Extra credit

For the first selection, “El Brujo de Nueva Paz” it starts off with a striking introduction on the trumpet which sets the mood for the remaining portion of the song. With Latin music it’s virtually impossible not to have the desire to move and this song is definitely no exception. With the background vocals and the trumpet continuing to be noticeable throughout the selection, it makes the song more enjoyable and with the accentuating male vocals, the music gets transitioned into another level. This piece would be ideal to salsa to because of the constant pulse element that comes with it that aides the dancer if they lose track if their steps while they are dancing. This number makes me have the impression that it was recorded in a studio and there was not any audience in attendance. I get this impression because, while it is lively, there is absolutely nothing indicating that there are people actively enjoying it and if it were being played in a formal concert setting, there would most likely be audible participation such as attempting to clap the rhythm etc. As far as the vocals (with the exception of the prominent male vocals), I thought they were a slight deterrent to the rest of the piece because they were substantially muffled and with my limited knowledge of Spanish, I could not make out a word that was vocalized.

For the second selection, “La Dueña del Swing”, I thought the piano opening made it instantly enjoyable to listen to and set the continued positive groove for the rest of the song. Secondly, the accentuating call and response vocals add another element to the piece and it made me actively listen and a happier individual while I did that. Being in a ballroom dance club in high school, this song constantly made me want to get up and dance and the brass “rhythm” section strengthened that urge. With the vocals more energetic and easier to understand, it put me in a more joyous mood than the previous song. As aforementioned, it is inevitable that Latin music is bound to put anybody in a good mood but “El Brujo de Nueva Paz” just did not make me aspire to dance as much as “La Dueña del Swing” did.

For the last selection, “Santo Domingo”, shuffling percussive opening and the eventual joining from the accordion created an interesting contrast. This combination created a dichotomy between the call and response vocals that made the listener become more attentive to really retain all of the elements of the number. If the lyrics were intended to be words, they were barely recognizable. To me, they solely sounded like a collection of onomatopoeia that was formed to create a timbre that was intended to make people possibly have the desire to dance. The cumbia itself is both a style of Latin dancing and a style of Latin music and both are known to be substantially lively. Thus, I imagine the occasion in which this song was played must have been at some sort of a fiesta and not in a formal concert setting.