Hello,
Today's artist is the grand old lady of Cuban music. While her early recordings made her a star in Cuba, her participation in the 1996 album and video documentary, The Buena Vista Social Club, brought her to international attention. Her solo album, The Buena Vista Social Club Presents Omara Portuondo, released in 2000, reinforced her status as one of Cuba's greatest musical ambassadors........N'Joy
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Omara Portuonda
Born on 29 October 1930 in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Havana, Portuondo had three sisters. Her mother, Esperanza Peláez, came from a wealthy Spanish family, and had created a scandal by running off with and marrying a black professional baseball player, Bartolo Portuondo. Omara joined the dance group of the Cabaret Tropicana in 1950, following her elder sister, Haydee. She also danced in the Mulatas de Fuego in the theatre Radiocentro, and in other dance groups. The two sisters also used to sing for family and friends, and they also performed in Havana clubs. Portuondo and Haydee then in 1947 joined the Loquibambia Swing, a group formed by the blind pianist Frank Emilio Flynn.
From 1952–1953 she sang for the Orquesta Anacaona, and later in 1953 both sisters joined (together with Elena Burke and Moraima Secada) the singing group Cuarteto d'Aida, formed and directed by pianist Aida Diestro. The group had considerable success, touring the United States, performing with Nat King Cole at the Tropicana, and recording a 1957 album for RCA Victor. In 1958, pianist and composer Julio Gutiérrez invited Portuondo to sing for his ensemble in a series of recordings bridging jazz and Cuban music for the record label Velvet. The result was Magia Negra, her debut solo album. Haydee left the Cuarteto d'Aida in 1961 in order to live in the US and Omara continued singing with the quartet until 1967.
1967–present
In 1967 Portuondo began to focus on her solo career recording two albums for Areito, Omara Portuondo and Esta es Omara Portuondo.[5] In the same year she represented Cuba at the Sopot Festival in Poland, singing Juanito Márquez' "Como un milagro". Alongside her solo work, in the 1970s she sang with the charanga Orquesta Aragón, and toured with them abroad.
In 1974 she recorded, with guitarist Martín Rojas, an album in which she lauds Salvador Allende and the people of Chile a year after the military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet. Among other hits from the album, she sang Carlos Puebla's hit "Hasta Siempre, Comandante", which refers to Ché Guevara. She also recorded "Y que se sepa", with one of the most successful Cuban bands of the late 20th century, Los Van Van. Later on she performed with Juan Formell, singing Formell's song "Tal vez", a song she recorded later on with Maria Bethania. During the 1970s and 1980s Portuondo enjoyed success at home and abroad, with tours, albums (including one of her most lauded recordings in 1984 with Adalberto Álvarez), film roles, and her own television series.
In 2004 the International Red Cross appointed her International Ambassador, the first Cuban musician to hold this title, in Montreal, Canada. In 2007 she performed the title role to sold out audiences in Lizt Alfonso's dance musical "Vida", the story of modern Cuba through the eyes and with the memories of an old woman. In this same year, her performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival was released on DVD. She recorded in 2008 a duet album with Brazilian singer Maria Bethânia named Maria Bethânia e Omara Portuondo. In 2008 she recorded the album Gracias as a tribute to the 60th anniversary of her singing career. Today, Omara lives in a high-rise apartment just off the Malecón, Havana, overlooking the sea. She remains a popular fixture on the local music scene, singing regularly at the Tropicana Club, the Delirio Habanero and the Café Cantante.
Portuondo sang (duetting with Ibrahim Ferrer) on the album Buena Vista Social Club in 1996. This led not only to more touring (including playing at Carnegie Hall with the Buena Vista troupe) and her appearance in Wim Wenders' film Buena Vista Social Club, but to two further albums for the World Circuit label: Buena Vista Social Club Presents Omara Portuondo (2000) and Flor de Amor (2004). She remains a member of Buena Vista Social Club, being the only original vocalist to do so. Portuondo had settled into semi-retirement by the mid-'90s. Her plans to slow down her career were altered after Ry Cooder, who was in Cuba recording with the Chieftains, heard her sing in 1995. When he returned, the following year, to produce The Buena Vista Social Club, Portuondo was invited to become a featured vocalist with the all-star group. In 1998, Portuondo recorded a duo album, Desafios, with Cucho Valdes.
