A Mediterranean Odyssey: Athens To Andalucia

Amazon.com
Reveling in the richly textured tapestry of Mediterranean culture, Athens to Andalucia is a welcome addition to Putumayo's Odyssey series, bringing a healthy smorgasbord of music--"the quintessential world traveler"--to the hungry listener. As the liner notes reveal, this compilation, gathering some of the most outstanding sounds from Spain, France, Italy, and Greece barely scratches the surface of what Mediterranean flavor has to offer. Yet the varied and distinct influences of wandering Gypsy, Arab, and Jew all make their presence known along with traditional folk elements of Celtic, Spanish, and Eastern European descent. Particularly bewitching is Barrio Chino's "Saudade," a remarkably exotic synergy of sweet melody, spicy Afro-Cuban drumming, aggressively sensual Gypsy rumba guitar, and wobbly accordion, all of which conjures up images of the dance of the snake charmer and the organ grinder with a barrel full of monkeys tossed in for good measure. --Paige La Grone

A Mediterranean Odyssey: Athens To Andalucia,Various Artists,Putumayo World Music,Int'l & World Music,Mediterranean,Pop,World Beat Collections,World Music

Average customer rating: An odyssey around the Mediterranean Get Over Yourselves, already! Americans Need Geogrophy 101 I agree with D. Kastin's three star review.... What does Putumayo have against Portugal?

A Mediterranean Odyssey: Athens To Andalucia Glykeria , and George Dalaras Manufacturer: Putumayo World Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Compilations | International | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music International | Putumayo World Music Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Putumayo Presents Greece: A Musical Odyssey Cairo to Casablanca Gypsy Caravan Music From the Tea Lands Music from the Coffee Lands ASIN: B00000IAIC Release Date: 1999-04-06

Tracks:

1. Desesperado - Miguel Gil
2. Que Son - Tekameli
3. Bebiendo Al Alba - Luis Delgado
4. Solo Por Miedo - Maria Salgado
5. Saudade - Barrio Chino
6. Duende - Lo' Jo
7. Ebla - Novalia
8. Sogna Fiore Mio - Il Trillo
9. Un Poeta - Calic
10. Miazis Me Fotia - Anemos
11. Pare Me Apopse Pare Me - Glykeria
12. Pame Gi Allou - George Dalaras

Amazon.com

Reveling in the richly textured tapestry of Mediterranean culture, Athens to Andalucia is a welcome addition to Putumayo's Odyssey series, bringing a healthy smorgasbord of music--"the quintessential world traveler"--to the hungry listener. As the liner notes reveal, this compilation, gathering some of the most outstanding sounds from Spain, France, Italy, and Greece barely scratches the surface of what Mediterranean flavor has to offer. Yet the varied and distinct influences of wandering Gypsy, Arab, and Jew all make their presence known along with traditional folk elements of Celtic, Spanish, and Eastern European descent. Particularly bewitching is Barrio Chino's "Saudade," a remarkably exotic synergy of sweet melody, spicy Afro-Cuban drumming, aggressively sensual Gypsy rumba guitar, and wobbly accordion, all of which conjures up images of the dance of the snake charmer and the organ grinder with a barrel full of monkeys tossed in for good measure. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

An odyssey around the Mediterranean.......2006-06-12

I first listened to this CD in college--and I've been taken ever since.My particularly favorite tracks are the Greek ones.I've always had a soft spot for Greece.

Lo'Jo's song "Duende" (which is missing from recent imprints of this disk for some reason)introduced me to this talented French group.Thanks to this CD,I now have 4 Lo'Jo disks,one of which is a live album(!)

This Putumayo album shows its talent in introducing people to new artists.
Best tracks-
Anemos-they're compared to Enya in the liner notes.They have a wonderfully serene track.
Glykeria-A beautiful Greek love song.
Lo'Jo-A ratatouille of reggae,gypsy,chanson&North African music.They're fabulously hard to define.

