In 2012 I reviewed Berta Rojas’ jazz album “Dia y Medio.” It remains one of my favorite albums of all time. It was also nominated for Best Instrumental Jazz Album at the XIII Latin Grammy Awards.

When she released “Salsa Roja” in August (2013), I knew I wanted to review it and interview her. This album is classified as classical guitar. What follows is my interview of this charming, sensitive and immensely talented guitarist.

TR: The world of classical guitar has been dominated by men. The names one immediately considers are Segovia, Bream, Parkening, etc. What is it that you bring to that world?

Berta: I think it is to not just go with genre. You need to gain your audience with every performance. Make them happy by painting whatever images are in your mind. Play your inner music for them and the genre is no longer relevant. Maybe my playing is not as powerful as the men but I think I can bring more sensitivity.

TR: So, then, how would you describe yourself?  Berta: I think I would describe myself as a Latin American Classical guitarist. “Salsa Roja” is a tribute to Latin America. I love to search for music of Latin American composers that hasn’t been recorded yet. What is especially enjoyable is to have the living composer there with you as you record.

 TR: I dislike over-used phrases like “ambassador” but that is truly the only fitting description of your role in bringing Latin American music to a wider audience. Your last album revealed the beautiful music of Paraguay to listeners who did not ignore the music but were just never aware of it.

 Berta: Yes, that is what I hope. I’m glad to hear you say that. There is a rich musical heritage from Latin America that has just not reached the ears of the world. This is why I like using compositions usually unknown to the rest of the world.

 TR: Let me ask a tired, old question. When did your music education begin?

 Berta: When I was about seven years old, I studied piano and guitar. I won a competition when I was young and I really enjoyed my connection with the guitar. I felt a call I could not ignore.

TR: So you said farewell to the piano?

Berta: I said farewell. Then I was fortunate enough to study with Eduardo Hernandez for about five years. I moved from Paraguay to the United States about 26 years ago. I tried to go home once a year but recently I have been going back five to six times a year to see my mother who is 87 years old.

TR: I’d like to ask you about the “Recycled Instruments Orchestra of Cateura.” What can you tell me about them?

Berta: They have also been called the “Landfill Harmonic Orchestra.” There are 19 members. They come from a poor part of Paraguay outside Asunción. These children wanted to learn music but could not afford instruments. So, their parents searched through landfills to find materials for making instruments. A man named Nicholas Gómez built their instruments with the recycled materials like marmalade tins and pipes. He is the genius behind the orchestration. This started about seven years ago and they were learning music on a patio with no classroom open to them. I wanted to help them build a proper music curriculum. A friend of mine donated about $35,000 worth of instruments for the whole orchestra.

TR: That orchestra plays with you on the first track of your new album. Are they playing the “recycled” instruments or the new instruments?

Berta: Oh, they are playing the landfill instruments! We added some guest musicians like a violin, viola, cello and double bass. We did that to soften the sometimes metallic sound. They all worked so very hard. They were meticulous in their attention. They have lots of talent.

TR: Yes! I was surprised that there was a remarkable absence of a metallic sound in these recycled instruments. Who is the youngest or I should say what is the youngest age in the orchestra?

Berta: That’s tough to remember. I think the youngest is about 10 years old.

TR: Who is Noelia?

Berta: Oh, she is a 12 year-old girl who was playing “guitar.” She is a gift for the whole world! When I met her, I saw it in her and two days later gave her my Yamaha guitar. She plays second guitar on “Salsa Roja” on the very first track “Tambito Josefino.” She plays the opening harmonics. [Vocalizes the harmonic response]

TR: The compositions on “Salsa Roja” are surprising. How did an Englishman like Vincent Lindsey-Clark come to write such exquisite “Latin American” music?

Berta: He is a phenomenon! I was touring by myself in England and passed by where he was in rehearsal. His compositions are so good and he was interested in exploring Latin American music. I got to know him and asked him if he would be interested in writing a “salsa with development.” After a short time I received the first part of what would become a suite. Periodically, I would receive more pieces until we wound up with a four-part suite.

