Eco de Sombras: Echo of Shadows

Amazon.com's Best of 2000
Eco de Sombras, Peruvian diva Susana Baca's second album for the David Byrne-helmed Luaka Bop label, both lives up to the mystical implications of its title ("Echo of Shadows") and places her exquisite voice in the center of ancient-to-the-future acoustic grooves that make it an instant beyond-category classic. Watching her try to top this one will be a great pleasure for music fans! --Rickey Wright

Amazon.com
In her Spanish-language songs about love, heritage, and slavery days, Susana Baca elevates the nearly extinct Afro-Peruvian blues--its sambas, landos, and alcatraz rhythms--to high art. Like Bahia diva Virginia Rodrigues or Cape Verde morna singer Cesaria Evora, Baca is part of a new generation of international female vocalists who take an almost chamber-music approach to their respective styles. On this album, that means augmenting her usual band with such musical guests as keyboardist John Medeski (of Medeski Martin & Wood) and electric guitarist Marc Ribot (Los Cubanos Postizos), who add almost imperceptible instrumental shimmers to her band's understated yet undeniably robust (and often Cuban-flavored) grooves. Like the blues, Baca's resonant lamentations, sung in a voice reminiscent of antique bamboo, transcend sadness with deeper and subtler emotional flavors. --Richard Gehr

Tracks:

De Los Amores
Valentin
Poema
Los Amantes
El Mayoral
La Macorina
Golpe E' Tierra
Panalivio/Zancudito
Reina Mortal
Xanahari
Bonus Track

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

Eco de Sombras, Peruvian diva Susana Baca's second album for the David Byrne-helmed Luaka Bop label, both lives up to the mystical implications of its title ("Echo of Shadows") and places her exquisite voice in the center of ancient-to-the-future acoustic grooves that make it an instant beyond-category classic. Watching her try to top this one will be a great pleasure for music fans! --Rickey Wright

Amazon.com

In her Spanish-language songs about love, heritage, and slavery days, Susana Baca elevates the nearly extinct Afro-Peruvian blues--its sambas, landos, and alcatraz rhythms--to high art. Like Bahia diva Virginia Rodrigues or Cape Verde morna singer Cesaria Evora, Baca is part of a new generation of international female vocalists who take an almost chamber-music approach to their respective styles. On this album, that means augmenting her usual band with such musical guests as keyboardist John Medeski (of Medeski Martin & Wood) and electric guitarist Marc Ribot (Los Cubanos Postizos), who add almost imperceptible instrumental shimmers to her band's understated yet undeniably robust (and often Cuban-flavored) grooves. Like the blues, Baca's resonant lamentations, sung in a voice reminiscent of antique bamboo, transcend sadness with deeper and subtler emotional flavors. --Richard Gehr

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, but a little too much for me.......2006-12-09

Eco de Sombras is the natural continuation of what Susana Baca was trying to do with her self-named album. However, while this album is incredibly musical, I find the sometimes violent sensuality of this album harder to digest.

Can't stop playing it.......2005-10-21

I discovered this CD accidentally and I haven't been able to stopy playing it. I carry around 1,500 songs on my iPod, but I've been playing this over and over again for the past 4-5 days. The music is so rich and poetic that every time I hear a song I seem to discover something new about it. I don't understand Spanish, but the phonetics of the words are so beautiful that they are songs all by themselves. I highly recommend this CD and can't wait to get her entire discography.

The Best.......2003-06-24

This CD is the absolute best of Afro-Peruvian music. It is romantic, steamy, and bold. I can't wait for her to return to the states on tour.

Shadows of the Sun.......2002-12-03

A lovely, simple, passionate album. Her voice is flawless. A rich instrument that breathes colors and maps into the song's journey. A world of feeling communicated through simplicity. Timeless.

Her voice is as smooth as silk!.......2001-10-27

As the owner of a coffee shop which along with serving great coffee ---music is second on our list of MUSTS!!!!!!
Buy it and enjoy her delicate smooth voice. No need to know how to speak spanish ---just enjoy the rythm.

Average customer rating:

Hypnotizing

Eco de Sombras: Echo of Shadows
Susana Baca
Manufacturer: Luaka Bop
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Peru | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

General | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0000DB51U
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

De los Amores (About Love)
Valent
Poema (Poem)
Amantes (The Lovers)
Mayoral (Slave Driver)
Macorina (Macorina)
Golpe E' Tierra (Hablan los Negros) (Stomping the Ground (The ...)
Panalivio/Zancudito
Reina Mortal (Mortal Queen)
Xanahar

Customer Reviews:

Hypnotizing.......2007-01-06

I came across Susana Baca on a compilation cd, and immediately fell in love with her voice. I don't speak spanish, so I treat this cd as an instrumental, and she has perfected her instrument. This is simply beautiful and hypnotizing.