Zamazu - Roberto Fonseca

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

..."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... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Beautifull songs!
Disadvantages: Not much.

..."Silence Becomes It" was the first album of the two that Silence4 made. It was the greatest success in Portugal, back in 1998, reaching a fifth platinum prize, for sales over 250,000 records! And a enormous breakthrough, once it was the first portuguese band reaching a mass success singing in english. Its songs are simple, naïve and at the same time perfect. This is an album where the strings of the acoustic guitar rule over every other instrument. The voice of the front man David Fonseca, and the feminine back vocals make a perfect match in songs such as: "Angel Song", "Borrow" or "Goodbye Tomorrow". Most of the songs got to be singles and today they are still playing in the radio. "Borrow" was the first hit in that '98 summer, then came the outstanding cover of Erasure's "Little Respect", "Angel Song"and "Old Letters... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Beautiful Voice, Amazing Backups and Musicians, Inovative Music
Disadvantages: Not sure they put the first few songs on the album to the best advantage

..., and then again near the end in English. 10/10 15. Bonus Track - "Beautiful That Way" - This is actually the theme song music from the Oscar winning movie "Life is Beautiful" by Roberto Benigni. The story is that he personally approached Noa and asked her to write lyrics for the movie's theme song - unfortunately, he did this only after the movie was released and became such a success. Now, writing lyrics to such a song can be a real trap. Too close to the movie plot and it sounds stupid, to distant and you wonder why that lyric was put onto that melody. But Noa succeeds with just the right touch of hints towards the story of the movie as well as trying to get to the heart of the mood of the movie. 10/10 If you look at this overview of the songs, you'll see that there's a theme here, and that is LOVE. And while many times we wonder... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful