Mi Sueno - Ibrahim Ferrer

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Ferrer's beautiful voice, simple arrangements
Disadvantages:	None at all

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

"Mi sueno" is the final album recorded by much celebrated lead vocalist of the Buena Vista Social Club, Ibrahim Ferrer. In spite of being well-known among die hard fans of Cuban music, Ferrer was not even famous in Cuba let alone the world outside the isolated Carribbean island until American musician Ry Cooder discovered the veteran performers and made them into international superstars; Ferrer was 69 years old at the time.

Cuban music includes several very distinct styles. Son is the highly rhythmic style of music that incorporates the Spanish 'cancion' style with African beats. Modern salsa music is derived from 'Son Cubano'. Guajira is derived from son and is distinct because of the arpeggiated guitar or piano parts; the Cuban classic "Guantanamera" is the best-known example of this style. Rumba is typified by call and response singing and this is something the Bueno Vista Social Club was particularly known for.

Ferrer was best-known for being a great improviser in the Son Cubano style but he always wanted to sing boleros, an other intrinsic style of Cuban music; a bolero is basically a ballad, often with slight jazz tinges, and usually a simple piano (and occasional bass) accompaniment. The great Pepe Sanchez was responsible for developing the genre in Cuba and although the majority of his works are now lost, there exist about a dozen of the original standards which you hear all the time in Cuba.

Ferrer was told his voice wasn't strong enough to sing boleros which are considered a very manly type of song. Fortunately when he achieved fame with the Buena Vista Social Club he also acquired the means to record the songs he had always wanted to. "Mi sueno" means "My dream" so this album of 12 boleros is the realisation of Ferrer's wishes.

Ferrer died in August 2005 just before this album was finished but the demos were of such high quality that they could be added to those songs that had already been finished. It was Ferrer's dying wish that work go on to complete and release the album.

This album was recorded in Havana with a small group of musicians, some of whom play with the Buena Vista Social Club. The core of the musicians centre around the wonderful Cachaito Lopez on bass, Manuel Galban on guitar and my particular favourite, relative newcomer Roberto Fonseca playing piano. On Copla Guarija there are some mellow and melodious clarinets work almost in a call and response way with Ferrer's fine singing which has such strength on this song in particular that you wonder how he could ever be accused of not having a strong enough voice for this genre.

"Quizas, quizas" is perhaps one of the more well-known songs on the album, it translates as "Perhaps, perhaps" which was used as the theme song for the television sit-com "Coupling". This version features the sultry voice of Omara Portuondo duetting with Ferrer and a simple piano accompaniment from Fonseca.

Another song that is sure to be recognised is "Perfidia" (Treachery), a song that has been recorded by artists as diverse as Linda Ronstadt and Ben E King.

The opening track "Dos Almas" (Two souls) is a strong was a jazzy that gradually falls into the repetitive rhythms that typify son music and it makes a misleading introduction to the album because the following tracks then conform much more with the bolero style with evocative slow dance numbers that ooze romance.

"Melodia del rio" (River Melody) is a little more upbeat with a fantastic backing of percussion instruments and the song makes you think of couples dancing cheek to cheek in a smoky Havana nightclub. "Cada noche un Amour" (Every night another love) is a heartfelt song of unrequited love in which Ferrer proclaims that in spite of this lady not being interested in him "nothing and no one will make my heart forget you".

Fortunately for those who don't understand Spanish, the CD booklet usefully provides lyrics in both Spanish and English. I thought it was a good idea to include the Spanish lyrics and not only the English because with a basic understanding of Spanish I was able to understand some of the songs and used the Spanish lyrics to fill in the gaps. It's not necessary to understand the lyrics as Ferrer's voice and the instruments work so well together that they can be appreciated regardless of language but some of the lyrics are so beautifully poetic that they are worth looking at. In "Convergencia" (Convergence) Ferrer sings "Dawn of roses and sunrise/Honeyed note pretended by the violin/Romantic insomnia, where love has lived /Woman, that's who you are".

My favourite number is "Dueda" (Debt); the song is a dramatic number in which Ferrer tells a mystery lady that one day she will pay for the suffering she has caused him by not returning his love. After a strong and impassioned opening the song veers off into a jazzy mid-section that echoes the familiar patterns of Son Cubano before Ferrer resumes the story again against the repeated rhythms of the percussion instruments; it's infectious stuff but perhaps not true bolero.

That it doesn't religiously comply with true bolero is perhaps down to the arrangement and production of Roberto Fonseco, a young pianist who joined the Buena Vista Social Club a few years after Cooder picked up on the band and who formed a close bond with Ferrer. Fonseco manages to imbue the boleros with a more modern sound without losing any of the traditional grace and romance. It is perhaps because he was not able to record boleros for so many years that Ferrer was keen to inject his own personal style, something that Fonseca facilitates.

There no weak tracks on this album but I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to Ferrer's work. Ibrahim proves he can pull of the romantic sounds of bolero as well as any performer but in spite of the different styles of bolero included in the songs here I would suggest newcomers listen to Ferrer perform a variety of different Cuban styles with the Buena Vista Social Club before coming to the boleros.

I think it is easier to appreciate the simple arrangements of "Mi sueno" by first listening to the intricate and 'busy' sounds of his other albums. "Mi sueno" is an excellent memorial to the immense talent of Ibrahim Ferrer and one which is bound to please fans of the Buena Vista Social Club. I was lucky enough to see Ferrer perform some of these songs just months before his death and this album captures his wonderful and warm personality and unique musical talent perfectly. This is evocative and romantic late night music and as much a part of the Cuban music scene as the more frequently heard rumbas and cha cha chas.

Highly recommended listening

1. Dos Almas
2. Si Te Contara
3. Melodia Del Rio
4. Cada Noche Un Amor
5. Deuda
6. Uno
7. Convergencia
8. Quiereme Mucho
9. Perfidia
10. Copla Guajira
11. Quizas Quizas
12. Alma Libre