Get Over Yourselves, already!.......2006-05-30

D. Kastinovich has lived in Portugal and certainly knows what ocean washes its coastline, the snide comments of an earlier reviewer about Americans being ignorant of geography not withstanding. I urge people to buy this cd. It provides a good, solid range of songs, as do most of Putumayo's compilations. The problem is Putumayo's inability or unwillingness to recognize Portugal, and A Mediterranean Odyssey was as close to Portugal as a review could get in order to show this gaping lapse in Putumayo's output. Sure, this cd is good, that's why Kastinovich gave it four stars, and why I do the same. But Putumayo, while putting out Euro this and Latin that, Afro Portuguese and Brazilian, Celtic and World Lounge, has continued to slight the music of Continental Portuguese, the Azores and Madeira, thus depriving listeners out there who chances are are unfamiliar with this music. Though Putumayo gets tantalizingly close, as with this cd, it still neglects an entire country. This music deserves to be heard. Putumayo offers no explanation for this lapse, stating in phone calls and emails that it has released Portuguese music: the Afro-Portuguese, Brazilian, and Cape Verdean. However, there is a country alongside Spain and it is called Portugal, and its music is beautiful and very distinct. So, Putumayo, do the right thing and introduce the music of Pedro Barroso, Jose Medeiros, Brigada Victor Jara, Jose Afonso, Dulce Pontes, Katia Guerreiro & Cristina Branco and many others to the world.

Americans Need Geogrophy 101.......2006-03-29

Portugal does not share a coast on the Mediterranean. Christ all mighty yankees, quit living up to your stereotype as being morons who are completely ignorant of basic geography.
Portugal is on the Atlantic Coast of the Iberian. It does not have a Mediterranean coastline.

I agree with D. Kastin's three star review...........2005-08-18

This cd is merely an appetizer for those who wish to discover mediterranean world music. Hopefully, this cd will propel you to buy the individual artist's recordings. Don't just stop with this cd! I agree that Cristina Branco's "Fado" style of music is missing here and the music of Portugal should not be overlooked in a world music compilation. I discovered Calic and Madredeus and a host of wonderful world music artists from the site cdroots.com. I would recommend any person desiring to discover world music, to stop by this site. Amazon doesn't carry a lot of the artists that you will find on this site. So, buy this cd to get a taste of the mediterranean, but by all means continue to explore and enjoy the vast array!

What does Putumayo have against Portugal?.......2005-07-28

Good cd. Great songs, great musicians. Putumayo, however, needs to discover Portugal, which, by the way, does share a coast on the Mediterranean, along with Spain, Italy, Greece, and the other countries listed. There are many Portuguese musicians who deserve to be heard world-round: Dulce Pontes, Pedro Barroso, Mariza, Jose Medeiros, Katia Guerreiro, Madredeus, Fausto, Cristina Branco, Luis Represas, Ne Ladeiras.

How about a cd of strictly Portuguese musicians, from Portugal, as opposed to Brazil, or Cape Verde?

Rock Music:

1. Africa
2. An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba/The Magic of Makeba
3. Anam
4. Antologia
5. At the Edge
6. Avant Que l'Ombre [Import]
7. Bailemos Tango!: A Century of Tango on the Dance Floor
8. Beat At Cinecitta (Italian Film Score Anthology) [Soundtrack]
9. Beatles in Bossa Nova
10. Beginner's Guide to Bollywood [Import]

Rock Music

rock music

Recommended Music:

Mega Italie [Box set] [Import]

Western Movie Themes

Time Well Wasted

Gary Stewart - Greatest Hits

Vatel (2001 Film) [Soundtrack]

Un Brasileño en Madrid: Flamenco Fusion

Who's Greatest Hits [Import]

Violent Femmes

Words Can't Go There

Vesperas De Nossa Senhora

Variety Orchestra

Ululani

We Can Do Whatever

Classical Music classical-music-08

Love Songs