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Recorded in Havana, Cuba in 1958, this all time classic has remained in a place of preference among Omara's fans. First re-issued during the 90's in CD format by a now gone label, I think this album is of extraordinary importance since to my knowledge it is the first solo album recorded by the great Omara Portuondo, recently of Buenavista Social Club fame. The musical background is provided by another Cuban great the late maestro and composer Julio Gutierrez, it is possible that the string section of some of the songs was co-directed by the also late maestro and composer Adolfo Guzman. Classic tunes like "Magia Negra" aka "Black Magic" the album title song, Eric Madriguera's "Adios", Gilberto Valdes'"Oguere", Maria Grever's "Ya No Me Quieres", Julio Gutierrez' "Llanto de Luna", "Andalucia", "Que Emocion", Adolfo Guzman's "No Puedo Ser Feliz", etc. etc. all make this album timeless and irresistible to purchase for Omara's fans as well as Cuban music fans and collectors. This timeless classic is back and simply refuses to be shelved thanks to the efforts of many who appreciate its enormous value. Do not miss this re-mastered version. Viva Omara and her timeless hits compilation "Magia Negra!"
Omara Portuondo - Magia Negra (flac 155mb)
01 Magia Negra 2:42
02 Adios 2:12
03 Oguere 2:59
04 Ya No Me Quieres 2:30
05 Llanto De Luna 2:35
06 Noche Cubana 3:24
07 Andalucia 3:56
08 Que Emocion 1:59
09 El Hombre Que Se Fue 2:23
10 No Hagas Caso 2:18
11 No Puedo Ser Feliz 1:50
12 Caravana 2:17
( )
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A beautifully executed and produced album by Omara Portuando, the only woman to appear on the original Buena Vista Social Club recordings. Portuando, who is one of Cuba's most acclaimed musicians and a featured performer at the Tropicana, has shown here that, at 70, she still possesses the qualities that helped develop her stardom on her native island. This recording, which covers a variety of traditional musical styles, from son to guajira to bolero, makes it easy to see why critics have called her the Edith Piaf of Cuba and "The Fiancée of Feeling." The style, especially on the second track, "He Perdido Contigo," evokes a nostalgic, old-fashioned sentiment, and the songwriting is classic. Featured performers include Rubén González on piano, Eliades Ochoa and Compay Segundo on guitar, and a full string section including Angel and Arelis Zaldivar. The performances are lively and tight, creating an album that feels nearly perfect. A full set of liner notes, including English translations of all of the lyrics, makes the album even more accessible.
