With El Alma de Puerto Rico (the soul of Puerto Rico), the Grammy- and Latin Grammy-nominated ensemble Ecos de Borinquen presents its second Smithsonian Folkways album overflowing with pride in the island’s jíbaro creole folk traditions. The soulful, signature sounds of Miguel Santiago Diaz’s sung poetry in the ten-line décima verse form are cradled in the progressive instrumental arrangements by Ramón Vásquez Lamboy for two cuatro guitars, six-stringed guitar, güiro rasp, and bongo. The crystal-clear voice of Yezenia Cruz, Santiago’s disciple, adds sonoral dimension to this timeless yet contemporary rendition of deep Puerto Rican tradition. 59 minutes, 40-page booklet with bilingual notes.
This album is the 46th in the Smithsonian Folkways Tradiciones/Traditions Series of Latino music albums, produced with support from the Smithsonian Latino Center.
101
Soñando con regresar (Dreaming of Returning) [seis joropo estilo Ángel Luis García] Ecos de Borinquen 04:13
102
Nuestro amigo el flamboyán (Our Friend the Flame Tree) [seis a Borinquen] Ecos de Borinquen 04:25
103
El alma de Puerto Rico (The Soul of Puerto Rico) [seis tumbao] Ecos de Borinquen 03:32
104
Paraíso borincano (Borinquen Paradise) [llanera estilo bairoa] Ecos de Borinquen 04:00
105
Homenaje a Juan González (Tribute to Juan González) [pasillo] Ecos de Borinquen 02:17
106
Gloria al idioma español (Glory to the Spanish Language) [seis marumba] Ecos de Borinquen 04:04
107
Hospitalidad (Hospitality) [aguinaldo nuevo] Ecos de Borinquen 03:44
108
El Rodadero (The Rodadero) [fox criollo] Ecos de Borinquen 02:24
109
Un sol de esperanza (A Light of Hope) [aguinaldo de promesa] Ecos de Borinquen 03:35
110
Comerío vibra en mí (Puerto Rico Resonates in Me) [seis guaracaná] Ecos de Borinquen 03:50
111
Tres generaciones (Three Generations) [aguinaldo patrullero] Ecos de Borinquen 03:15
112
Cadenas (Cadenas) Ecos de Borinquen 05:33
113
Fiesta en el batey (Fiesta in the Batey) [aguinaldo comerío] Ecos de Borinquen 04:02
114
Gloria (Gloria) [mazurca] Ecos de Borinquen 03:13
115
Plegaria (Prayer) [aguinaldo mayagüezano] Ecos de Borinquen 03:05
Por amor (For Love) [seis gurabo]