Gustav Santaolalla - music North Country

Subject: Gustav Santaolalla - music North Country
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Oct 05 - 11:16 AM

I think I have sung the praises of Gustav Santaolalla, Argentine composer and instrumentalist. I know I have at least mentioned his CD "Ronrocco" which remains one of my very favourites of all time.

Anyway, I am pleased to see he is getting more recognition. Just found this in a review of the new movie, "North Country:"

North Country" is greatly enhanced by its precise evocation of the physical desolation of upper Minnesota. The musical score by Gustavo Santaolalla incorporates songs by Bob Dylan, including his first new composition in four years, "Go Tell Old Bill," and his ballad "Sweetheart Like You," which some people labeled sexist when it was released in the mid-'80s. In this context, lyrics like "You know a woman like you should be at home, that's where you belong" assume an irony even the composer probably never envisioned.

Now that I've taken a look around, I guess this is not his first nod from Hollywood. He also did the music for The Motorcycle Diaries and, I see, in Latin American he's been a bigwig in the rock genre.

Still, I love Ronrocco. What this guy can do with stringed instruments is masterful/phenomenal. You can hear sound samples of that CD plus others at amazon.com. Here's a review of Ronrocco:

Gustavo Santaolalla is a talented multi-instrumentalist from Argentina who has been extremely involved in bringing new sounds to an age-old culture. Playing a variety of stringed instruments including the guitar, the guitarron, the charango, and the ronroco, Santaolalla bridges the gap between traditional musics and forward-thinking compositions. He reveals an unusually progressive vision filled with cascades of chiming sounds and the understated influences of Japan, Africa, and Eastern Europe, as well as Latin America. Accompanied by his associate Anibal Kerpel on vibraphone and melodia, Santaolalla has made an instrumental album of intense passion and evocative songwriting. Gustavo's rapid picking and constant strumming of strings provide a solid foundation for his melodic innovations as clusters of notes rise majestically and then quietly fall away. --Mitch Myers

Subject: RE: Gustav Santaolalla - music North Country
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Nov 05 - 11:21 AM

Have finally had a chance to watch the Motorcycle Diaries and heard some of Santaolalla's music, some of the same which is on the CD I mentioned above.

Has anyone seen North Country, yet?