|
Viewpoint by Paula Edelstein I remember driving across the USA one year from the West Coast to the East Coast and if any of you have ever driven the Southern route, you know that you must cross a couple of deserts before you reach your destination. Driving under a starry night seemed the most logical alternative to driving during the heat of a 100 degree day, so away I went. Almost immediately, the radio waves seemed to disappear out in the middle of nowhere, but the music of Ottmar Liebert was there! I popped in his NOUVEAU FLAMENCO cassette, looked up to the heavens and my BMW seemed to drive itself through the romantic, starry, moonlit night. Being alone with just his music during "The Hours Between Night and Day," was one of the most introspective feelings I'd had in a long time and I really got to know myself and his great music. So I was really happy to find out that Ottmar Liebert's NOUVEAU FLAMENCO 1990-2000 SPECIAL EDITION is now available on Higher Octave Music. As many of us remember, NOUVEAU FLAMENCO was a huge hit in 1990 when it was released and almost overnight, catapulted Ottmar Liebert into the hearts of those that love great acoustic guitar music. The CD achieved Platinum sales status and is still going strong on its classic sound and the brilliant artistry of Ottmar Liebert. The 2000 SPECIAL EDITION has been remastered, with several bonus tracks from the original sessions added...a deluxe event that a lot of Ottmar's fans will enjoy. Songs that didn't make the first album, "Lonely Hours," "Surrender II," "Morning Sky," "Sudden Shadows," and "Under Blue Moon," are all here this time around and each listener can expect their affinity for Ottmar's classic guitar stylings to be fulfilled with these offerings. They're priceless, romantic and well worth the wait. When asked about the remixed version, Ottmar stated, "Listening to these songs again brought back the excitement of that whole time.Considering the impact it ultimately had, it's a real historic document, and I have enjoyed the opportunity to re-evaluate the music. While I was simply playing music from the heart that came natural to me, NOUVEAU FLAMENCO created a whole new category of music, which many new artists have embraced over the past ten years. Stylistically, NOUVEAU FLAMENCO is to traditional Flamenco what Bossa Nova is to Samba. Flamenco songs usually focus on guitar parts and don't traditionally have a Pop song form. Coming from the Pop, Rock and Soul arenas, it made sense to me to create strong melodies and clear songs with R&B influenced grooves rather than the typical exchange between melody and rhythm guitar." "Lonely Hours," is classic flamenco guitar in all its romantic, breathtaking beauty. The acoustic string virtuosity of Liebert matches and rivals the artistry of many of the flamenco greats, including the great Andres Segovia. This song captivates you from beginning to end with its percussive melodies and passionate theme. "Morning Sky," portrays the imagery and beauty of flamenco dancers in all their glorious grace. These new songs are romantic, passionate and convey the a wide array of emotions often associated with many of the cultural settings from which Ottmar Liebert has evolved. Among the Ottmar Liebert repertoire on the Higher Octave label is POETS & ANGELS and the Grammy-nominated gold album BORRASCA. His three releases for the label have sold over 3 million units worldwide, quite an achievement for a Newage acoustic guitar artist. Liebert has since become one of the most successful instrumental artists of the past decade, thrilling audiences throughout the world and releasing such recordings as SOLO PARA TI with none other than the great Carlos Santana as a guest artist, THE HOURS BETWEEN NIGHT + DAY, the remix collection EUPHORIA, the live album VIVA!, the double CD OPIUM, RUMBA COLLECTION (1992-1997) and the Classical-oriented orchestral album, LEANING INTO THE NIGHT. INNAMORARE: Summer Flamenco was released in 1999 on Sony.
NOUVEAU FLAMENCO 1990-2000 SPECIAL EDITION is a grand opportunity for
both longtime and new fans to rediscover the magic of the time when Ottmar
Liebert began his extraordinary journey. "While I was born in Germany
and love being a longtime resident of the USA-my chosen home-I also feel
that I'm a citizen of the whole planet, with its wealth of different flavors,
sounds and colors," he offers. "I'm very much interested in seeing where
the road will lead." The road leads to the hearts of millions of fans
around the world, Ottmar!! Visit http://www.higheroctave.com
for more information on NOUVEAU FLAMENCO 1990-2000 SPECIAL EDITION.
|