Clásicos de la Provincia
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Clásicos de la Provincia is an album by Colombian singer and composer Carlos Vives, released in 1994. It is unanimously considered Carlos's breakthrough album, which propelled him to fame in Latin America. The album also did much for the vallenato genre, popularizing it both the younger generation in Colombia as well as the international audience in Europe and other parts of the world. Finally, the album paved the way for Colombian succeses Shakira and Juanes.
Track listing
- "La Gota Fria" – 3:32
- "Amor Sensible" – 4:26
- "Alicia Adorada" – 4:15
- "La Hamaca Grande" – 3:16
- "El Cantor De Fonseca" – 3:07
- "Matilde Lina" – 3:57
- "Altos Del Rosario" – 3:56
- "Honda Herida" – 3:03
- "La Canaguatera" – 3:12
- "Lirio Rojo" – 2:48
- "La Tijera" – 3:27
- "Compae Chipuco" – 3:16
- "Pedazo De Acordeon" – 4:06
- "La Celoza" – 4:12
- "Contestacion A La Brasilera - (excerpt)" – 0:49
Personnel
- Carlos Vives - Arranger, Main Performer, Direction, Vocals, Director
- Jorge Diaz Jr. - Engineer, Assistant Engineer
- Amparo Sandino - Producer, engineer, mixer, programmer
- Luis Pacheco - Conga, Tamboura, Tambourine, Guache, ?
- Bernardo Ossa - Percussion, Arranger, Associate Producer, Keyboards
- Heberth Cuadrado - Violin, Vocals
- Eduardo de Narvaez - Arranger, Engineer, Producer
- Fidel Jaramillo - Executive Producer
- Ted Kallman - Assistant Engineer, Mixing
- John Jairo Lemus - Conga
- Rafael Mejía - Art Direction
- Manuel Riveira - ?, Representation
- Ernesto "Teto" Ocampo - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Arranger
- Alfredo Rosado - Tambourine, Tamboura
- Robin Jenny - Engineer, Mastering, Mixing
- Egidio Cuadrado - Accordion, Vocals (Background), Vocals
- Antonio Arnedo - Sax (Soprano), Gaita
- Alexa Hernandez - Clasicos de la Provincia Vocals, Coros
- Anibal Rivera - Guitar (Electric)
- Luis Angel Pastor - Bass
- Eder Polo - Guacharaca
- Phil Austin - Engineer
- Michael Egizi - Piano
- Ken Latchney - Assistant Engineer, Mixing
Commentary
Before Clasicos de la Provinca (Classics of the Province), few people in Carlos's home country of Colombia would have taken the musician seriously as one of Latin America's most famous international singers. Carlos, who began his career as a soap opera star in such telenovelas as "La Conciencia de Lucía (1989)" and "LP Loca Pasión (1989)," tried his hand in a dual career as both T.V. star and romantic baladeer. While he seemed to gain domestic attention through his first few albums in the late 80's (including "Te Extrañare" from "Al Centro de la Ciudad (1989)"), his synth-pop style did little to differentiate himself from other musical artists at the time. It would take a few more years until Carlos would discover his true musical niche, an inspiration that would take Carlos out of the limelight of Bogotá , and back into his hometown roots of Santa Marta...
In 1991, when Carlos was approached to play the part of Rafael Escalona in the biographical film "Escalona (1991)", it would not only be a star-turning role for the rising actor, but the beginning of Carlos's musical breakthrough. Playing the famous musician Escalona, Carlos used his own musical talents to reinterpret Escalona's music, embedded in the traditional Colombian style of music known as vallenato. Ironically, vallenato was the same music that is prevalent in Colombia's northern coast, where Carlos was born in Santa Marta. Through two popular soundtrack albums to the telenovela "Escalona (Vols. 1 & 2)", Carlos was inspired to find his own voice by playing the same music he once grew up with. At the time , vallenato was a musical style that had slowly lost popularity with Colombia's younger generation, in favor of newer music fads. Carlos came up with task of fusing the old (vallenato)with the new (rock), a sound that would break Carlos not only in his own Colombian homeland, but the entire Latin American music market.
With Carlos's backing band, La Provincia, Carlos took a cue from his successful interpretations of Rafael Escalona, and decided to delve deeper into the famous artists of Colombia's vallenato past. The result would be Carlos's first true breakthrough hit Clasicos de la Provincia" in 1993. As the title implies, the album consists of Colombia's vallenato standards, not only popular during its time, but in a new rock style, nearly turning the songs into new compositions. For example, the album opener "La Gota Fría (The Cold Drop)", when compared to the original by Emiliano Zuleta, sounds like two distinct songs if one were not to pay attention to song lyrics.
Starting with the aforementioned opening track, the album takes the listener on a journey through such great classics from artists as Juan Pablo Valencia ("Alicia Adorada" trans. Adored Alicia) and Leandro Díaz ("Matilda Lina"). Most of the songs are embedded in the vallenato sound, so much so, the musical variations are very similar in structure. Carlos's right-hand man Egidio Cuadrado, the accordianist who nearly steals the spot light from the singer, begins the songs with a short accordian instrumental, quickly followed by the rest of La Provincia chiming in, and ending with Cuadrado's accordian playing the last few bars at nearly every song's very end (with hardly any fade outs). Fortunatley, the album contains some other musical spots that break away from the pure vallenato, such as the Egidio Cuadrado track "Pedazo De Acordeon (Piece of Accordion)" a Cartagena-influenced sound so fast, any novice dancer is better left sitting at their seat. The album also has a ballad "Altos de Rosario", a slower jazzy composition, though it is a stand out for the album's misfire. Carlos ends the album with the humorous "Contestacion A La Brasilera (Response to the Brazilian Woman)" a 1 minute short sung by Vives in acapella.
With "La Gota Fría" the reaction was tremendous. Just as Carlos would have hoped, the hit single, as well as other album cuts such as "Alicia Adorada", and "Matilde Lina" would be embraced by older generations, vallenato enthusiasts (with some mixed reactions), and younger listeners, who were transfixed by the catchy mix of percussion, accordion, and of course, rock guitar. It was nearly impossible to not hear "La Gota Fría" played every hour on Latin American radio, in not only Colombia, but American stations, all the way across to Europe. So popular is this album, both fans, and even Carlos himself (as can be noted on his website http://www.carlosvives.com), consider this now Colombian classic to be his "first" album.
Even for listeners who can't speak a lick of Spanish, the album breaks barriers on all cylinders. Just as this album holds inportance for not only reintroducing the vallenato to Colombia's youth, it became the first worldwide smash to be played in countries unfamiliar with the vallenato sound (such as Spain). With one listen, one will understand how Carlos would become Colombia's answer to their first modern superstar, paving the way for future Colombians rockers Shakira and Juanes. If one seeks not only a classic Carlos Vives album, but an album that will enrich their music collection, this album will not disappoint.