La Candela Del Rio

– General Description:
La candela del río (The Candle of the River; The River Candela) is the debut album by Paris-based Venezuelan quartet Insólito UniVerso. This album has music to be danced to and also music full of mystery and melancholy. Poetry is expressed using voice, guitar, bass, drums and contemporary electronics in traditional Venezuelan styles, such as: joropo llanero, merengue caraqueño, golpe de Guatire and tambores (drums) de San Millán. The vocals are bell-like and beautiful. This has a very late 70s early 80s modern jazz quality.

joropo llanero - a.k.a. Música llanera, a style resembling the fandango
merengue - a musical form spread throughout the Caribbean
caraqueño = Caracas
llanero = cowboy, plainsman

– Musicians:
Maria Fernanda Ruette: Cuatro (a small guitar, typically with four/five single or paired strings) & Vocals
Raúl Monsalve: Bass
Edgar Bonilla Jiménez: Keys
Andres Sequera: Drums
also:
Rafael Mejias: Maracas & Charrasca (long, grooved percussion instrument)
Orlando Poleo: Clarín drum

– FCC Compliant: YES
– Recommended Tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7
– Track Reviews:
1. (5:43) Transmutada (Transmuted) - laid-back tempo; nice Latin singing with some eclectic arrangement choices in the background (“Vertigo in ruin. I did not expect the time of the mambo.”)
2. ***(3:26) Vuelve (Returns) - joropo llanero; upbeat and fast vocal track; “repeat after me”; whistled ending; really fun piece
3. ***(8:05) Machurucuto - languid waltz tempo; minor key dips in the vocal line; dreamy surreal electronica; be fun to listen to stoned I bet; Machurucuto (name of a coastal town)
4. (4:27) Pájaro (Bird) - merengue caraqueño; lively and echoey strange; relaxing overall (“Bird, bandit bird, Bird, hidden bird.”)
5. ***(7:33) Lloviendo en Guatire (Raining in Guatire) - calming vocal w/distorted instrumental; ends w/golpe de Guatire (“The elm pears are raining in Guatire.”)
6. (5:26) Yo soy mi río (I am my river) - moderate; afro-venezuelan rhythm; more overtly jazzy then the rest; funky electronica; inspired by a poem written by Eugenio Montejo
7. ***(3:52) El Vuelo del Gabán (The Flight of the Gabán) - instrumental joropo llanero; flight of the Latin electric harpsichord; animated; composed by Edgar Bonilla Jiménez
8. (6:40) Tonada del Guante (Glove Tune) - far-off Spanish dialog initially and people laughing (wedding?); then abrupt heavy guitar and voice; solemn rhythm and tone