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Caribeños
Orlando Cotto
by Linette Tobin
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Caribeños,
Orlando Cotto's solo marimba album of Latin American music, stands
out as an important work in making this difficult instrument more
accessible to a broader base of listeners. Cotto, a Puerto Rican
percussionist residing in Baltimore, has received numerous awards.
Among these are the Artist Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory
of Music (awarded to a percussionist for the first time), Most Outstanding
Student at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, Most Outstanding
Young Musician (grant) from the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and
Winner of the Yale Gordon Concerto Competition. His mastery of the
marimba, his musicality, and his particular attention to
detail are apparent in each and every number on Caribeños.
The album contains a variety of material from Venezuela, Puerto
Rico, Argentina, and Cuba, and a multitude of rhythmic styles such
as traditional Afro-Cuban, guaguancó, bomba,
plena and tango. Cotto collaborated with flutist Alison
Potter and violinist José Cueto, as well as with Giovanni
Hidalgo on the title track Caribeños that was specifically
written for Cotto and Giovanni. This album does a wonderful job
of displaying the range and depth of the marimba as a solo instrument.
Almendra shines with Cotto's improvised solo with the right hand,
while he maintains the bass pattern with his left. On Piedra
en la piedra, he adds the additional challenge of tapping clave
with his foot on a pedal woodblock. Cotto also plays the Peruvian
cajón (South American wooden percussion box with one
open side) on Misionera, and the congas and timbales on Almendra.
This CD is noteworthy for focusing as much on the melodic capacity
of the instrument (valses venezolanos) as on the rhythmic
(Cuba y Puerto Rico son...) It is not only filled with musical
mastery, but is simply a delight to listen to due to Cotto's ability
to navigate through demanding passages with seeming ease. The liner
notes are an added bonus, as they are quite informative and contribute
greatly to a more thorough understanding of the musical selections.
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