Jorge Reyes & Suso Sáiz - Crónica de Castas (1990)

Otro de los discos para completar la basta colección musical de etno músico mexicano Jorge Reyes (ex Chac Mool), aquí junto con Suso Sáiz. Lo que aquí tenemos es música chamánica profunda mexicana. Se aumenta su acústica con sonidos étnicos, sintetizadores, procesadores y pertrechos electrónicos y la guitarra de Suso Sáiz. Los modernos instrumentos aumentan la espiritualidad y profundidad de lo que escuchamos, también dan a la música ritual antigua un ambiente contemporáneo y su aura invita más al oyente a viajar en el tiempo y meditar transportado por la música. Con ustedes, la "Crónica de Castas", que no tiene nada que ver con el partido de Milei y con ningún gatito mimoso.

Artista: Jorge Reyes + Suso Sáiz
Álbum: Crónica de Castas
Año: 1990
Género: Ambient, Electronic folk
Nacionalidad: México & España

Jorge Reyes acompañado en este caso de Suso Sáiz. Vamos con un explicación del disco...

Jorge Reyes al inicio de su carrera solista navegó con la bandera de algo llamado "etno rock", y que a al paso del tiempo se transformó en algo que ya no se cómo llamarlo, pues ahora solo veo y oigo percusiones corporales, y ya no entiendo lo etno y no encuentro el rock. Para mi el mejor Jorge Reyes es el de inicios de su carrera solista, "Ek-Tunkul", "A la Izquierda del Colibri", "Comala", "Viento de Navajas"... es de esta etapa cuando en colaboración con Suso Saiz hace el disco "Crónica de Castas" (que aunque para mi no es el mejor, si se me hace un discazo), pero bueno, sin mas rollos.... aquí lo dejo a su consideración.

Germen

Y raro es que el mejor comentario que encontré sobre este disco está en inglés...

A journey to Central America, “Crónica de Castas” is an album filled with instruments that the Native Americans from Mexico used before the advent of Christopher Columbus (Pre-Hispanic instruments, played mostly by Jorge Reyes) accompanied by more modern instrumentation: e-bows, synths and electric guitars (the latter played mainly by Suso Saiz). The result is not a mere sample of folklore, but something else instead. A whole new world that late Jorge Reyes mastered to perfection.
What about the musicians? Jorge Reyes (1952-2009) was born in Mexico and became a worldwide leading figure in the field of new music, taking the instrumentation of the tribes from Central America before the Europeans came. To this, he added instruments from modern technology and everything resulted in a new musical concoction. Going a step further from merely copying the already existing folklore.
Suso Saiz (1957) is a seasoned Spanish composer. Mostly a guitarist, though his music has always possessed an avant-garde approach. He has released several recordings as a solo artist; as a member of La Orquesta de las Nubes; with collaborators (like this one); and has also scored soundtracks for films. Apart from all this, he is also a producer of other artists.
This dynamic duo met during some concerts and soon decided they shared things in common and that they should join forces and see what the outcome would be. And it was an interesting one. I can tell you. This recording was only the start in a series of collaborations between these two creators, since they were going to meet twice more as “Suspended Memories” (this time a trio with Steve Roach). But let’s delve into the realms of “Crónica de Castas”:
“Tente En El Aire”, the opening number, is a sixteen-minute long suite, with Jorge Reyes deploying ocarina, stones, narrow -mouthed pitcher. After two minutes, we hear Suso Saiz’s guitars, with effects, soaring in the background. Suso quietly strums his guitar to provide the sonic cushion for Reyes to improvise on, using all those Pre-Columbian instrumentation. The feeling is like travelling back to an ancient ceremony in Mexico before the coming of the Western civilization, even though Suso’s guitars somehow break this time warp. Not that they’re out of place, on the contrary; in fact, the sonic cauldron where all these musical ingredients are being cooked tastes deliciously original. Everything is thrown in for good measure. Two great talents, for sure. On this album, technology is at the service of tradition and spirituality, not the other way round; therefore, the result is both surprising and mesmerising.
“Puchuela de Negro” can’t start any more different than its predecessor. We hear an interaction of guitars, sounding not too dissimilar to Robert Fripp, so the upshot is more forceful than the opener.
“Saltatrás Cuarterón” takes us to the realms where the trio Reyes, Saiz and Roach would meet soon afterwards as “Suspended Memories”. Turtle shells, fossil stones and the Mexican rainstick provide this composition with a highly ritualistic approach. This musical joint venture of two geniuses shows Jorge Reyes trying to make his archaic instruments sound contemporary, whereas Suso is trying to make the electric and electronic gadgetry sound visceral and archaic so that those two musical languages become one, somewhere along the road.
“No Te Entiendo” presents a ghostly environment, as if one were walking alone through a mysterious path in the dead of the night. Gradually, it all becomes lighter and more rhythmic. We have arrived at a safe place and are watching a nocturnal shamanic ceremony in pre-Columbian times. The music grows in intensity towards a grandiose finale. Hypnotisingly beautiful.
“Ahí o Hay Te Estás” begins with the voices of girls in the background, over it Reyes’s voice and hands clapping. Then Suso’s strings timidly join till it all becomes more harmonic and powerful. Too brief.
“Lunajero” closes this short CD with didgeridoo, whistles, rainstick and Tarahomara drums, and soft, floating e-guitar, creating a hypnotic state once again.
Jorge Reyes’ approach to Pre-Hispanic music was never too purist. He used to steer clear of an anthropological vision of music in an effort to break all sorts of barriers of time. Fortunately for us, his musical testimony will always stay with us.

Jose A.

 

Lo puden escuchar desde aquí:
https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/album/0XlfURDAwmZAR1JbByLGWG

 

Lista de Temas:
01. Tente En El Aire
02. Puchuela De Negro
03. Saltatrás Cuarterón
04. No Te Entiendo
05. Ahí O Hay Te Estás
06. Lunajero

Alineación:
Huinca:
- Jorge Reyes / Ocarina, Percussion, Effects, Voice, Flute, Guitar, E-bow, Rainstick, Drums, Trumpet, Didgeridoo, Whistle.
– Suso Saiz / Guitar, Effects, Drums, Percussion.