(noticia) Melding flamenco with its Arabic influence

SONIDOS LATINOS

Ed Morales

January 29, 2006

While flamenco is clearly a product of Spain, and its purists exert a great influence on its tradition, there has always been a touch of the New World in this Old World art form. As much tension as there's been historically between the mother country and her former colonies, there has always been a tenuous musical link between their traditions. One need look no further than the flamenco group Son de la Frontera, whose just-released album on World Village records uses the Cuban tres as its centerpiece instrument.

Led by tres player Raúl Rodríguez, Son de la Frontera dedicates the album to Diego el Gastor (1908-1973), who was known to incorporate Latin American rhythms into his work. The use of the tres, with its three sets of double metal strings, refocuses our attention on flamenco's Arabic roots, giving it a haunting texture.

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