Pueblito Viejo by PRISM Quartet
Pueblito Viejo comes from a collection of Latin American music presented as a gift to PRISM Quartet in 1995, when the United States Information Agency sponsored the group on a five-week tour of Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Guatemala, a cultural exchange intended to build bridges between the U.S. and its southern neighbors.
While in Bogotá, PRISM encountered a young man who shared a stack of arrangements of some of Latin America’s most beloved folk and pop songs. He asked the Quartet to bring this music to audiences in the U.S., and for nearly three decades, PRISM has done exactly that. Two of the group’s favorites — “Pueblito Viejo” and “Paquetá” — comprise PRISM’s new release and were featured on a fall 2019 tour of Colombia.
“Pueblito Viejo” (“old town”) by José A. Morales (1913-1978), arranged by Alvaro Rojas, is an elegant Colombian waltz inspired by the steep, cobbled streets of Socorro, Santander, where Morales spent his childhood. “Pueblito Viejo” is one the most recognized songs in Colombia, and has been recorded and performed by artists worldwide. Argentinian composer and jazz musician Roberto Saghini (1911-1961) named “Paquetá” after a tiny island in Brazil in the Rio de Janeiro that he visited while touring with his band. PRISM’s version is a one-minute romp that captures the joy of the island.
Tracklist
| 1. | Pueblito Viejo by Jose A. Morales (arr. Alvaro Rojas) | 2:52 |
| 2. | Paquetá by Roberto Saghini | 1:02 |
Credits
Executive Producer; Editing/Mixing/Mastering: Matthew Levy
Producers: PRISM Quartet
Recorded at Elm Street Studios, Conshohocken, PA
Session Engineer: John O. Senior
Artwork/Design: Jon Rohrer, OfficeOfDevelopment.com
License
All rights reserved.
The PRISM Quartet seeks to place the saxophone in unexpected contexts, chart fresh musical territory, and to challenge, inspire, and move audiences. “A bold ensemble that set the standard for contemporary-classical sax quartets” (NY Times), PRISM has been presented by Carnegie Hall, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and as soloists with the Detroit Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra.