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Product Description
Review
In equal measure a curio, a lament, a history lesson and a hoedown, San Patricio is one of those albums that happily transcends its parts. If you only buy one Irish-Mexican album this year, in fact, The Chieftains and Ry Cooder should do you nicely.
The Californian guitarist and the Irish folk heavyweights are seasoned collaborators as well as inveterate globetrotters. It was while they were recording together in Havana in the 1990s that the Irishmen introduced Cooder to the musicians who would star in his nostalgic world music bestseller, the Buena Vista Social Club.
This time, though, the focus is on another historical gem: the little-known story of the Irish conscripts who deserted from the American army to fight with Santa Anna’s Mexicans in the 1840s border war. And while the first hearing of tin whistles with Mexican guitars is a little disorienting, Chieftains founder Paddy Moloney brews up a winning mixture.
Bumping cheeky mariachis up against Celtic ballads, and abutting the warm warble of Cooder’s tenor with the stately harmonies of Los Cenzontles, the stellar cast includes Linda Ronstadt (with a song learned from her Mexican grandfather), legendary arranger Van Dyke Parks, the sensational Mexican singer Lila Downs, Moya Brennan from Clannad, and battalions of crack instrumentalists.
Among the highlights are the ribald capering of Latin Grammy winners Los Tigres del Norte, and the mournful, sashaying bolero sung by 90-year-old Chavela Vargas. And if the production doesn’t attain the all-embracing smoky ambience of the Buena Vista record, it fiercely affirms that – Guinness or tequila – these are two musical cultures that know how to party.
It’s a coming thing, too, this business of music as narrative documentary. Moloney first tried it in the 1970s, addressing matters Irish-French on the 15-minute Bonaparte’s Retreat. At an hour, though, the Irish-Mexican theme could frankly do with more storytelling; Liam Neeson’s effective but brief reading, March to Battle, is no substitute for the sort of explanation Cooder superbly wove into his earlier Chavez Ravine.
Still, this is a transatlantic musical campaign whose virtuosity, verve and sheer eccentric heart make it hard to resist. --Ninian Dunnett
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Product Description
1-La Lguana (& LILA DOWNS) 2-La Golondrina (& LOS FOLKLORISTAS) 3-A La Rilla De Un Palmar (& LINDA RONSTADT) 4-Danza De Concheros (& LOS FOLKLORISTAS) 5-El Chivo (& LOS CENZONTLES) 6-San Campio (& CARLOS NUNEZ) 7-The Sands Of Mexico (& RY COODER) 8-Sailing To Mexico (& CARLOS NUNEZ) 9-El Caballo (& LOS CAMPEROS DE VALLES) 10-March To Battle (& BANDA DA GAITA../U.A.) 11-Lullaby For The Dead (& MOYA BRENNAN) 12-Luz De Luna (& CHAVELA VARGAS) 13-Persecucion De Villa (& MARIACHI SANTA...) 14-Cancion Mexteca (& RY COODER) (intro) 15-Cancion Mixteca (& LOS TIGRES DEL NORTE) 16-Ojitos Negros (& LOS CENZONTLES) 17-El Ralampago (& LILA DOWNS) 18-El Pajaro Cu (& LA NEGRA GRACIANA) 19-Finale (& LOS CENZONTLES/C.NUNEZ/LOS FOLK..) (2010/BLACKROCK) 19 tracks (61:50) digipac with poster Die Geschichte der Ry Cooder, die irische Folkband Chieftains und Ihre mexikanischen Gäste in den überwiegend traditionellen mexikanischen Liedern erzählen, handeln von zeitlosen Themen wie Liebe, Verlust und Träumen von besseren Zeiten. So wie sich einst die irischen Kämpfer unter die Mexikaner mischten, paaren sich auf dem Album nun auch die mexikanischen Klassiker mit Originalen aus der Feder von Paddy Moloney, Brendan Graham und Ry Cooder. Scheinbare kulturelle Gegensätze werden so mühelos ausser Kraft gesetzt, dass man nach dem Album fast glauben könnte, Irland sei eigentlich ein Teil Latein- amerikas. Mit SAN PATRICIO ist Cooder un den Chieftains ein fabelhafter Geniestreich gelungen, zu dessen Musik der Heilige Patrick von Irland mit der Jungfrau von Guadalupe tanzt.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have extremely mixed views about this recording project. It is ultimately an anti-climax and I doubt if I would harbour these feelings if I had just bought the CD and not this "De Luxe" version.
For starters much of the music is delightful but I started to ask why so many happy songs about such a tragic series of events ? - Paddy Moloney tap dancing away on the DVD is incongruous with the hanging and branding of Irish freedom fighters. Many of the songs on this recording appear to have nothing to do with the San Patricios, and if they have I'd like to know why there are no translations of the Spanish songs which might provide an authentic insight into this period ?