Omara Portuondo y Buena Vista Social Club - Omara Portuondo (flac 228mb)
01 La Sitiera 3:57
02 He Perdido Contigo 3:49
03 ¿Dónde Estabas Tú? 3:47
04 Mariposita De Primavera 2:54
05 Canta Lo Sentimental 3:26
06 Ella Y Yo 3:24
07 No Me Vayas A Engañar 2:53
08 No Me Llores Más 5:00
09 Veinte Años 4:44
10 El Hombre Que Yo Amé (The Man I Love) 3:11
11 Siempre En Mi Corazón 3:43
Omara Portuondo y Buena Vista Social Club - Omara Portuondo (ogg 95mb)
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Flor de Amor is the second World Circuit outing for Cuban diva Omara Portuondo, whose debut for the label topped the world music charts in 2000. This time out, Portuondo and producers Nick Gold, Jerry Boys, and Alé Siqueira assemble a sultry, steamy, and extremely elegant collection of love songs that are steeped in the popular Cuban bolero, rhumba, ritmo, guajira, and mambo traditions, but there is also the airiness of Brazilian pop music in the tunes produced by Siqueira. The players are from three generations of Cuban studio musicians, and include Barbarito Torres, Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez, Manuel Galbán, Roberto Fonseca, Carlos Emilio, and dozens of others, with a few Anglo players and singers as well. This is one of the most elegant recordings to come from the Buena Vista Social Club set. The album opens with the ethereal "Tabú." It is a song of longing for Africa with a gorgeous clarinet line played by Javier Zalba and a wispy backing chorus that winds around Portuondo; she blends in a Yoruban spiritual chant without breaking stride or upsetting the nocturnal balance of the tune. Jorge Chicoy's trademark electric guitar sound graces many of these tunes, with none so beautiful as "Amor de Mis Amores" ("Love of my life/Lifeblood of my veins/Give me the bloom of hope/Let me tell you the bittersweet truth/Of my suffering..."), with its chorus and entwining guitars and percussion. The classic "Amorosa Guajira" is haunting and tender; it features the singer accompanied only by Papi Oviedo's 12-string. The closing cut is written in Portuguese by Brazilian pop star Carlinhos Brown along with Junior Costa. Portuondo rises to the occasion, and sings this samba-inspired ballad with aplomb -- there is even a subtle theremin line by producer Siqueira! Flor de Amor is a wonderfully seamless, sensually charged, slow burn of an album that is nothing short of a work of art.
Omara Portuondo - Flor de Amor (flac 243mb)
01 Tabu 4:19
02 Amor De Mis Amores 3:24
03 Alma De Roca 3:35
04 Mueve La Cintura Mulato 3:35
05 Junto A Un Canaveral 3:30
06 Hermosa Habana 3:48
07 El Madrugador 3:33
08 Amorosa Guajira 2:23
09 Habanera Ven 3:28
10 Si Llego A Besarte 3:19
11 lor De Amor 3:06
12 Juramento 3:23
13 He Venido A Decirte 3:48
14 Casa Calor 4:08
Omara Portuondo - Flor de Amor (ogg 115mb)
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A set featuring recordings from 1997-2000 when Omara Portunondo started recording with the Buena Vista Social Club. She was nominated for a Grammy in 2004. This double CD, Lágrimas Negras (Black Tears), Canciones y Boleros, is the result of an interpretive creation full of feeling, intimacy, and naturalness. She returned to the Latin American popular classics -to Violeta Parra, to Virgilio González, to Alberto Vera, to Eusebio Delfín- with a fabulous ensemble consisting of the great Rubén González and Enriqueta Almanza's piano, Richard Egües's flute, Martín Rojas's magnificent guitar, the bass of Cachaíto, Mirabal's art in unraveling the mysteries of the brass instruments, Amadito Valdés's paila with AfroCuban rhythms and the tasty percussion of Hernán Cortés, Roberto García, and Osvaldo Rodríguez.
As the last living of the original buena Vista Social Club, Omara Portuondo wears a heavy legacy. With her now 85 years, she tours the world and spread the charm of Cuba. Here are 2 CDs with older and newly recorded recordings together. Of course, this can never do justice to a career of more than 60 years, alas most of her recordings slumber in Cuban archives but is a nice start. If you want to "hear" more from the Grande Dame then you should look for the few original albums, where Omara reveals her versatility and her talent which makes her so unique. "Lagrimas" receives an absolute thumbs up recommendation as an introduction to the musical soul of Cuba. And if you have the chance to experience Omara live, you should not miss out on this one because likely you will never again!
