New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Cascada de Flores is pictured in session at Studio
Trilogy -Saul Sierra-Alonso, bass; Steve Savage, producer/engineer;
Jorge Liceaga, guitars; Arwen Lawrence, voice, guitars, dance; Brian Rice, percussion;
Marco Diaz, trumpet, piano. Photo by
David Goggin.
Cascada de Flores, the fiery ensemble exploring Mexican and Caribbean music and dance, has recorded "Radio Flor" at San Francisco's Studio Trilogy. The project is described by the band as "a musical love letter to the Golden Age of radio, when songs reigned and a melody grabbed your heart for a lifetime."
Cascada de Flores features Arwen Lawrence, who provides the distinctive vocals, guitar and dance alongside luminary musicians of the San Francisco traditional music and Latin jazz scene. The album's motif explores heart-wrenching bolero, raucous Cuban guaracha, earthy Mexican dance traditions, all presented in energetic arrangements spiced with a bit of chilango humor.
Recording engineer Steve Savage, a mainstay of the SF music scene, explains: "In keeping with the radio broadcast theme, everything was recorded live in the studio, including vocals. The result is a totally unrestrained and expressive album that captures the band at their best. I used all pencil condensers for their smooth off-axis response, except for Neumann M269's on vocals and a few dynamic mics on bongos and cajon."
Lead singer Arwen Lawrence commented, "Our time at
Trilogy was precious, the perfect setting for making this emotional music with the spontaneity that it deserves."
Savage added, "Cascada de Flores strikes such a lovely balance between outstanding musicianship, emotional commitment and a willingness to put the song first in their musical approach.
Everything about
Trilogy supports creative work -- all the amenities are there, all the technical requirements are covered at the highest level, and everything works, but even more important is the warm atmosphere. The sessions were intense, but it was also a pleasure from beginning to end to be working with such wonderful musicians in an ideal studio environment."
To hear "La Chuparrosa," a traditional dance piece from the Afro-Mexican culture in Oaxaca, and the first single from the album, visit:
https://soundcloud.com/cascadadeflores/la-chuparrosa-single
To learn more about
Cascada de Flores, visit: https://cascadadeflores.com
