Mar

5

By 1974 it seemed that Greek music was going to carve a permanent place in western pop; ‘Never on Sunday’ and ‘Zorba the Greek’ had conquered screen and stage, Vicky Leandros, Demis Roussos, and Nana Mouskouri were established pop stars, and Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis had proven there were serious composers of considerable merit. Naturally it made a perfect opportunity for a Roberto Delgado record, and Horst and his pals stepped up with ‘Bouzouki’. That instrument, of course, takes center stage from the opening notes; the virtuoso Ladi Geisler’s adept bouzouki performance is reinforced by handclaps, dreamy voices and typically funky backup as the band meanders through a selection of pop hits. Horst ‘Delgado’ Wende is more than usual in the background, contributing occasional marimba and accordion flourishes, content to let the horns, voices, flute, insistent bouzouki and rhythm guitar lead the way. In typical Delgado fashion, the record does not stay stylistically on topic; for example, the horn section can’t resist sticking a mariachi fill into ‘To Treno’, while ‘My Friend the Wind’ references Ennio Morricone more than any Greek composition. Pleasant but unengaging, ‘Bouzouki’ is more an easy listening than Hellenic, appealing only to Delgado fans, and should be avoided by anyone seeking even a whiff of authenticity in Greek music.

Mar

4

The importance of music to Polynesian culture has always been a blind spot to Westerners and Easterners alike; without a written language, these sweet voices and languid melodies had the social task of collecting and passing on vital science, history, and social etiquette from generation to generation. Songs contained information on how to cultivate food, navigate stars, keep a family happy, and maintain genealogical histories, connecting an entire civilization on small islands separated by vast seas. When the United States forcibly annexed Hawaii in the 19th century, the citizens back home were told that the ignorant savages of these remote islands welcomed American protection and guidance, when, of course, nothing could be further from the truth. When the last Queen of Hawaii, Liliuokalani, toured the United States on the lecture circuit, she sang her own beautiful songs and chants pleading for her country’s independence; exotica-seeking attendees ignored the content and went home humming the happy melodies, dreaming of a pacific paradise and ignoring the disease-ridden reality at the heart of the Queen’s story.

For generations since, the story has been the same, and the Hawaiians, a genial people, eventually went with the flow. Hawaiian song and dance gripped the public imagination repeatedly, and traditional waiata evolved into hula songs and simple-minded sweet ditties. Hawaiian music became a theme for Cliff Edwards hamming it up as Ukulele Ike, Dorothy Lamour flirtatious and vivacious in a sari, Esther Williams vying with hula-skirted Rita Moreno, Elvis Presley’s languid mooing; and it is this Hawaii, of course, that Horst Wende references on ‘Blue Hawaii’. To him and his Hamburg crew it didn’t matter that no real musicologist would associate Hawaiian music with trombone, accordion, hammond organ, flute, electric guitar or electric bass guitar; evoking the public perception of polynesian paradise was all that mattered. Taken with all that in mind, this is a nice album; it moves languidly, with appropriate soft voices, gentle rhythms, ear-perking harmonics and excellent performance, covering much of the ersatz Hawaiiana of previous decades - Pagan Love Song, Blue Hawaii, Honolulu Ragtime Doll, and so on. As can be expected, guitar whiz Ladi Geisler is featured prominently, most notably on ‘Hawaii Tattoo’, with nice dual guitar interplay and an insistent backbeat leading into a swinging accordion lead. Unapologetically inauthentic and nicely executed, ‘Blue Hawaii’ is a slight Delgado work that will no doubt make long-time fans happily sway in their living room, wishing they had little umbrellas to put into their drinks.

Mar

3

As this album opens with the Francis Lai’s overplayed ‘Love Story’ theme in a bland ‘Manuel and the Mountains’-style arrangement, it is easy to assume this will be another forgettable Delgado commercial release; then, suddenly, there is a little jolt of adrenalin when an outstanding brief mariachi horn burst serves as a delayed fanfare. It gets better and better from there - ‘Latin Flutes’ emerges as a strong entry in the Delgado catalogue, a collection of fascinating moods and rhythms characterized by vibrant horn arrangements and fine stereo detailing. Thematically consistent and precisely played, the flute-central arrangements make this more reflective than other Delgado latin workings. Consistently upbeat as ever, these rhumba and samba arrangements are rhapsodic and romantic, often light and delicate. Each song naturally focuses on Herb Geller’s feel-good flute melodies, in turns countered or supported by Wende himself on Hammond organ, marimba, and vibraphone. Lovely as all this is, what makes many of the ‘Latin Flutes’ songs truly stand out are the brass arrangements. Trumpeters Charly Tabor, Werner Gutterer, Manfred Moch and Ack van Rooyen, and trombonists Ake Persson and Jiggs Whigham are superb throughout, contributing big fat lows, rousing fanfares and perky mariachi embellishments, inducing feelings of longing, contemplation, satisfaction and optimism. Yum. Highlights include the playful ‘Salambo Nr. 1′, in which the-often unobtrusive Ladi Geisler contributes a wonderful fuzz guitar part, and the Delgado-penned ‘La Boliviana’. If you are a fan of Roberto Delgado, you most certainly won’t be disappointed by ‘Latin Flutes’ and should add it to your collection at the first opportunity.

Mar

3

‘Hits a la Fiesta’ is exactly as it sounds, a reworking of late 70’s pop and disco hits in a latin manner, a la Delgado. Easy to dismiss, but hard to dislike, it displays all the Delgado hallmarks - stolid performances and arrangements, compelling latin percussion and dynamic horn parts, Geisler’s compelling knackbass and Wende’s proficient malletwork. What brings it down is the songs - late 70s pop was more style than substance, a sonic simple-minded wasteland that deserved to be trampled beneath the emerging styles of punk, new wave, and alternative rock. Delgado has always been adept at tarting up sweet and simple melodies, and does his work capably here; but reworking such dross as ‘Daddy Cool’ or ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ only results in uber-dreck, no matter how well done. The three Abba covers are theoretically a perfect platform for Geisler’s patented knackbass style, but they really only serve to remind us of the dull banality of commercial disco music. Still, it’s impossible to really hate the record, as there are moments when the sheer ability and talent of this ensemble emerge and entertain the unskilled listener. More trivial than essential, ‘Hits A La Fiesta’ is a piece of processed sliced cheese from the Delgado larder, maybe a guilty pleasure for those whose appetites go in that direction, but unflavorable and non-nutritious for those with a more refined musical diet.

Mar

3

Marimba a la Carte’ was a top seller for Roberto Delgado in 1968; decades later it is hard to imagine why. Horst Wende’s marimba playing is capable and, at times, adept; but the arrangements are average and the choice of material, tired. It is a perfunctory recording, as the band goes through the motion on some of the Delgado staples - Cielito Lindo, Vaya Con Dios, Pata Pata - as well as such anachronistic vintage pop hits as Terry Gilkyson’s ‘Memories Are Made of This’ and Blue Barron’s ‘Cindy oh Cindy’. Whatever the reason for its commercial success, the album is bland and uninteresting by Delgado standards, and now will most likely only appeal to completists or marimba fanciers. If you are looking for reasonable background music for a chatty cocktail party, this will be an acceptable choice; otherwise just leave it in the discount bin.
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