Cantora 1

by Mercedes Sosa

Overview

Cantora is Mercedes Sosa's first album for Sony, and it is clear the company pulled out all the stops in the conception and promotion of this ambitious project, a two-part album featuring 35 duets with a list of guests that reads like a who's-who of contemporary Latin American music. A world music diva of the stature of Edith Piaf, Mina, or Amalia Rodrigues, Mercedes Sosa has always been revered by her colleagues, and considered a mandatory source of musical -- if not often ideological, as well -- inspiration for all Latin American singers. Thus, it is hardly surprising that Cantora, Vol. 1, released in March 2009, can boast of a lineup of artists such as Caetano Veloso, Joan Manuel Serrat, Jorge Drexler, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Shakira, Julieta Venegas, Gustavo Santaolalla, Nacha Roldan, and Leon Gieco, among many others. As with all projects of this kind, however, not every collaboration works on the same level. In this respect, highlights are probably up to the listener, according to how much he/she rates the guest in turn -- it is hard to imagine longtime Sosa admirers caring much for her duets with young Latin pop stars, but fans of the latter may find their numbers a real treat. It would be inaccurate to blame the album's hiccups on the recording company's obvious design for maximum crossover, since Sosa has always shown a keen interest in trying different genres, as well as in fostering the work of new composers. Nevertheless, it is also true that she never sounds as comfortable as when she takes on her true province, Argentine folklore music. Contrary to the quintessential Sosa recordings, Cantora is a fairly subdued affair, with most songs whispered against unobtrusive yet tasteful acoustic arrangements by Poppi Spatocco. This is probably due to an effort to find a common ground between singers of very different registers. It certainly works very well, as it creates an encompassing sonic texture that helps to render the entire album less dissimilar than it may have been. Mercedes Sosa died in October 2009 after a long illness, and the effects of her illness are already in evidence in this project, as she is unable to sing at the peak of her otherworldly powers. Needless to say, she remains a class interpreter throughout the entire album, happy in the company of her obviously thrilled friends, admirers, and proteges, gathered throughout the course of an extraordinary lifetime. All together, they make Cantora into the moving farewell that it was probably conceived to be. Both Cantora volumes are also available together as a double-CD/DVD edition, with videos from the recording sessions~ Mariano Prunes

Product Details

Release Date:	02/24/2017
Label:	Imports
UPC:	0886975149117
Rank:	78286

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mercedes Sosa   Primary Artist
Charly Garcia   Primary Artist
Joan Manuel Serrat   Primary Artist
Joaquin Sabina   Primary Artist
Franco De Vita   Primary Artist
Fito Paez   Primary Artist
Vicentico   Primary Artist
Leopoldo Federico   Primary Artist,Bandoneon
Jorge Drexler   Primary Artist,Letra
Maria Grana   Primary Artist
Diego Torres   Primary Artist
Lila Downs   Primary Artist
Liliana Herrero   Primary Artist
Luis Alberto Spinetta   Primary Artist,Letra
Gustavo Cordera   Primary Artist
Gustavo Cerati   Primary Artist
Caetano Veloso   Primary Artist,Letra
Shakira   Primary Artist
Julieta Venegas   Primary Artist,Letra
Rene Perez   Primary Artist
Daniela Mercury   Primary Artist
Facundo Ramirez   Primary Artist,Piano
Soledad Pastorutti   Primary Artist
Alfredo Zitarrosa   Letra
Teresa Parodi   Letra
Pedro Aznar   Vocals
Silvio Rodriguez   Letra
Victor Jara   Letra
Victor Heredia   Letra
Facundo Guevara   Percussion
Miguel Abuelo   Letra
Gustavo Santaolalla   Charango
Paz Martinez   Letra
Damien Bolotin   Violin
Nicolas Ledesma   Piano
Atahualpa Yupanqui   Letra
Damian Bolotin   Violin
Grace Medina   Violin
Pablo Sangiorgio   Violin
Rolando Goldman   Charango
Poppi Spatocco   Piano,Musical Director
Ruben Lobo   Bateria,Percussion
Marcelo Chiodi   Quena,Sikus
Julio Fontana   Letra
Carlos Genoni   Bass,Bajo Sexto
Sergio Fresco   Viola,Violin
Daniel Falasca   Double Bass
Sebastian Prusak   Viola,Violin
Jorge Bergero   Cello,Chelo
Elizabeth Ridolfi   Viola
Jorge Giuliano   Guitar
Javier Portero   Viola
Popi Spatocco   Piano
Miguel Angel Bertero   Violin
Aramndo Tejada Gomez   Letra
Felix Peroni   Viola
Gustavo Mule   Violin
Horacio Sanguineti   Letra
Jose Araujo   Cello
Kristine Bara   Viola
Nicolas Rossi   Cello
Nicolas Tabbush   Violin
Raul "Tilin" Orozco   Letra
Raul Di Renzo   Violin
Serdar Geldymuradov   Violin
Yuiko Asaba   Violin

Technical Credits

Alfredo Zitarrosa   Composer
Teresa Parodi   Composer
Pedro Aznar   Coros,Composer,Vocal Arrangement
Silvio Rodriguez   Composer
Chico Buarque   Composer
Charly Garcia   Composer
Joan Manuel Serrat   Composer
Joaquin Sabina   Composer
Franco De Vita   Composer
Victor Jara   Composer
Fito Paez   Composer
Victor Heredia   Composer
Violeta Parra   Composer
Leo Garcia   Recording
Jorge Drexler   Composer
Ruben Blades   Composer
Luis Alberto Spinetta   Composer
Miguel Abuelo   Composer
Daniel Toro   Composer
Silvo Rodriguez   Composer
Cachorro Lopez   Composer
Gustavo Cerati   Composer
Afo Verde   Art Direction,Artistic Director
Caetano Veloso   Composer
Dave Darlington   Recording
Alfredo Matheus   Recording
Paz Martinez   Composer
Leon Gieco   Composer
Julieta Venegas   Composer
Paul Cohen   Producer
Rene Perez   Composer,Improvisation
Atahualpa Yupanqui   Composer
Gustavo Celis   Recording
Fabian Matus   Executive Producer
Ariel Lavigna   Mastering
Armando Tejada Gomez   Composer
Juan Quintero   Arreglos
Poppi Spatocco   Arranger,Producer,Direction
Julio Fontana   Composer
Tito Francia   Composer
Jose Dames   Composer
Rafa Vila   Art Direction,Artistic Director
Luis Gurevich   Composer
Popi Spatocco   Arranger,Direction
Alejandro Ros   Graphic Design
Matias Cella   Recording
Aramndo Tejada Gomez   Composer
Horacio Sanguineti   Composer
Raul "Tilin" Orozco   Composer
Angel Ritro   Composer