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"Cascada de Flores explores the musical traditions of Mexico and Cuba with grace and sensitivity. Their music is strongly rooted in folkloric forms, yet they steer clear of anachronistic mimicry of the past, instead interpreting their repertoire in their own subtle way. The result is rich, delicate, and lovely." Sing Out! Magazine
"Their way with a love song makes you think of Sinatra, Edith Piaf - the finesse, the phrasing, the charged emotion... One song and you feel as if you're in a smoke-filled café in France, the next one carries you to a small village in the Mexican countryside They do sophisticated improvisations with a jazzy charge that makes your whole body vibrate, then turn around and perform a canción about love that brings you close to tears." Joanne Hoover, Washington Post/Albuquerque Journal
"Delightfully upbeat, mournful, whimsical and wistful corridos as performed by Cascada de Flores... the songs are the heart-pumping joy and emotional depth of the show." Review of "Seven Visions of Encarnación a collaboration with Shadowlight Productions, Brava Theater, SF. San Francisco Chronicle
"My expectation now (which is always fulfilled), whenever I go to see Cascada, is that I'll laugh a lot, cry at least a few times, and fall in love for the evening." Ernie Tamminga, Santa Barbara
"What a delightful evening you provided all those of us attending your wonderful show last night. Your shows are always a treat, but the special guests made it even more so. Both the music and your community are really inspiring. Thank you." Lisa Manning, Marketing Director, Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse
"Performance was electrifying, akin to the first time I heard the Buena Vista Social Club. Their selection and interpretation of songs has tremendous range, all the vibrancy of regional folk festivals and the poetic sensibility of some of the most sumptuous cantos of the Spanish language. The rich and complex music and dance they produce belies the relatively small number of musicians." Claire Lee, San Francisco, CA
"Cascada de Flores is a talented trio [whose] collective experience playing classical and traditional Latin musics has given them an intimate but harmonically rich sound." Chuy Varela, East Bay Express
"Cascada de Flores reaches all generations and all ethnicities. As a Gerontologist, I am constantly seeking music for my staff and my elderly clients. This poses a problem. Usually, a CD will last less than a week in the player; we are going on our first month and gaining momentum." David Hahklotubbe, Napa, CA
About the CDs:
Mi Sueño: "Featuring song and traditional son of Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico and driven by female singers, this is some of the most compelling and moving Latin folk music of the hills. This is a lush and earthy marriage of city and country; Cascada de Flores continues in their exploration of vintage song at its best." CD Baby
Puente: "Cascada de Flores treads gracefully on earth well-tramped by many dancing feet. The boleros salted throughout the CD demonstrate the finesse of the vocalists. Yet, there is also great fun in the teasing, uptempo "Sobre una Tumba una Rumba". Each song has an explanation of its history, so it's possible to learn the roots while listening to experts play music they clearly love." Sing Out! Magazine
13 Historias: "13 Historias is the group's debut album, reissued, repackaged and renamed for its 10th anniversary - with a couple of bonus cuts. Originally entitled 'Mexico', Cascada de Flores sing their songs in Spanish and approach their traditional craft with passion and verve. It's a language I struggle to say 'hello' in, so lyrically, for me, 13 Historias means 13 little mysteries, but the energy and vivacity of these recordings have won me over. As a celebration of the group's first decade of music making, this wholly enjoyable album delivers a succession of musical thrills, soaring vocals and fiery playing. I imagine live they're an absolute powerhouse ensemble, and from what I understand they're looking to tour the UK sometime soon. Whoever books WOMAD, or Cambridge Folk Festival, please look out for Cascada de Flores. I can't afford a ticket to Oakland, California." Rob F, Leicester Bangs, UK
Mexico: "The sentiment with which Arwen interprets these songs, accompanied by Liceaga's guitar and enchanted by Weber's flute melody is pleasing. This album rescues from oblivion song gems- songs de la bola, de la Revolución. Jorge Liceaga's rearrangement of "Peregrina" is perfect. The bolero "Cancionera Nací" features the romantic melody of Sabra Weber's flute. Her masterful manipulation of this ancient musical instrument gives this bolero jarocho by los Hermanos Cantoral a unique touch, and "Gusto Federal" shows off Arwen's highly adaptive voice. She goes from ranchera to bolero or gusto without a sweat." Pedro Tuyub, El Tecolote, San Francisco
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