TR: I know that it is called a suite but the way he composed connections that tie all four pieces together is almost symphonic. The development of the four note motif beginning in “Danza Galopa” is a brilliant hook. I have to use the word “haunting” to describe the effect. Maybe “memorable” is a better word.

Berta: No, you’re right. The minor 2nd is very sad.

TR: What do you feel when you play this particular piece?

Berta: The 3 against 2 rhythm is very attractive to me. [Intones the rhythm] I have a real affinity with that rhythm. The sadness makes me think of the impoverished landscapes of Paraguay. We have to find a way to change that. That loneliness makes me think of how little we have done and how very hard we must work to change that reality.

TR: What piece touches you the most? I know that is an impossible question to answer.

Berta: Well, I chose them all for a reason. They are all important to me.

TR: An example?

Berta: Well, “El vuelo de la mariposa [Flight of the Butterfly]” starts with the imagery of a butterfly flying from an English garden, being carried on a breeze, then landing in Paraguay. I so relate to that story. It is truly something special. But what really moves me is that it was written for me. It was written for the way I play—the way I make music.

TR: I have really enjoyed talking with you, Berta. I just want you to know that "Dia y Medio" remains one of the most-played CDs in my house.

Berta: I have enjoyed it, too! Thank you, my friend.

Following on her immensely successful and Latin Grammy-nominated collaboration with Paquito D’Rivera entitled “Dia y Medio”, Berta Rojas continues to educate, inspire and enlighten with her 2013 release “Salsa Roja.” It is a work backed by heart-warming experiences and intriguing stories. It is a work of sublime beauty and delicate sensitivity. It is a work of incredible compositions and flawless performances.

The seeds of the album were planted while Berta was on tour in England. She met the brilliant English composer for guitar Vincent Lindsey-Clark himself intrigued by the music of Berta’s Latin America. She invited him or maybe challenged him to write a “salsa with development.” In other words, she asked him to write a guitar suite. The result of this invitation is a work of wonder and imagination.

She also brought to the album some of Latin America’s most interesting and yet unknown composers and innovators. From Argentina comes the music of Quique Sinesi’s “Danza Sin Fin.” Edin Solis offers the tambito rhythm of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province. The “dreamy and nostalgic” work of Julio Cesar Oliva from Mexico. Lindsey-Clark himself employed the galopa rhythm of Berta’s beloved Paraguay.

 Once again, Berta plays the role of ambassador for Latin American music to the rest of the world who remains unacquainted with such exquisite works of beauty.

The album is partitioned into sections according to the composers. It is a strategy that works well in an educational and thematic approach. The first section belongs to Edin Solis, a two-time Grammy winner who learned classical guitar in Spain and France. Solis has been a teacher of Costa Rican music to over 30 countries.

 The opening piece is entitled “Tambito josefino” [Tambito from San Jose] and is built on one of the two most popular rhythms of Costa Rica, the tambito (the other being the pasillo). The tambito is a festive 6/8 syncopated rhythm to which Solis added harmonies usually not found in that style. The arrangement in this track was specifically prepared for the The Recycled Instruments Orchestra of Cateura who appears on this track with Berta. Solis himself conducts the orchestra.

That orchestra is comprised of young people, even children, who came from the impoverished outskirts of Asuncion, Paraguay, in a community called Cateura. The children wanted to learn music but had no financial means of obtaining instruments. Their parents and others began scouring landfills for raw materials from which to make instruments. Those materials were taken to Don Nicholas Gomez who began crafting musical instruments out of marmalade tins, cigar boxes, galvanized pipes and more.

“Tambito josefino” is a beautiful melody with mesmerizing harmonies on top of that hypnotic syncopated rhythm.  Solis’ arrangement is exact and appropriate. The story behind the music and the music itself renders the piece irresistible.

“Calle de Viento” [Street of the Wind] is the second piece from Edin Solis on the album. It is the title track of Solis’ own 1998 solo album. There is a melancholy here that is called to remind of the all-too-brief passage of life. Berta said that, although the classical guitar genre has been dominated by men, perhaps it requires a woman’s touch to bring such delicate sensitivity. This is especially true of this particular work. It is impossible to imagine any other artist surpassing Berta’s work on this all-too-brief song.

The second section belongs to Vincent Lindsey-Clark, a British guitarist who is better known for his compositions for the guitar. His compositions on “Salsa Roja” will only enhance and expand that renown.

While Berta was touring alone in England, she met Vincent Lindsey-Clark and struck up an instant friendship with the Englishman. She discovered his interest in exploring Latin American music and she offered him a chance to compose a “salsa with development.” He took up the invitation and within a short time, Berta received the charts for the first of four movements of what would become a suite called “Fiesta Americana.”

The first movement, and third track of the album, is “Danza Galopa.” Berta calls it “the most serious piece of the suite.” It is a cross-rhythm of 3/4 and 6/8 and it is the 3 against 2 rhythm that Berta finds so attractive as she performs it. In her words, she has an “affinity” with that rhythm.

What is so haunting about the composition and performance is the four-note motif that is developed in a minor 2nd which gives it the richly sad character. It is wondrously crafted and executed. The delivery is absolutely spell-binding.

“Salsa Roja” is Lindsey-Clark’s second movement of the suite. There is a major shift for the motif which ties it to “Danza Galopa” splendidly. The regret of the previous track is transformed by the rhythm and key into a celebration.

It is based on the tumbao bass groove but Lindsey-Clark’s melodies and progressions created a one-piece salsa band for Berta’s lone guitar. Salsa is a Cuban genre with several sub-genres. With salsa’s complex Afro-Cuban rhythms and the fused elements of Jazz, it is a difficult piece. If salsa is Cuban dance music, as has been described, then this piece is well-suited for it.

The third movement of the suite is “El Vuelo de la Mariposa” [The Flight of the Butterfly]. The imagery is of a butterfly taking off from an English garden and, taken on the wind, crosses the Atlantic to finally comes to rest in Berta’s beloved Paraguay.

Berta, asked which of the pieces touches her the most, said that “La Mariposa” is truly something special. Especially since it was written for Berta and for the way she plays. All of the pieces, however, are important for her.

The final movement of the suite is “Fiesta Finale.” It is Lindsey-Clark’s own musings on Latin American music. It is almost a developed recapitulation of the first three movements. The ties of motifs, runs and progressions create an almost symphonic feel to the suite. Berta indeed received what she had requested—a salsa with development.

The third section is devoted to the “dreamy and nostalgic” music of Mexico’s Julio Cesar Oliva. It includes five pieces written by Oliva, with one of them being an extended five-part variations on a lullaby.

“Vengo a Decirte Que Te Quiero” [I’ve Come to Tell You I Love You] is the first of Oliva’s compositions and serves as the seventh track on the album. It is the first of 25 pieces for solo guitar, inspired by the art of Mexico’s Fernando Pereznielo (d.2001). It is almost a neo-Impressionist piece and in places calls to mind the warmth of Debussy’s “Claire de Lune.” There are moments of shyness as a would-be lover professes affection.

Berta’s approach is achingly beautiful. It is touching and it is so very memorable.

Variaciones Sobre Una Cancion De Cuna—Duermete Mi Nino” [Variations on a Lullaby—Go to Sleep, My Child] is the five-part piece that offers five variations of a Central American lullaby. The theme is introduced in the “Andante Calmo” followed by three variations and the finale “Allegro.”

The pieces are virtuosic, delicate, sensitive and demanding and Berta handles them with such apparent ease.

 This is followed by a three-part Romantic piece still by Oliva. “Tres Instantes De Amor” [Three Moments of Love] is a study in the beginning and advance of infatuation. Part one, “Aparicion” [Appearance] is a lovely first-sighting of the loved one. It is a sweet reminder of the blossoming of new love.

Part two “Te Contemplo Desde Mi Ventana” [I Gaze Upon You from My Window] carries a profound sense of longing, almost like the oboe’s sustained note in the Overture to “Tristan und Isolde.” Berta brings that imagery to multi-faceted life in such sustained sensitivity. Part three is “Obsesion” [Obsession]. It is lively and single-minded as the theme rolls over and over.

The final section is a single piece written by Quique Sinesi entitled “Danza Sin Fin” [Endless Dance]. It is a 6/8 and 7/4 piece that was originally composed as a duo for piano and guitar. Sinesi himself arranged it just for Berta. It is the dance of life without end.

Even though titled as a dance, the song is a rapturous and joyful hymn to life. It is the sound of wonder and delight. If one were forced to choose a one-word description of Berta Rojas and her artistry, "skilled", "sensitive", "virtuosic", or even "genius" would fail to carry the full impact and import of her. She is...delightful. No one could say that of Segovia or Bream or Parkening but it is true of Berta.

From the first track with instruments from a landfill to a final track of celebration, “Salsa Roja” is a portrayal of life and love. Above poverty, above loneliness, above sadness, love and music and the love of music carries on in a dance without end. And Berta Rojas plays the tune.


~ Travis Rogers Jr.

2012 was a good year for jazz recordings and live performances. It was a year marked by scandals at the Grammys as they removed so many categories in Latin, World, Spiritual and even Classical categories. In the end, a few of the categories were reinstated and it was a good thing for Bobby Sanabria whose album "Multiverse" was nominated for best Latin Jazz album.

It was a great year for Latin Jazz and for Jazz artists in general with some phenomenal recordings released. As I look at the best of the year, it seems dominated by so-called Latin Jazz artists -- so-called because I don't always like that kind of separation along ethnic lines. This point is proven to me once again as my choices for "Best of the Year" are not broken into ethnic categories but according to who was (in my estimation) the best... or at least my favorite. And the "Latin Jazz" were strongly represented.

My original review from April 1, 2012 can be found here: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/8/post/2012/04/when-you-passed-by-new-cd-from-toshi-onizuka.html

It was a remarkable album of incredible virtuosity and originality. It was the product of a Japanese guitarist who studied flamenco in Spain before coming to the United States and creating a jazz sound which bore the impressions of all of those influences.

The compositions were brilliant and the arrangements were unique. I have never heard anything remotely close to its grace and beauty.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/toshionizuka2

My original review is located here: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/3/post/2012/11/second-cyclethe-new-release-from-melissa-aldana.html

Melissa Aldana is a young sax player from Chile but is rolling through New York City like a storm front. Her album is also marked by superb original compositions and two well-placed and well-arranged covers.

As was written in the review of her latest album, she shows a great maturity and is extremely well-complimented by her three band-mates.

This is her second album and along with her first album "Free Fall" has already created a small body of recordings that hold great promise for the future.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/melissaaldana1

Aimée Allen stole my heart this year. I am more of an instrumental fan myself but this is one of those albums that has never ventured far from the very top of my CD stack.

The original review from October 16, 2012 is here: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/3/post/2012/10/october-16th-20121.html.

As sterling as her vocal performance is, her writing skills are just that impressive. Enough cannot be said of her sometimes sassy, often sultry and forever sweet approach.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/aimeeallen3

Bobby Sanabria was one of the leaders in the fight against the loss of all those Grammy categories, as I said at the top, and his album "Multiverse" received two Grammy nominations.

The original August 8, 2012 review is here: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/3/post/2012/08/multiverse-the-latest-cd-release-from-bobby-sanabria.html

Bobby is one of the greatest drummers to ever grace the planet. I listen to him again and again and wonder just how many arms the guy has.

Don't let the kindness of the man fool you, he bursts forth with power and energy like Shiva on crack. In my list of all-time favorite drummers, Bobby is in the Top Three. This album shows why.

http://www.jazzheads.com/store.php?crn=244&rn=570&action=show_detail

Originally reviewed in September, 2012, that review can be read here: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/3/post/2012/09/da-y-medio-a-day-and-a-half-the-new-cd-by-berta-rojas-and-paquito-drivera.html

It is a rare occurrence to find a duet of Jazz guitar and saxophone but this was a delightful rarity and a collaboration that still charms me even four months after its release.