None of the Chieftains apart from Moloney appear on the DVD and one is left with the impression that most of the recording was done Stateside (only half a dozen tracks actually recorded in Mexico)and a tape was sent back to Dublin for the rest of the group to play along with! Much of the music on the disc is not played by the Chieftains at all but by excellent Mexican groups.
The DVD was also a missed opportunity to give a proper historical analysis of the San Patricios, unfortunately neither Paddy Moloney (who quotes an incorrect date in the discussion) nor Ry Cooder seem to know much about it, and they end up in a bland back-slapping conversation about the power of music to unite.
Amazon incorrectly states that Carlos Nunez is a Mexican musician - he's Galician and there's no explanation given for the Galician link with the San Patricios either. This whole recording smacks of a clever spotting of a commercial opportunity (Moloney has a cheek in jamming along to Mexican tunes played by Mexican musicians and then claiming royalties with his "trad arranged by Moloney" credit !)
So - you'll have to look elsewhere for musical perspectives on this event (Tim O'Brien has an excellent song called John Riley, who led the San Patricios, on his "The Crossing " CD which is more emotional than any of the numbers here).If you want to hear excellent Mexican music with added Irish instrumental embellishment and a few token songs relating to this Irish Brigade then this will work very well for you, but ignore the DVD and stick to the CD only version! Linda Ronstadt has recorded some brilliant Mexican music back 20 or so years ago (when her voice was much stronger) and a CD called "Jardin Azul" is an excellent compilation if you'd like to delve further into this genre.
Musically I actually prefer "San Patricio" to the above mentioned Buena Vista Social Club as it is rhythmically more upbeat, but at least that album WAS recorded in Cuba and provided an excellent accompanying booklet.
For starters much of the music is delightful but I started to ask why so many happy songs about such a tragic series of events ? - Paddy Moloney tap dancing away on the DVD is incongruous with the hanging and branding of Irish freedom fighters. Many of the songs on this recording appear to have nothing to do with the San Patricios, and if they have I'd like to know why there are no translations of the Spanish songs which might provide an authentic insight into this period ?
None of the Chieftains apart from Moloney appear on the DVD and one is left with the impression that most of the recording was done Stateside (only half a dozen tracks actually recorded in Mexico)and a tape was sent back to Dublin for the rest of the group to play along with! Much of the music on the disc is not played by the Chieftains at all but by excellent Mexican groups.
The DVD was also a missed opportunity to give a proper historical analysis of the San Patricios, unfortunately neither Paddy Moloney (who quotes an incorrect date in the discussion) nor Ry Cooder seem to know much about it, and they end up in a bland back-slapping conversation about the power of music to unite.
Amazon incorrectly states that Carlos Nunez is a Mexican musician - he's Galician and there's no explanation given for the Galician link with the San Patricios either. This whole recording smacks of a clever spotting of a commercial opportunity (Moloney has a cheek in jamming along to Mexican tunes played by Mexican musicians and then claiming royalties with his "trad arranged by Moloney" credit !)
So - you'll have to look elsewhere for musical perspectives on this event (Tim O'Brien has an excellent song called John Riley, who led the San Patricios, on his "The Crossing " CD which is more emotional than any of the numbers here).If you want to hear excellent Mexican music with added Irish instrumental embellishment and a few token songs relating to this Irish Brigade then this will work very well for you, but ignore the DVD and stick to the CD only version! Linda Ronstadt has recorded some brilliant Mexican music back 20 or so years ago (when her voice was much stronger) and a CD called "Jardin Azul" is an excellent compilation if you'd like to delve further into this genre.
Musically I actually prefer "San Patricio" to the above mentioned Buena Vista Social Club as it is rhythmically more upbeat, but at least that album WAS recorded in Cuba and provided an excellent accompanying booklet.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I first heard Mike Harding playing the Ry Cooder/ Chieftains track "Sands of Mexico" on BBC Radio 2 a couple of weeks ago and knew I had to get this album. The San Patricios are seen as a forgotten part of Irish history, so it is important that their stories are highlighted and the role of Irishmen who, too often had fought in imperialist armies, often found themselves on opposing sides in many of the conflicts in recent history- compare for example to the men and women who joined the International Brigades and those who joined O'Duffy' s Blueshirts in Spain a few decades later.
The mixture of Irish music and a mixture of Mexican and English lyrics make for an inspiring CD and will invoke in listeners a desire to find more about this brave bunch of men who joined the Mexicans as they fought the US. While there is actaully a small touch of an old crooner in Ry Cooder's rendition of the "Sands of Mexico" it is quality stuff throughout and the mixture of styles adds to an international feel.