Omara Portuondo - Lagrimas Negras (flac 243mb)
01 Increíble 3:53
02 Quiero Hablar Contigo 2:55
03 Te Quería 5:19
04 Libre de Pecado 3:57
05 Campanitas de Cristal 3:07
06 Nosotros 3:18
07 Cómo Es Posible 3:33
08 Vieja Luna 3:09
09 Confidencia de Amor 3:26
10 No Te Quejes 2:39
11 Le Dije a una Rosa 2:58
12 Y Tú Qué Has Hecho 2:29
13 La Última Noche 4:03
Omara Portuondo - Lagrimas Negras (ogg 113mb)
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Today's artist is the grand old lady of Cuban music. While her early recordings made her a star in Cuba, her participation in the 1996 album and video documentary, The Buena Vista Social Club, brought her to international attention. Her solo album, The Buena Vista Social Club Presents Omara Portuondo, released in 2000, reinforced her status as one of Cuba's greatest musical ambassadors........N'Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Omara Portuonda
Born on 29 October 1930 in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Havana, Portuondo had three sisters. Her mother, Esperanza Peláez, came from a wealthy Spanish family, and had created a scandal by running off with and marrying a black professional baseball player, Bartolo Portuondo. Omara joined the dance group of the Cabaret Tropicana in 1950, following her elder sister, Haydee. She also danced in the Mulatas de Fuego in the theatre Radiocentro, and in other dance groups. The two sisters also used to sing for family and friends, and they also performed in Havana clubs. Portuondo and Haydee then in 1947 joined the Loquibambia Swing, a group formed by the blind pianist Frank Emilio Flynn.
From 1952–1953 she sang for the Orquesta Anacaona, and later in 1953 both sisters joined (together with Elena Burke and Moraima Secada) the singing group Cuarteto d'Aida, formed and directed by pianist Aida Diestro. The group had considerable success, touring the United States, performing with Nat King Cole at the Tropicana, and recording a 1957 album for RCA Victor. In 1958, pianist and composer Julio Gutiérrez invited Portuondo to sing for his ensemble in a series of recordings bridging jazz and Cuban music for the record label Velvet. The result was Magia Negra, her debut solo album. Haydee left the Cuarteto d'Aida in 1961 in order to live in the US and Omara continued singing with the quartet until 1967.
1967–present
In 1967 Portuondo began to focus on her solo career recording two albums for Areito, Omara Portuondo and Esta es Omara Portuondo.[5] In the same year she represented Cuba at the Sopot Festival in Poland, singing Juanito Márquez' "Como un milagro". Alongside her solo work, in the 1970s she sang with the charanga Orquesta Aragón, and toured with them abroad.
In 1974 she recorded, with guitarist Martín Rojas, an album in which she lauds Salvador Allende and the people of Chile a year after the military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet. Among other hits from the album, she sang Carlos Puebla's hit "Hasta Siempre, Comandante", which refers to Ché Guevara. She also recorded "Y que se sepa", with one of the most successful Cuban bands of the late 20th century, Los Van Van. Later on she performed with Juan Formell, singing Formell's song "Tal vez", a song she recorded later on with Maria Bethania. During the 1970s and 1980s Portuondo enjoyed success at home and abroad, with tours, albums (including one of her most lauded recordings in 1984 with Adalberto Álvarez), film roles, and her own television series.
In 2004 the International Red Cross appointed her International Ambassador, the first Cuban musician to hold this title, in Montreal, Canada. In 2007 she performed the title role to sold out audiences in Lizt Alfonso's dance musical "Vida", the story of modern Cuba through the eyes and with the memories of an old woman. In this same year, her performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival was released on DVD. She recorded in 2008 a duet album with Brazilian singer Maria Bethânia named Maria Bethânia e Omara Portuondo. In 2008 she recorded the album Gracias as a tribute to the 60th anniversary of her singing career. Today, Omara lives in a high-rise apartment just off the Malecón, Havana, overlooking the sea. She remains a popular fixture on the local music scene, singing regularly at the Tropicana Club, the Delirio Habanero and the Café Cantante.