This was like a soundscape of Berta's homeland of Paraguay. The title is taken from a the day and a half that Berta and Paquito spent in Paraguay while on tour after which Paquito remarked that "a day and a half is not enough." It is a beautiful exploration of Paraguay through the music of Paraguay's great composers and performers.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/paquitodriverabertarojas

It was the end of an era. After decades of live music seven nights a week, a Portland shrine was closing to make room for ... a train station.

The original review of the March 16, 2012 performance is located here: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/2/post/2012/03/all-good-things.html

It seemed like all of Portland turned out for the final SoulMates performance at the Candlelight and the trio played with all the passion and fire that have marked every performance from them.

Ironically, the second place finisher was also a SoulMates performance--this time at Jimmy Mak's in Portland and you can read about that here: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/2/post/2012/04/i-believe-in-music-i-believe-in-love-a-tribute-to-donny-hatahway-and-roberta-flack.html

Song for Fighter was composed by Toshi Onizuka for solo guitar. It was written shortly after the March 11, 2011 disaster in Northern Japan. His dedication is to “everyone who follows a thorny path.”

It is not a cheer or an encouragement but a consolation. There are moments of utter heartbreak followed by moments of hope. The song fades on a sad but optimistic note.

This is my favorite track of the album "When You Passed By" and upon long reflection it must be pronounced my favorite song released in 2012.

Hear a sample here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/toshionizuka2

Of all the albums that got me this year, this one was the album that combined everything I love from Thelonious Monk to Mongo Santamaria.

The original review is here from September 9, 2012: http://travisrogersjr.weebly.com/3/post/2012/09/afro-blue-monkthe-upcoming-release-from-the-chembo-corniel-quintet.html

It featured brilliant performances and arrangements from Elio Villafranca, a vocal interpretation of "Afro Blue" by Mongo Santamaria's own daughter, Ileana and world-class percussion from the amazing Chembo Corniel himself.

Of all the great artists, recordings and performances of 2012, "Afro Blue Monk" by Chembo Corniel has it all.

http://www.allegro-music.com/online_catalog.asp?sku_tag=ASH34922#.UCh0J7r9AB8.facebook

What a great year for recordings. So many wonderful people making wonderful, heartfelt music. A warm thanks to all of you musicians who made the year brighter and more hopeful because of what you have bestowed upon us all.

On September 3, 2012, I had the joy of writing a review of the latest release by Berta Rojas and Paquito D’Rivera entitled “Día y Medio. (A Day and a Half).” On October 13, the news was released that the album had been nominated for a Latin Grammy. I have great hopes that Berta’s loving treatment of the music from her native land of Paraguay will receive the honor that is due her and her country.

Perhaps finally the music of Paraguay is being introduced to a wider audience in the jazz world. Paraguay belongs alongside the great music of Cuba and Brazil. While Cuba tells of beaches and Havana and Brazil intones of Rio and Carnaval, Paraguay speaks of valleys and rivers and hill villages. In affirming Berta’s album, Paraguay itself is being celebrated as it should be. The Latin Grammy nomination gives ample opportunity for reflection on the struggles and triumphs of the small land-locked nation situated between Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia.

It is a fascinating nation with fascinating people and the most inspiring music, despite the hardships of war, civil war and economic struggle.

Paraguay was a land inhabited by natives speaking the Guaraní language; after Spanish it is the second most spoken language there. Spanish conquerors arrived after Sebastian Cabot ventured there in 1526 and had explored up the Paraná and Paraguay rivers. The Spanish ruled in Paraguay until 1811 when Paraguay gained its independence, forming a republic ruled by two consuls.

Three dictators followed during the first years of independence. The third such dictator was Francisco López who conducted a large-scale war against Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. The five year period of these wars resulted in the deaths of half the male population of Paraguay.

New constitutions could still not prevent more dictatorial rule. However, after 1912, the economy began to stabilize and political normalization followed.

