Spain in My Heart: Songs of the Spanish Civil War

Editorial Reviews
Scene Magazine (Canada) September 4, 2003
"Fascinating…Kudos to everyone involved for putting together this historical and brilliant collection of songs. A+"

Midwest Record Recap, September 21, 2003
"For something really different…the adventurous listener has a real treat on their hands here."

Album Description
The idealistic appeal of "fighting the good fight" against the fascist troops of General Francisco Franco as he warred against Spain’s democratically elected government drew more than 45,000 volunteer soldiers from over 50 countries during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). This influx created a canon of war-related songs sung by the freedom fighters and revived during the American folk boom of the Fifties.

SPAIN IN MY HEART presents new recordings of vintage and recent songs inspired by the conflict and performed by an international roster of musicians. The United States is represented by folk’s activist icon, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, master instrumentalist/vocalist John McCutcheon, bluegrass singer/fiddler Laurie Lewis, East L.A.’s Quetzal, multicultural singer/songwriter/actress Michele Greene, and Joel and Jamaica Rafael of the Joel Rafael Band. From Mexico and Nicaragua come vocalist Lila Downs and Duo Guardabarranco, respectively. The Irish volunteers are solo artist Aoife Clancy, formerly of Cherish the Ladies, and Shay Black of The Black Family. Spain itself is represented by two of its leading contemporary singers, Eliseo Parra and Uxía.

The songs here, acoustic-based and many in Spanish, form a surprisingly delicate mosaic. Rather than emulating the strident chaos of battle, the CD conveys more subtle aspects of the conflict – yearning for simpler times ("Asturias," "En La Plaza De Mi Pueblo"); longing for distant loved ones ("The Bantry Girls’ Lament"); the equal significance of life, love and death ("Llegó Con Tres Heridas"). The war and the bravery of the anti-fascist forces are addressed in such songs as "Jarama Valley," "El Quinto Regimiento," "Taste of Ashes," and "The Abraham Lincoln Brigade."

No matter in what language the songs are performed, the bravery, pain and loss felt by soldiers and civilians alike are rendered with a conviction and feeling that transcends words and forges an aching link with the listener.

Spain in My Heart: Songs of the Spanish Civil War

Tracks:

Jarama Valley - Pete Seeger & Arlo Guthrie
Garcia e Galan - Uxia
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade - John McCutcheon
Asturias - Guardabarranco
El Quinto Regimiento - Lila Downs
The Bantry Girls' Lament - Aoife Clancy
Gracia E Galan - Uxia
Los Cuatro Generales - Joel & Jamaica Rafael
Llego Con Tres Heridas - Eliseo Parra
Noche Nochera - Guardabarranco
Viva La Quinte Brigada - Shay Black & Aoife Clancy
Si Me Quieres Escribir - Quetzal
Tu Que Brillas - Michele Greene
Los Marineros - Uxia
Peat Bog Soldiers - Laurie Lewis
Viva La Quince Brigada - Quetzal
Taste Of Ashes - Laurie Lewis

Album Description

The idealistic appeal of "fighting the good fight" against the fascist troops of General Francisco Franco as he warred against Spain's democratically elected government drew more than 45,000 volunteer soldiers from over 50 countries during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). This influx created a canon of war-related songs sung by the freedom fighters and revived during the American folk boom of the Fifties.

SPAIN IN MY HEART presents new recordings of vintage and recent songs inspired by the conflict and performed by an international roster of musicians. The United States is represented by folk's activist icon, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, master instrumentalist/vocalist John McCutcheon, bluegrass singer/fiddler Laurie Lewis, East L.A.'s Quetzal, multicultural singer/songwriter/actress Michele Greene, and Joel and Jamaica Rafael of the Joel Rafael Band. From Mexico and Nicaragua come vocalist Lila Downs and Duo Guardabarranco, respectively. The Irish volunteers are solo artist Aoife Clancy, formerly of Cherish the Ladies, and Shay Black of The Black Family. Spain itself is represented by two of its leading contemporary singers, Eliseo Parra and Uxía.

The songs here, acoustic-based and many in Spanish, form a surprisingly delicate mosaic. Rather than emulating the strident chaos of battle, the CD conveys more subtle aspects of the conflict - yearning for simpler times ("Asturias," "En La Plaza De Mi Pueblo"); longing for distant loved ones ("The Bantry Girls' Lament"); the equal significance of life, love and death ("Llegó Con Tres Heridas"). The war and the bravery of the anti-fascist forces are addressed in such songs as "Jarama Valley," "El Quinto Regimiento," "Taste of Ashes," and "The Abraham Lincoln Brigade."

Customer Reviews:

La música bien, la letra no tanto.......2005-05-03

Como hijo de exiliado español agradezco con el corazón que la música de la Guerra Civil Española siga viva dentro del canto del siglo XXI. Musicalmente me parece un trabajo muy completo, con conocimiento y aventura musicales, sin embargo, en lo que se refiere a las letras (lyrics) encuentro el punto débil del CD. Por lo que he podido investigar los textos utilizados son los llegados a los Estados Unidos, pero no los que se cantaban en España y, en ocasiones, la continuidad de las letras es inconexa.

Pongo un ejemplo: Joel & Jamaica Rafael cantan: 'Los cuatro generales, mamita mía, que se han alzado' y en seguida: 'Madrid que bien resistes, mamita mía, los bombardeos'. Esto, en el idioma español no tiene sentido. La letra original dice: 'Los cuatro generales, mamita mía, que se han alzado, para las navidades serán colgados' y la segunda parte: 'Madrid que bien resistes, mamita, los bombardeos, de las bombas se ríen, mamita mía, los madrileños' y de esta forma adquieren sentido pues a los cuatro generales alzados les espera la horca, mientras los madrileños resisten los bombardeos de las tropas franquistas.

Uxía, siendo española, llama 'Marineros' a la canción cuyo título original es 'Que será' y que viene de la canción infantil 'Arrión' y que ironiza sobre el hundimiento del crucero 'Baleares' por la Flota Republicana en la batalla del Cabo de Palos y Uxía no utiliza la letra que dice: 'Y han de ver, y lo van a ver como al 'Baleares', al 'Cervera' y 'Canarias' bajo los mares' lo que le daría el contexto del momento en que la canción surgió.

En fin hay muchas otras observaciones del mismo tipo.

En resumen, me parece que no se hizo una investigación profunda para encontrar las letras completas y correctas de todas estas canciones tan entrañables para todos los que descendemos de la República Española y eso demerita el trabajo del disco en su conjunto. Pareciera que es un disco para venta interna dentro de los Estados Unidos y a mi me hubiera gustado más que fuera para venta universal.

Recomiendo el CD de Oscar Chávez 'España 1936-1939-1975' editado durante 1999 en México por Discos Pentagrama, donde el trabajo curatorial de las letras y la música es sobresaliente.

Rodrigo de Oyarzabal, Ciudad de México.

Keeps Alive the Spirit of Justice and Freedom.......2004-08-06

As the son of a British International Brigade veteran and a Spanish Republican refugee,I grew up with the pain of betrayal, defeat, and exile. Songs helped to sustain us during the long dark years of Franco's dictatorship. This record captures the emotion, joy, and beauty of many of those songs, as well as some new ones, and keeps alive the spirit which took thousands of volunteers from around the world to fight for justice and freedom in Spain.

Music:

Music

Music