Ibrahim Ferrer - Mi Sueno on CD

Description

Review (4 stars) Heart-stopping, simply heart-stopping. -- The Sunday Times, (Clive Davis), March 25, 2007 (4 stars) Sensitively backed on piano, bass, guitar and drums, and poignantly joined by fellow veteran Omara Portuondo. -- The Independent On Sunday, (Michael Church), April 1, 2007 (4 stars) The Cuban Nat King Cole even outdoes Nat to record the definitive version of the old standard, 'Perfidia'. -- Uncut, (John Lewis), April 2007 (4 stars) There's a delicate intensity about this album which makes it enchanting listening. -- Evening Standard, (Simon Broughton), March 23, 2007 (4 stars) This is a charming, sad and poignant farewell. -- The Guardian, (Robin Denselow), March 23, 2007 (5 stars) A wonderful swansong of a mythic life by a great singer... essential for his many fans. -- Songlines, (Peter Culshaw), May 2007 Ferrer sings with the innate grace and intimacy of the truly blessed. -- Q, (Peter Kane), April 2007 Product Description The Cuban singer Ibrahim Ferrer emerged as the most popular star of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon. Ibrahim who is pictured on the cover of that classic album, was the audience favourite from the Wim Wenders' film and he went on to record solo albums produced by Ry Cooder and tour the world to a rapturous reception. Now World Circuit is proud to announce the release of his final album `Mi Sueño' (My Dream) the project he dreamed of realising all his life - an album devoted to the most meltingly romantic of all Cuban styles - the bolero. Two years ago Ferrer began recording the bolero album he had long dreamed of. `Mi Sueño' is an intimate all-star session arranged by Roberto Fonseca, the remarkable young pianist with whom he had developed a deep musical understanding. Recorded in Havana with a wonderful small group that included Manuel Galbán on guitar and Cachaíto López on bass, the album is a very personal take on the bolero style - deeply traditional and at the same time startlingly modern. Sadly three weeks before the final recording for the album was due to take place in August 2005, Ibrahim died at the age of seventy-eight. On his deathbed, he dictated a letter asking that his dream album be finished. Fortunately he had left high-quality demos of the songs with which he wished to make up the rest of the album. In the confusion surrounding his death these tapes were temporarily lost, causing a delay in the album's completion. When the tapes were found, they not only completed the album Ibrahim had always dreamed about, but also are a fitting final testament that finds the singer still in heartfelt voice and singing the songs he loved best. Personnel: Ibrahim Ferrer - (vocals), Roberto Fonseca - (piano), Rubén González - (piano) (3), Omara Portuondo - (vocals) (11), Orlando "Cachaíto" López - (bass), Manuel Galbán - (guitar), Ramses Rodríguez - (drums), Amadito Valdés - (timbales), Emilio del Monte - (bongos, maracas) and others