Recordings Solo Orchestra
Salsa Roja
[ CD Album ]

In the hands of Berta Rojas, the classical guitar truly becomes the world's instrument---a means of bridging wide cultural divides via the uncommon clarity and inherent loveliness of her music. On Salsa Roja (On Music Recordings), the native of Paraguay proves once again that she is among the planet's best at defying the strictures of traditional concert hall repertoire to seek out and amplify worthy nontraditional material. One example is her choice of four works by the British guitarist and composer Vincent Lindsey-Clark. His "Salsa Roja" is a joyous, rhythmically vibrant tune that captures some of the pizzazz of good tropical Latin pop music. Another captivating choice is Costa Rican guitarist and composer Edín Solís' "Tambito Josefino." A member of his country's famed Editus, which has collaborated with such astists as TaniaLibertad and Rubén Blades, Solís based the tune on a popular Costa Rican folk rhythm. Here, Rojas is accompanied by Asunción's Recycled Instruments Orchestra, a youth group that has made its own musical instruments from the trash at a local landfill. It's but one of many magical moments on this rewarding release.

Mark Holston
Latina Magazine
[ USA ]