[.ca] Nuevo

From Amazon.co.uk:
To say that the Kronos Quartet's Nuevo is the ensemble's most adventurous outing to date is hardly an understatement. This diverse collection of Mexican compositions and traditional tunes brims with an unpredictable energy and a dazzling array of Latin American guest performers, and, yes, Kronos keeps up throughout. A cocktail pop tune from Esquivel is covered; there's a chamber arrangement of Revueltas' sprawling orchestral work Sensemaya, and Nortec Collective member Plankton Man remixes Kronos's interpretation of "El Sinaloense" into a sizzling dance music track which closes the disc. The playing is spirited, to say the least (check out "El Llorar", with guest vocalists Alejandro Flores and Efren Vargas). But this is foremost a party record. A bevy of reverb effects and instrumentation (including a squeaky musical leaf solo on "Perfidia") ensures that things stay unpredictable.Production work by Rock en Espanol producer Gustavo Santaolalla infuses this disc with an edgy modernism. The bulk of these compositions have been arranged by composer Osvaldo Golijov, who seemingly brings a manic energy and playfulness to everything he touches. Chamber music purists may scoff, but the rest of us will be busy dancing and thrilling to this exciting, genre-blurring Kronos project.--Jason Verlinde

f-u-n .:
this is a great album to listen to on a hot summer day at the beach,or any sunny activity in general.I must admit that I do enjoy the darker side of kronos' music more,but one truly can't help but grin when on the third or fourth track the music pauses for a sudden "yelp"!yes,it may sound a bit goofy and the more stern folks are certain to frown upon such playfulness in the "sophistocated"world of classical music,but this is a good thing.as another reviewer stated,the music really isn't very complex but that should be no obstacle for any kronos-loving individual.oh,yes-if you have children be prepared for them to go absolutly BONKERS when you play this!(finally veggietales can be given a rest!)

Mexican music performed by Kronos Quartet ??:
I had to listen to it ! Well, first I must say that it is very rewarding to find such a talented international ensemble to interpret our music. Some of the tracks are really outstanding. Particularly 12/12 and the Chavosuite. But, in the other hand, the purposely out of tune interpretation of El Sinaloense is deceiving (do our Mariachis sound so terrible ?) and the solo wistle in "Perfida" really destroyed the sesibility and charm of this melody. I mean, why on earth did't they play it with a violin instead ? For the rest, it is a very original album, and it shurely reflects the impression that causes our culture. The inclusion of live sounds in a marketplace and of the "carretonero" buying old shoes and clothes, makes a specially beautiful ambiance. It is also an album with a very humorous approach. (Some of the tracks sound like if they had been arranged by P.D.Q. Bach !) Get it if you are looking for something original and different, but please buy something else if you really want to know what mexican music is.

Jarring (And Not In A Good Way):
I hate to be a contrarian, as most of the reviews of this album have been so positive. However, I have to say that I was quite disappointed in this album. I love new music, and don't mind modern interpretations, but this album is a true cacophony. Some of the selections are actually physically difficult to listen to, reminding me of nails running across a blackboard.

Excelente!...:
This is a remarkable job, I highly recommend all the people to listen this CD. for me the very best songs in this cd are: El sinaloense, cuatro milpas (a song from the mexican revolution era),el llorar and sensemaya (a masterpiece by Silvestre Revueltas). but the rest songs of the CD are very good too.

Crowd Pleasing Contemporary "String" Music:
This is the Kronos Quartet, but it is NOT the difficult, arty-experimental-edge music that they often do. The reviewer below who said this is a jarring CD was absolutely without a doubt mistaken about which CD he was reviewing. This is by far the most accesible Kronos CD yet, with every track sweet to the ears. It is a fanciful record of music from and inspired by Mexico. And the composers do a great job of evoking the spirit of Mexico, with traditional rhythms, instruments, harmonies, and so on. Some of these tracks toy with the stereotypical elements of mariachi or chickenscratch. Most of the songs are built on festive melodies, but a few tracks are more abstract and free form, one of which is a beautiful pastiche of recordings from around a Mexican cafe. I put "String" in quotes because there is never a point where it sounds like just a bare string quartet; their instruments are always amplified, sometimes pedal distorted, and often joined by other instrumentalists, vocalists, and samples. You can tell they just had a ton of fun making this recording - there's a buoyant feeling throughout. This is a deligtful album with broad appeal and easily one of the best of 2002.

• El Sinaloense
• Se Me Hizo Facil
• Mini Skirt
• El Llorar
• Perfidia
• Sensemaya
• K'in Sventa Ch'ul Me'tik Kwadulupe ("Festival for the Holy Mother of Guadalupe")
• Tabu
• Cuatro Milpas ("Four Cornfields")
• Chavosuite
• Plasmaht
• Nacho Verduzco
• 12/12
• El Sinaloense (Dance Mix)