinctive.

Sicilian-French tenor Roberto Alagna continues with his bid for superstardom, an effort that has involved performing crossover material in quantities comparable to some of his illustrious tenor ancestors. Among his strong points here, in addition to a really compelling high C that he doesn't just throw around, is that he tends to find really unusual popular material to replace the Neapolitan songs that were musical common coin in Caruso's day, or even the big pop ballads that worked in Domingo's.

Move over Valdes's and Rubalcaba's. There's a new royal family of Cuban musicians in the works. Here's a stunning Latin jazz release by Cuban pianist extraordinaire Harold Lopez-Nussa, nephew of acclaimed pianist Ernan Lopez-Nussa. Lopez-Nussa performs material from Jobim, Miguel Matamoros, Pablo Milanes, Santiago Felu, Cesar Portillo, Silvio Rodriguez, Cervantes and others. With Ruy Adrian Lopez-Nussa (a brother), Nestor G. Del Prado Fernandez, Yandy Martinez Gonzalez, guests Ernan Lopez-Nussa, Yaroldy Abreu and many others.

Ernán López-Nussa has emerged as a giant of Jazz in Cuba, and if it were not for the limited production runs and distribution of his recordings outside of the country along with limited tour opportunities in countries like the U.S., I could probably have placed a period after the word Jazz. He is recording constantly and has a rather massive collection of awards in Cuba to show for it. He does, however, follow his own path, which constantly defies North American expectations of what "Cuban Jazz" should look and sound like. For example, you will rarely encounter traditional Afro Cuban percussion instruments in his recordings. One only needs to listen to a few bars to realize that his drummers function perfectly well without those, but I once had the experience of listening to a potential booking agent ask why there was not a conga drummer in the group..

ABUC is the 8th album by Roberto Fonseca hes released under his own name and the first to appear on the Impulse! label. Teeming with rascally rhythms and burly brass and woven from allusions, souvenirs and contrasts, ABUC is a kaleidoscope of dancing colors with which Roberto tells a story: the great and rich story of Cuban music, from yesterday to today.

Pianist Roberto Fonseca's Zamazu contains quite a bit of variety. From Afro-Cuban jazz and a piece that is closer to Indian music, to Omara Portunodo's passionate vocal on "Mil Congojas," originals that sound like tangos and sambas from the 1930s, and orchestral numbers, there is much to savor throughout this continually colorful set. Fonseca can play with great intensity (sometimes hinting at McCoy Tyner) but is at his best caressing lyrical and traditional-sounding melodies. Recorded in Cuba and Brazil, this colorful set leans more towards Cuban than Brazilian music, with Fonseca being quite impressive as both a pianist and a composer. Highly recommended.