Cimarron 24/3/10

My first experience of Jorobo music from the borders of Columbia and Venezuela in the Orinoco plains. This uses a couple of guitar like instruments I am not sure I had heard before, the cuatro and the bandola. Both were four-stringed and the cuatro was often percussive, a bit like a mandolin is percussive. A main feature was the harp which was also played often in a percussive style and the whole feel of the music was precise overlaid rhythms often with expressive vocals laid on top. I might liken it to Talking Heads with Flamenco-style vocals.

As usual with "world music" gigs the individual musicians were superb. As each was given their turn to solo you could see just how good they were but they all melded into the whole sound during the set. The vocals were mainly taken by a female vocalist who had a haunting and emotive quality to her voice and by the maracas player who did vocals and occasionally a rhythmic sort of clog dancing.

These were serious musicians. I'll look out for more South American music.