Customer Rating: 
Summary: Canciones: A musical blend of fiery chiles and bittersweet chocolate.
Comment: The Reviewer below was quite right in her comparison of the traditional Mexican folk songs on this great album to mole poblano sauce, a concoction of fiery chiles and bittersweet Mexican chocolate. Linda Ronstadt is a Mexican-American, and her Canciones de Mi Padre ("My Father's Songs") is a bold and colorful blend of Spanish vocals backed by mariachi violins, trumpets, Mexican guitar, vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar), flute, and one guitarrón (a small-scaled acoustic bass). Like the Reviewer below, I listened to this album a lot while I was in college (in Tucson), where I also experienced Ronstadt's live performance of Canciones in its entirety. Mark Canciones as Exhibit B to my argument that we should embrace the Latin culture in our country, rather than building fences at our borders. (Shakira's Dónde Están los Ladrones? is Exhibit A, which is like prescription-quality poblano mole sauce.) The thirteen "world class" canciones (as Rondstadt calls them) included on this Grammy Award-winning album include:
1. Por Un Amor (For A Love) 3:01
2. Los Laureles (The Laurels) 2:29
3. Hay Unos Ojos (There Are Some Eyes) 2:47
4. La Cigarra (The Cicada) 3:49
5. Tu Solo Tu (You Only You) 3:12
6. Y Andale (Get On With It) 2:37
7. Rogaciano El Huapanguero (Rogiciano) 3:05
8. La Charreada (The Charreada) 3:45
9. Dos Arbolitos (Two Little Trees) 2:36
10. Corrido DeCanenea (Ballad of Cananea) 3:27
11. La Barca De Guaymas (The Boat From Guaymas) 3:25
12. La Calandria (The Lark) 3:03
13. El Sol Que Tu Eres (The Sun That You Are) 3:04
G. Merritt
Customer Rating:
Summary: Linda Ronstadt and the Marvelous Mariachi
Comment: Linda Ronstadt's "Canciones de mi padre (songs of my father)" is a Mexican masterpiece. Ronstadt brings mariachi classics to burning, passionate life. It's an album perfect for newcomers to world music and aficionados alike. I remember listening to this album over and over again in college in New Mexico. I found Ronstadt's passionate immediacy powerful. She has great emotional range.
Her opening "Por un amor (For a love)" is flamboyant,like a fiesta. "Los Laureles (the laurels)" is a lamentation. "Charreada" is joyous, one can hear the tequila flowing. "Y andale (get on with it)" is lilting and longing. The Ballad of Cananea has depth. "Cigarra (cicada)" is passionate. "Rogaciano" is bittersweet, like Mexican mole.
"Canciones de mi padre" is a definite world music classic. It's perfect for the fiesta... or anytime!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Dios Mio! Linda Sings Amazing Mexican Folk Music
Comment: If this CD doesn't make you want to stand up and dance and attempt to sing along, I'm not sure what will. Her voice is just truly amazing and truly brings to life some fantastic Mexican folk music. Como fuerte! The songs are moving and will give you a new found appreciation for the genre.
Customer Rating:
Summary: canciones de mi padre
Comment: I had heard the album before and i fall in love with all the songs,but up until a few years ago with my sisters passing i had been looking for it. I'm so glad I came across it while on your site. Thank you very much this CD was one of my sisters favorites and now one of mine.
Linda Pardo
Salinas,Ca.
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Summary: que bonita........
Comment: I am so blessed to have a copy of this beautiful album, recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the world reknown Mariachi Vargas (an amazing mariachi band). Though, Linda Ronstadt's transition from pop music into the mariachi repertoire of her father (a very talented mariachi musician) was dismissed as a novelty by some, it is beautiful music to my ears (as well as many others who have heard Ronstadt's interpretations of well-known mariachi songs). For starters, Linda has an expressive and clear range as a vocalist and it is evident that the influences of mariachi have moved her deeply as an artist. She has a wonderful, "fat" mariachi voice (what I mean by that is that she has the ability to really stretch out the long notes in a song that accent them with great feeling). This is a hallmark of mariachi vocalists, men and women alike. The most well-known songs are heard here. They include "Por Un Amor," "Tu Solo Tu" (recorded by Pedro Infante, and, later, by Selena, among many other artists), "Y Andale" and "Los Laureles."
From what I have heard, Linda Ronstadt immersed herself in mariachi as part of her research for this album (as well as MAS CANCIONES) and it shows. You can tell that she did her homework! Yet, Linda also succeeds at sounding distinctive and not merely like she is imitating the performances of others. What's more, Ronstadt and Mariachi Vargas sound as though they had been performing together for many years. The collaboration is terrific. If you aren't familiar with mariachi, its glorious melodies, beautiful instrumentation (with guitarron, guitar, and violin), this is a great introduction. I guarantee you will fall in love with this beautiful style of Mexican music after just hearing the first couple of tracks. Gorgeous.
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