Critic's Review
Backroads Music/Heartbeats, All Music Guide
Huayucaltia, like Inti-Illimani, re-interpret the jubilant music of the Andes by incorporating into it elements from folk, classical and popular music styles. On their third album they advance their enchanting musical hybrid with 11 new tunes anchored around Ciro Hurtado's fleet-fingered acoustic guitar. Breathy panpipes, quavering flutes, cascading charangos, rolling drums, shakers and bamboo rattles are augmented in places by bird whistles, bass guitar, tasteful background synthesizer, and, on "La Samba y Su Fuelle," by accordion. Though the album is mainly instrumental, there is one song sung in Spanish by the female member of the group. The final piece includes a brief Aztec recitation. Most of the tunes are played in a light mid-tempo mode, though the pace picks up on the last few pieces, with martial snare drum, crisp hand claps and energetic vocalizations adding to the soaring flutes and Hurtado's flamenco-tinged guitar. Buoyant and uplifting, Amazonas is a fine addition to Huayucaltia's catalog of Andean-inspired music.
