Life Shaping Album # 6 - Amazonas - Guaco

Guaco, La Super Banda de Venezuela. What an amazing group of musicians. A band with 3 decades of history is impossible to analize briefly. 16 piece band... a big band of salsa, timba, songo, gaita, funk, you name it.

This album marks in my opinion the pinnacle of this band. I cannot imagine a better group of musicians than the lineup this cd had. The brilliance of Singer and true SONGWRITER Jorge Luis Chacin, voices of Luis Fernando Borjas and group founder Gustavo Aguado, make this album legendary. The drumming of one of my favorites, Fernando Valladares, is impecable, minimalistic and THE reference for drumset playing in a big band format... selfless, always playing for others but he has to play he PLAYS. Along with Nestor Perez on Congas and Julio Rivera on Timbales make up the best percussion section I have heard, obviously aside from Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Patato etc back in the days. I could go on forever. PLUS the bass lines and piano montunos are the definition of GROOVE

The lyrics in this record are just outstanding... Chacin is one of my favorite songwriters... It seems like a large amount of my favorite songs are his. Amazing lyrics with the best horn arrangements i´ve heard, you HAVE to buy this record if you want to hear some of the best latin music ever recorded, be serious and buy it!

Another one of those records that when you are in love, have a crush, have a broken heart or simply are a breathing human being with an ounce of care and emotion, you will relate to this record. Esperandote, Si Usted la Viera, Ella Sabe, Cuando Recuerdo, Causas... every song is musically rich, innovative on so many levels... A true true true musical masterwork. The production and mix are flawless, and the genious engineering of my friend German Landaeta is perfect.

Its a true shame that Fernando Valladares, Morritz Beroes, Nestor Perez, Nelson Arrieta and Jorge Luis Chacin are no longer in the band. I cannot understand why you would get rid of the core and essence of your group... but that´s another story in which I know too little to make a small comment on...

¨Cuando recuerdo que ya no tengo rosas para dar, Cuando recuerdo tan solo me dan ganas de llorar, y la luna blanca se esconde en el silencio pues ya no luce como en mis recuerdos¨