Saturday, July 9, 2011

CD Review: Creole Choir of Cuba's 'Tande-La'




Tande-La




The six women and four men that comprise the Creole Choir of Cuba bring us songs of Haiti's past. Haitian ancestors were brought to Cuba to work on the sugar and coffee plantations. The Caribbean music is very classical, operatic, and a vocal work of art with some fiery percussion and additional instruments that add a joyous and/or contemplative mood. The twelve songs are sung in Spanish, French, and Creole. The melding of vocals and instrumentation provide the listener with a mesmerizing combination of sounds emanating from an Afro-Cuban mix. The vocal delivery is quite similar to the choir groups of South Africa. However, the music is inherently Cuban and Haitian, with a theatrical element that rivals any Broadway production. Tande-La, which means "listen," is what all listeners will do once they hear the Creole Choir of Cuba. Hear it today! ~ Matthew Forss

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