The mixture of Irish music and a mixture of Mexican and English lyrics make for an inspiring CD and will invoke in listeners a desire to find more about this brave bunch of men who joined the Mexicans as they fought the US. While there is actaully a small touch of an old crooner in Ry Cooder's rendition of the "Sands of Mexico" it is quality stuff throughout and the mixture of styles adds to an international feel.
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Ry Cooder has collaborated with the Chieftains before, most notably on their wonderful 'Long Black Veil" CD where his three contributions "The coast of Malabar", "Dunmore lassies" and "He moved through the fair" were among the most successful collaborations. On that occasion as well as singing he played marvelous, brooding blues slide guitar which perfectly integrated with the Chieftains sound.
In his two tracks here he is firmly back in 'Chavez Ravine' mode (sadly not playing with a slide) to tell the amazing story of the Irish-American San Patricio Battalion who fought on the side of Mexico in the Mexican-American War (sounds like the plot of a Cormac McCarthy novel!) He joins the Chieftains, together with Linda Ronstadt, Lila Downs, Carlos Nunez, Liam Neeson and Los Tigres del Norte amongst many others. However, none of the guests are highlighted much, this is very much an ensemble record. At times I felt that the Irish element was being overpowered by the Mexican sound, only for it to slowly emerge from the mix. This mix shouldn't really work but somehow it does, as demonstrated in the uplifting closing track "Finale" with both musics perfectly integrated. An amazing meeting of cultures through the collaboration of very talented musicians.
In his two tracks here he is firmly back in 'Chavez Ravine' mode (sadly not playing with a slide) to tell the amazing story of the Irish-American San Patricio Battalion who fought on the side of Mexico in the Mexican-American War (sounds like the plot of a Cormac McCarthy novel!) He joins the Chieftains, together with Linda Ronstadt, Lila Downs, Carlos Nunez, Liam Neeson and Los Tigres del Norte amongst many others. However, none of the guests are highlighted much, this is very much an ensemble record. At times I felt that the Irish element was being overpowered by the Mexican sound, only for it to slowly emerge from the mix. This mix shouldn't really work but somehow it does, as demonstrated in the uplifting closing track "Finale" with both musics perfectly integrated. An amazing meeting of cultures through the collaboration of very talented musicians.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Curate's Egg
Like the lead reviewer, I have mixed feelings about this album. In part however, I accept the blame for this. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Dangerous Dave
Not for me - the vocals are the problem
A collaboration between two of recent times' most prolific collaborators, Ry Cooder & the Chieftains - I was looking forward to this one, but was disappointed. Read more
Published 13 months ago by oldhasbeen
San Patricio CD
Great,really fantastic, a mixture of traditional Mexican with an Irish undertone.
Ry Cooder has the touch to produce great traditional Latin music.
Ry Cooder has the touch to produce great traditional Latin music.
Published 15 months ago by Cucho
NICK,NACK,PADDYMEX,JUST BUY,HISSSTORY
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY I HAD MY TEARDUCT,S SUPGICALLY REMOVED,ONLY KIDDING,THE RAW EMOTION IS SO POWERFUL THIS CD IS SO THOUGHT PROVOKING,THIS MUSIC DESPITE ALL THE ADVERSITY,... Read more
Published 23 months ago by A. Hussain
Does not live to expectations
Ry Cooder has been very successful in bringing together different musical genres - see for example the Buena Vista Social Club. Read more
Published on 26 April 2010 by Dr. E. Kyriazakis
Musical tribute to Irish soldiers fighting a mighty force.
San Patricio by The Chieftains and Ry Cooder.
A lot of thought and research went into this album, filling in a forgotten chapter
of American history. Read more
A lot of thought and research went into this album, filling in a forgotten chapter
of American history. Read more
Published on 19 April 2010 by Mr. John Wheeler
Rather good
The Chieftains manage to combine Irish and Mexican folk to get an interesting CD. I really like the instrumental songs, but some of the "sung songs" aren't as good. Read more
Published on 15 April 2010 by The Count
No Boundaries
How do the Chieftains meld with so many different musicians so well. Listen to San Patricio and find out
Published on 13 April 2010 by Dusty
A wild mixture
I thought this was another triumph for Ry Cooder, for although he has worked with Tex Mex and Mariarchi music before, this is the first cross-over to feature Irish traditional... Read more
Published on 12 April 2010 by Neil M. Hartwell
Beautiful album
Great celebration of the historical links between Mexico and Ireland. Witty and sensitive fusion of two rich musical heritages.
Published on 10 April 2010 by O. Duffy
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