In the years following World War II, unfortunately, the political sphere began to rupture. This culminated in the Paraguayan civil war of 1947.  In 1954, Alfredo Stroessner assumed the dictatorship until 1989, during which he was accused of the torture and murder of thousands of political dissidents. In spite of Stroessner’s abysmal human rights record, the U.S. continued to support him. Economic expansion did come about during Stroessner’s rule but at too high a cost in human suffering.

Alfredo Stroessner was finally overthrown in a military coup led by General Andres Rodriguez in 1989. Rodriguez went on to win Paraguay's first multicandidate election in decades.

The June 1992 constitution established a democratic system of government and greatly improved protection of fundamental human and civil rights. In 1993, Juan Carlos Wasmosy, a wealthy businessman and the candidate of the governing Colorado Party, won a five-year term in free elections. He was the first civilian president in nearly four decades.

In April 1996, Army Chief General Lino Oviedo attempted to overthrow President Wasmosy but the coup was rejected by the people of Paraguay who were supported by the United States and the Organization of American States.

Raúl Cubas Grau was elected president in May 1998. However, in 1999, Cubas was forced from office for his alleged involvement in the assassination of Vice President Luis María Argaña. The vice president had criticized Cubas for failing to imprison Gen. Oviedo, who had been convicted of leading the failed 1996 coup against Wasmosy. Oviedo was finally arrested in 2004 and jailed.

Beginning in 1998, the legislature, the courts and various regional statesmen began an earnest crack-down on corruption in Paraguay.

Luis Ángel González Macchi, who had been appointed as a “caretaker president” after Cubas had resigned in disgrace, was accused of mishandling $16 million in state funds, and in 2006 he was sentenced to six years in prison. A former journalist named Nicanor Duarte Frutos was elected president on August 15, 2003. He inherited a nearly bankrupt country and continued the efforts to end governmental corruption.  

On April 22, 2008, Fernando Lugo, a former Roman Catholic Bishop, was elected president of Paraguay beating the Colorado Party's candidate, Blanca Ovelar de Duarte, the former minister of education. Lugo was a proponent of liberation theology and was backed by the liberal party against the long-ruling Colorado party. By 10 percentage points, the people of Paraguay chose a non-politician to lead them.  

Under Lugo’s administration in 2010, Paraguay experienced the greatest economic expansion of the South America, with a GDP growth rate of 14.5% by the end of the year. This was in large part because of a economic stimulus plan agreed upon by the president and the legislature. The following year saw a dramatic drop but Paraguay's growth rate still remained high at 6.4%.

During the strife-filled years of economic hardship and political oppression, Paraguay has continued to produce musicians and composers who share a rejoicing in life and love of home. Due to its central location in South America, Paraguay is sometimes referred to as “Corazón de América,” or the “Heart of America.”

Geography aside, there is in the music of Paraguay a beating heart that is inspirational to all of the Americas. Paraguay has suffered so much but has found joy in the music of their hills and valleys and rivers and villages.

Now the people of Paraguay are seeing bright days and a brighter future. The music performed by Berta Rojas and Paquito D’Rivera has revealed the long-hidden beauty. The Latin Grammy nomination for “Día y Medio. (A Day and a Half)” is a signal that the world is listening and is celebrating with Paraguay. A Latin Grammy victory for Berta would be just what Paraguay and the Americas need.

Día y Medio (A Day and a Half) is the staggering new collaborative album by Berta Rojas and Paquito D’Rivera. In 2011, the duet toured Latin America together and spent 36 hours in Berta’s home country of Paraguay. D’Rivera declared that a day and a half was not enough time to enjoy the beauty of the music, the scenery, the people of this amazing nation in South America, thus giving their new CD its title.

In the dedication found in the liner notes, Berta simply states “To Paraguay, my country and my people.” This is the simple summation of the intent and inspiration of this magnificent recording. The CD features great composers and styles representing the music of Berta’s homeland; a land too long ignored for its rich contributions to astonishing music and musicianship.

Paquito D’Rivera is from Cuba and began his career as a child prodigy. To have a musician of D’Rivera’s performing and composing skills alongside Rojas’ dedication to her homeland makes for a moving and enlightening journey into Paraguay. Hers is the old love of home and his is the new love of a captivated traveler.