Portuondo sang (duetting with Ibrahim Ferrer) on the album Buena Vista Social Club in 1996. This led not only to more touring (including playing at Carnegie Hall with the Buena Vista troupe) and her appearance in Wim Wenders' film Buena Vista Social Club, but to two further albums for the World Circuit label: Buena Vista Social Club Presents Omara Portuondo (2000) and Flor de Amor (2004). She remains a member of Buena Vista Social Club, being the only original vocalist to do so. Portuondo had settled into semi-retirement by the mid-'90s. Her plans to slow down her career were altered after Ry Cooder, who was in Cuba recording with the Chieftains, heard her sing in 1995. When he returned, the following year, to produce The Buena Vista Social Club, Portuondo was invited to become a featured vocalist with the all-star group. In 1998, Portuondo recorded a duo album, Desafios, with Cucho Valdes.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Recorded in Havana, Cuba in 1958, this all time classic has remained in a place of preference among Omara's fans. First re-issued during the 90's in CD format by a now gone label, I think this album is of extraordinary importance since to my knowledge it is the first solo album recorded by the great Omara Portuondo, recently of Buenavista Social Club fame. The musical background is provided by another Cuban great the late maestro and composer Julio Gutierrez, it is possible that the string section of some of the songs was co-directed by the also late maestro and composer Adolfo Guzman. Classic tunes like "Magia Negra" aka "Black Magic" the album title song, Eric Madriguera's "Adios", Gilberto Valdes'"Oguere", Maria Grever's "Ya No Me Quieres", Julio Gutierrez' "Llanto de Luna", "Andalucia", "Que Emocion", Adolfo Guzman's "No Puedo Ser Feliz", etc. etc. all make this album timeless and irresistible to purchase for Omara's fans as well as Cuban music fans and collectors. This timeless classic is back and simply refuses to be shelved thanks to the efforts of many who appreciate its enormous value. Do not miss this re-mastered version. Viva Omara and her timeless hits compilation "Magia Negra!"
Omara Portuondo - Magia Negra (flac 155mb)
01 Magia Negra 2:42
02 Adios 2:12
03 Oguere 2:59
04 Ya No Me Quieres 2:30
05 Llanto De Luna 2:35
06 Noche Cubana 3:24
07 Andalucia 3:56
08 Que Emocion 1:59
09 El Hombre Que Se Fue 2:23
10 No Hagas Caso 2:18
11 No Puedo Ser Feliz 1:50
12 Caravana 2:17
( )
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
A beautifully executed and produced album by Omara Portuando, the only woman to appear on the original Buena Vista Social Club recordings. Portuando, who is one of Cuba's most acclaimed musicians and a featured performer at the Tropicana, has shown here that, at 70, she still possesses the qualities that helped develop her stardom on her native island. This recording, which covers a variety of traditional musical styles, from son to guajira to bolero, makes it easy to see why critics have called her the Edith Piaf of Cuba and "The Fiancée of Feeling." The style, especially on the second track, "He Perdido Contigo," evokes a nostalgic, old-fashioned sentiment, and the songwriting is classic. Featured performers include Rubén González on piano, Eliades Ochoa and Compay Segundo on guitar, and a full string section including Angel and Arelis Zaldivar. The performances are lively and tight, creating an album that feels nearly perfect. A full set of liner notes, including English translations of all of the lyrics, makes the album even more accessible.
