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  Eliades Ochoa
A La Casa De La Trova (Escondida Music, 2005)
Cuban guitarist/tres player and vocalist
Eliades Ochoa is a youngster among the
Buena
Vista superstars. He's often seen smiling at his fans from beneath a Panama
hat. Hailing from the Cuban countryside (he was born on June 22, 1946), his
repertoire possesses a rustic and earthy signature. He's known for his sweet
vocals and his interpretations of sones, guarachas, trovas and guajiras. His
mother taught him how to play the three string guitar, tres during his early
childhood. In the early 1970's, Eliades settled in the city of Santiago de Cuba.
It was during this period of his life that he grew into an accomplished
guitarist and vocalist. In 1978, Francisco Cobos who founded the
Cuarteto Patria (a group that focused on trova), handed the baton over to
Eliades. Eliades augmented the band's repertoire to include sones, guarachas and
guajiras.
Eliades career developed through the 1980's in which he began to record and
perform at noted music festivals. He also appeared in the United States and
Spain. By the time he was invited to join the
Buena
Vista Social Club musicians in 1996, he had already been involved in the
music industry for a quarter of a century. His involvement with
Buena
Vista Social Club brought him international fame and led him to work
on projects with international musicians such as
Ry
Cooder, Charlie Musslewhite and
Manu
Dibango.
A La Casa De La Trova features 15 tracks recorded from 1981 to 1996. The
vocalist-guitarist interprets songs by Antonio Fernandez Ortiz, Pavon Argote
Ramon, Nico Saquito, Julio Rodriguez and
Compay
Segundo among others. The track, El Cuarto De Tula might be familiar to many
ears around the world since it's one of the songs featured on the
Buena Vista Social Club disc that was released in 1996 and has been
covered by other contemporary Cuban musicians such as the Puentes Brothers. The
rustic 1992 recording of Rita La Caimana sounds archival even though it was
recorded during the last decade. The song is peppered with vocal commentaries
throughout and is mirthful. The arpeggio guitar runs are also appreciated.
In fact the guitar work on these songs is immaculate and is backed by earthy
beats and sweet vocals. There must be tons of Cuban and other guitarists
learning the guitar phrases to El Cuarto De Tula and other songs on this disc.
And certainly for those who know Spanish, it would be a joy to sing along with
these songs. The other option is to put on dancing shoes and let go of tension
in our bodies. Other guitar favorites include, No Quiero Celos Contigo, Son A La
Casa De La Trova (which also sports a lovely melody), and well, the whole CD
provides fabulous guitar, voice and percussion. But to get an idea of what I'm
talking about, take a listen to the lengthy tres (guitar?) solo on the last
track, Para Ti Nengon. Eliades Ochoa who has already blazed through vast musical
territory still has a long and illustrious career ahead of him. Keep an eye out
for that humble smile hidden beneath the shadow of his Panama hat.
by Patty-Lynne Herlevi
Compliments of Cranky Crow World Music
Please visit the new Afro-Latin of the Americas Music page where several Buena
Vista Social Club musicians are featured.
[Buy
A La Casa de la Trova].
Other Eliades Ochoa stories:
Escondida Records Releases "Cuban Essentials" Collection, Definitive Recordings
From '50s to '90s
Eliades Ochoa Announces Forthcoming Album
Salsa Cubana" Dedicated to Eliades Ochoa
Eliades Ochoa Will Not Retire
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