Saturday, July 26, 2008

Nueva York!

Children's favorite Dan Zanes follows his 2007 Grammy Award winning CD Catch That Train with a collaboration with Latino musician friends from New York. These family songs, all sung in Spanish, represent various styles including son jarocho, cumbia, aguinaldo, bailecito, nueva canción and merengue. Featured guests include: Lila Downs, Daphne Rubin-Vega, The Villa-Lobos brothers, Marc Ribot and Afro-Colombian roots ensemble La Cumbiamba Eneyé.
Customer Review: Fanaticos thinks it's fantastico!!
My son is a Dan Zanes groupie (he's been to six of his shows).He's been listening him since before his second birthday and has been looking foward to new music for quite some time. My son is half Cuban, so hearing DZ sing in Spanish is very significant for him. It's a welcome addition to our Dan Zanes and Friends collection. In short, this cd is like a big party for my three and a half year old, yet sophisticated and cool enough for his parents!!! ViVa Dan and Friends!!
Customer Review: More great music for EVERYONE (this time in Spanish)!
Dan Zanes and Friends latest release features all that you love about the band: wild, energetic collaborations and quieter songs with tremendous raw beauty. Esta vez, todas las canciones están en español! They've come a long way since "Malti." This collection of favorites from several Latin American countries is, as Dan says in his concerts, his pro-immigration CD. Thanks, Dan, for giving our kids a great time while provoking interest in Hispanic culture and vital social issues. Our faves: El Pescador, Son Borinqueno, Colas, Verde Luz, El Pijul,El Canario, Cuida El Agua, & Mi Luna. Yikes, that's a lot of favorites! If Pollito Chicken doesn't get you moving, see a doctor!


I met Richard Mekdeci, the heart and soul of Itoi Music, at the recent (August 2007) IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences) Conference. In addition to Richard's considerable talents as an inspirational singer-songwriter and musician, Richard is a co-founder of I to i Ministries,, a non-profit dedicated to bringing positive spiritual music to people of all faith traditions. Part of what I to i Ministries and Richard have created is an opportunity to vote on your favorite songs, which can be accomplished online.

Their latest compilation CD, Imagination to Inspiration, is a truly wonder-filled chalice of heart-opening songs. Focused on the Global New Thought community, which includes Religious Science, Unity and affiliated churches, Imagination to Inspiration showcases 19 tracks by 18 different musicians. Every song features inspiring lyrics that invite us to co-create a world where everyone, everywhere feels safe, loved and celebrated. Having listened to this fabulous collection perhaps a dozen times, I can say that I have yet to get all the way through it without, sooner or later, tears of joy and thanksgiving streaming down my face.

Just a couple of my favorite songs on Imagination to Inspiration include the piano-based, county-tinged "Real Men Cry," by Karen Taylor Good. Giving men permission to feel their feelings is a passion of mine, and I love what Karen did with this track. "Do All You Can," by Devotion, is a delightfully intoxicating call to "be the change you wish to see."

Richard and I to i are performing miracles with truly inspired (in-spirited) music every day. Listening to this incredible collection is sure to put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Kudos to Richard and his amazing team for Being the Change!

Steve Ryals has been writing music reviews since 1994, and to date has published more than 1200. Steve specializes in World Beat, Native American, New Age, Meditation, Contemporary Instrumental, Chanting, Devotional Singing, and more. He currently writes two music reviews every month as part of his Drunk with Wonder Newsletter. To sign up for his FREE newsletter go to http://www.drunkwithwonder.com

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