Omara Portuondo y Buena Vista Social Club - Omara Portuondo (flac 228mb)
01 La Sitiera 3:57
02 He Perdido Contigo 3:49
03 ¿Dónde Estabas Tú? 3:47
04 Mariposita De Primavera 2:54
05 Canta Lo Sentimental 3:26
06 Ella Y Yo 3:24
07 No Me Vayas A Engañar 2:53
08 No Me Llores Más 5:00
09 Veinte Años 4:44
10 El Hombre Que Yo Amé (The Man I Love) 3:11
11 Siempre En Mi Corazón 3:43
Omara Portuondo y Buena Vista Social Club - Omara Portuondo (ogg 95mb)
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Flor de Amor is the second World Circuit outing for Cuban diva Omara Portuondo, whose debut for the label topped the world music charts in 2000. This time out, Portuondo and producers Nick Gold, Jerry Boys, and Alé Siqueira assemble a sultry, steamy, and extremely elegant collection of love songs that are steeped in the popular Cuban bolero, rhumba, ritmo, guajira, and mambo traditions, but there is also the airiness of Brazilian pop music in the tunes produced by Siqueira. The players are from three generations of Cuban studio musicians, and include Barbarito Torres, Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez, Manuel Galbán, Roberto Fonseca, Carlos Emilio, and dozens of others, with a few Anglo players and singers as well. This is one of the most elegant recordings to come from the Buena Vista Social Club set. The album opens with the ethereal "Tabú." It is a song of longing for Africa with a gorgeous clarinet line played by Javier Zalba and a wispy backing chorus that winds around Portuondo; she blends in a Yoruban spiritual chant without breaking stride or upsetting the nocturnal balance of the tune. Jorge Chicoy's trademark electric guitar sound graces many of these tunes, with none so beautiful as "Amor de Mis Amores" ("Love of my life/Lifeblood of my veins/Give me the bloom of hope/Let me tell you the bittersweet truth/Of my suffering..."), with its chorus and entwining guitars and percussion. The classic "Amorosa Guajira" is haunting and tender; it features the singer accompanied only by Papi Oviedo's 12-string. The closing cut is written in Portuguese by Brazilian pop star Carlinhos Brown along with Junior Costa. Portuondo rises to the occasion, and sings this samba-inspired ballad with aplomb -- there is even a subtle theremin line by producer Siqueira! Flor de Amor is a wonderfully seamless, sensually charged, slow burn of an album that is nothing short of a work of art.
Omara Portuondo - Flor de Amor (flac 243mb)
01 Tabu 4:19
02 Amor De Mis Amores 3:24
03 Alma De Roca 3:35
04 Mueve La Cintura Mulato 3:35
05 Junto A Un Canaveral 3:30
06 Hermosa Habana 3:48
07 El Madrugador 3:33
08 Amorosa Guajira 2:23
09 Habanera Ven 3:28
10 Si Llego A Besarte 3:19
11 lor De Amor 3:06
12 Juramento 3:23
13 He Venido A Decirte 3:48
14 Casa Calor 4:08
Omara Portuondo - Flor de Amor (ogg 115mb)
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A set featuring recordings from 1997-2000 when Omara Portunondo started recording with the Buena Vista Social Club. She was nominated for a Grammy in 2004. This double CD, Lágrimas Negras (Black Tears), Canciones y Boleros, is the result of an interpretive creation full of feeling, intimacy, and naturalness. She returned to the Latin American popular classics -to Violeta Parra, to Virgilio González, to Alberto Vera, to Eusebio Delfín- with a fabulous ensemble consisting of the great Rubén González and Enriqueta Almanza's piano, Richard Egües's flute, Martín Rojas's magnificent guitar, the bass of Cachaíto, Mirabal's art in unraveling the mysteries of the brass instruments, Amadito Valdés's paila with AfroCuban rhythms and the tasty percussion of Hernán Cortés, Roberto García, and Osvaldo Rodríguez.
As the last living of the original buena Vista Social Club, Omara Portuondo wears a heavy legacy. With her now 85 years, she tours the world and spread the charm of Cuba. Here are 2 CDs with older and newly recorded recordings together. Of course, this can never do justice to a career of more than 60 years, alas most of her recordings slumber in Cuban archives but is a nice start. If you want to "hear" more from the Grande Dame then you should look for the few original albums, where Omara reveals her versatility and her talent which makes her so unique. "Lagrimas" receives an absolute thumbs up recommendation as an introduction to the musical soul of Cuba. And if you have the chance to experience Omara live, you should not miss out on this one because likely you will never again!
Omara Portuondo - Lagrimas Negras (flac 243mb)
01 Increíble 3:53
02 Quiero Hablar Contigo 2:55
03 Te Quería 5:19
04 Libre de Pecado 3:57
05 Campanitas de Cristal 3:07
06 Nosotros 3:18
07 Cómo Es Posible 3:33
08 Vieja Luna 3:09
09 Confidencia de Amor 3:26
10 No Te Quejes 2:39
11 Le Dije a una Rosa 2:58
12 Y Tú Qué Has Hecho 2:29
13 La Última Noche 4:03
Omara Portuondo - Lagrimas Negras (ogg 113mb)
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