There are twelve songs on the CD and half of them are from the pen of Augustin Pio Barrios Mangoré.

Barrios is one of the pioneers in guitar recording as well as one of the greatest guitar composers of all time. His work was overshadowed by Andres Segovia and Heitor Villa- Lobos but even the great Villa-Lobos called Barrios “the Untouchable.”

Popular classical guitarist John Williams spoke in this way of Barrios: "As a guitarist-composer, Barrios is the best of the lot, regardless of era. His music is better formed, it's more poetic, it's more everything! And it's more of all those things in a timeless way."

The first piece by Barrios and the opening track on the album is Las Abejas (The Bees). As I read the sheet music for the piece, I was profoundly grateful that I had chosen to play piano. The virtuosity level is extreme. Segovia heard Barrios perform in 1922 and also remarked at the virtuosic elements in the music that he witnessed, saying the music was “ideal for the repertory of any concert guitarist.”

And the lovely Berta Rojas nails it. The piece begins with just Berta on guitar and the listener is enthralled from the very beginning. Then she is joined by the tenor sax of her virtuoso equal, Paquito D’Rivera. The result is more like Brubeck’s Rondo a la Turk than Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee…and I mean that in a good way. But it is not all tempo and precision; there is great lyricism and melody at work here and it is a beautiful introduction to this album.

The YouTube link below will reveal this brilliantly.

I found myself wondering at the land that produced such a composer as Barrios, and music as Las Abejas, and a musician as Berta Rojas. I wondered at my country’s utter unfamiliarity with a country such as Paraguay.

Much of North America’s ignorance of all things Paraguayan is probably due to the cultural and political isolation suffered by that nation due to 35 years of repressive dictatorship under the control of General Alfredo Stroessner who assumed control in 1954 following two decades of war, civil war and dictatorships.

On February 3, 1989, Stroessner was finally overthrown in a military coup d’etat.  The June 1992 constitution embraced a democratic system of government and vastly improved the protection of fundamental human rights. In May 1993, fair and free elections chose the first civilian president in almost 40 years. Since then, Paraguay has achieved remarkable economic, political and legal legitimacy. In 2010, the nation enjoyed its greatest economic boom in over 30 years, and was ranked number three in the world in its increase in the GDP.

In a word, Paraguay has much to celebrate and the world should be celebrating with them, especially in the new-found exposure to the amazing music of this amazing country. This new CD from Rojas and D’Rivera is the soundtrack of rediscovery and celebration.

From Las Abejas, the next track continues with another Barrios composition Maxixe. Barrios used a Brazilian dance rhythm as the framework for this uplifting work of such cheer. The trading between guitar and clarinet and the side-by-side playing of the two was a dance in itself. The partners were again of equal talent and of the same mind and heart. The result is overwhelming.

Recuerdos de Ypacaraí (Memories of Ypacarí) was written by Demetrio OrtÍz, born in 1916 in Paraguay. The song is reminiscent without being maudlin. The story goes that OrtÍz had visited Lake Ypacarí and saw a woman whose beauty left him breathless. After the passing of time, he was alone and the memory came to him as fresh as ever. This piece was born of that memory. It is not a memory of what might have been or of a lost opportunity but it is a souvenir of something that had touched him once and still.

Oddly enough, the song’s opening measure, or two, might recall to the hearer the song by William Best (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons. Of course, the two songs are entirely unrelated but the comparable introductory measures are amusing.

Pájaro Choguí – Galopera opens with the most soothing guitar and is joined by the alto sax of such beautiful compliment. Berta’s playing is charming and captivating but, as the two of them glide into the second movement, Berta also begins to reveal the power of her playing. The strength and control she exhibits ranks her alongside any guitarist one would care to name. Consideration of her gender should never enter a discussion about her musicianship. Her delicacy is always ready to be displayed, but her precision and power are also always in evidence.

Berta Rojas’ name belongs in the very same breath as Segovia or Williams or Parkening or Bream. The truth is, Segovia was often heavy-handed and Rojas has never displayed that. Bream was influenced by Django Reinhardt and it shows in his energy. Williams is admired for his light touch and Parkening for his intricacy. Berta has all of those characteristics at her command; showing Bream’s jazziness and Williams’ gentleness and Parkening’s flawlessness, without being irrevocably enslaved by comparisons to them or any others.

Rojas is Rojas and that is the highest complement one could bestow upon another.

Preludio in Do Menor (Prelude in C Minor) is a Bach-inspired piece by Agustin Barrios, again. The arranger, Mauricio Cardoza Ocampo, is said to have arranged the play between guitar and clarinet as representing the encounter of Barrios and Astor Piazzolla. This piece is thrilling and, in many ways, the most satisfying of all the selections. It is like hearing words of love spoken between a mathematician and a poet—the intricate and complex meeting the unrestrained and emotional.

The track arrangement is perfect on this album. The seamless flow between songs is detailed and inevitable. Che Trompo Arasa (My Wooden Top) follows next and it opens sweetly and moves to excitement and energy. Rightly so, as the song portrays a child playing with a wooden top complete with the spinning following the dropping of the top. The simple excitement of the child is clearly felt, even more than heard, in this bright piece. Paquito’s attack is exuberant and wide-eyed. Berta’s steady handedness forms the successful basis for the resulting euphoria.

These two musicians should partner together again and again and again; like Reinhardt and Grapelli, Jarrett and Garbarek.

Another composition by Demetrio OrtÍz is the middle track and fits perfectly. Mis Noches Sin Ti (My Nights Without You) brought world-wide fame to the composer in 1946. The subject matter is not what may be expected. The sweetness is not romantic but almost child-like. The absence is not the agonizing missing of a lover, but is the departure of an anchor. OrtÍz composed the piece shortly after the death of his mother and that knowledge makes the composition even more heartbreaking. There is joy recalled but, in the end, there is absence.

Rojas and D’Rivera perform so unabashedly and so flawlessly that one might lose sight of the musicianship as the beauty of the compositions shine through the perfect playing of each piece. This is what they have created—a partnership that has shined the spotlight on the composers and the music instead of their own unique virtuosity. This is rare. They make the listener hear Paraguay.

Choli is a haunting melody that D’Rivera treats with affectionate respect as Rojas steadily pulls at the heart. José AsuncÍon Flores writes of the missing love that once burned so hotly within him for the woman who has left him and Rojas and D’Rivera have played it with a disowned coolness that carries the emotion certainly intended by the composer. It is a masterstroke.

Mario Miguel Clavel was born in Argentina who incorporated the native rhythm of the guarania form of Paraguay into his music. The astonishing clarinet playing alongside the elegant classical guitar truly gives voice to the emotions of desire and longing. These musicians possess a true mastery of interpretation and adaptation.

This is in full display for the three remaining pieces of the album—all composed by Barrios. Caazapá is followed by Choro da Saudade (Nostalgic Choro) and the album concludes with Danza Paraguaya (Paraguayan Dance).  While Barrios was considered a late-Romantic, so much of his music was informed by his love of South American and Central American folk music—especially, of course, the music of Paraguay.

Caazapá was a traditional folk melody that Barrios used as the structure for this piece. It recalls his home and his love for it, while Choro da Saudade (Nostalgic Choro) was written upon Barrios’ realization that he would never again see his homeland. The longing for home permeates every note.

Berta and Paquito do not leave the listener downcast, however. Danza Paraguaya (Paraguayan Dance) is the unfettered joy of being home (or of reveling in someone else’s love of their home). This is the shared emotion of Berta and Paquito. She sings through the guitar of a love of home and he raises his horn in celebration of her love. It is the joy of seeing something beloved through the eyes of one who loves it best.

Indeed Paquito felt that a day and a half was for too short a time to truly appreciate the beauty of Paraguay, but listeners will feel that Día y Medio (A Day and a Half) has given us exactly what we need to truly appreciate the beauty and the mastery of six composers and two magnificent performers.

This wonderful recording can be purchased right now at CDBaby. Here is the direct link to purchase.