Our Review
Ritmos Navidenos (Christmas Rhythms) is a hearty helping of Latin/Spanish/flamenco stylings for the holidays. Take well-known carols with international origins, infuse with jazzy Latin delights, mix well, and serve to your grateful Christmas guests. Delicious!
Tony Ybarra is the guitar magician here, and he is joined by three talents (Ed Smith, Chalo Eduardo, Juan Pablo Perez) to help make the rhythms pop. When I decided to listen to Ritmos Navidenos this cold autumn night, I was happy to discover jazzy instrumentals that warmly charged the room with upbeat passion and fun. Nice!
The enthusiasm here is heartfelt, but relatively mellow. The craziest percussive fluorishes are probably on Go Tell It on the Mountain, a high-flying, fast-tempo affair requiring the nimblest fingerwork from Ybarra. The offering's longest track (just over five minutes) is O Come, O Come Emmanuel; it is probably my favorite. The rendition is introspective and rich with shifting Latin flavors.
Tony Ybarra was wise to name this release Ritmos Navidenos; after all, the rhythmic percussive backbone provides exciting support for his remarkable guitar-playing throughout. These Latin interpretations of well-loved holiday classics should have even rhythm-less gringos clapping and tapping! Stand up & dance, muchachos!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2009)
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From the liner notes:
Tony Ybarra: Guitar
Ed Smith: Drums and Percussion
Chalo Eduardo: Congas, Cajon, Bongos, and Culca
Juan Pblo Perez: Bass
In the summer of 2004, my wife came up with this great idea: put out a Christmas CD! It was a wonderful idea but a daunting task when it comes to Christmas songs. How do you create something new out of music we hear every year? Well, I began incorporating traditional Latin, Spanish, and flamenco rhythms (which I love) to drive these pieces in a new direction and this inspired me to compose new music that surrounds these familiar songs and make them different enough to hopefully become new again. I also included a few traditional Spanish Christmas songs. The result is a beautiful blend of timeless melodies, enchanting harmonies, and invigorating rhythms.
From the Website:
Anthony (Tony) Ybarra: Born in Santa Barbara, California, Anthony has had the guitar in his hands all his life. His father introduced to him Latin and jazz music at an early age and soon his musical palette broadened to encompass classical and flamenco. His understanding of these diverse styles has led him to craft out his own sound that is melodic, romantic, intimate, rhythmic, and sophisticated.
Tony Ybarra
Ritmos Navidenos (Christmas Rhythms)
Artist link
Label: Baby T Records
Length: 53 minutes
Genre: New Age
Release: 2005
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Deck the Halls |
| Carol of the Bells/What Child Is This? |
| O Christmas Tree |
| The First Noel |
| Hark the Herald Angels Sing |
| Los Peces En El Rio |
| Silent Night |
| Go Tell It on the Mountain |
| Joy to the World |
| O Come, O Come Emmanuel |
| A La Nanita Nana |
| Angels We Have Heard on High |
| God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen |
| We Three Kings |