Flamenco

Artist: Rodrigo y Gabriela
Two CD set. Rodrigo (Sanchez) and Gabriela (Quintero) are two fast-fingered, Dublin-based, Mexicans with a unique sound created on acoustic guitars. Their music is difficult to define, straddling both World and Rock, and often imbued with timeless Hispano classical influences. The fire in it comes from their life-long passion for Metal music. Rodrigo y Gabriela beat both the Arctic Monkeys and Johnny Cash to #1 in the Irish charts upon its orginal release in Europe. Rodridgo Y Gabriela are one of the world's most celebrated and captivating touring and live acts having sold out classic venues such as The Roundhouse and Shepard's Bush in London and more.

List Price: ~~$14.98~~	Our Price: $8.73

The Best of the Gipsy Kings

Artist: Gipsy Kings
Hailing from the Reyes and Baliardo Gypsy families, this ensemble from the south of France has been playing "rumba flamenca" since the late 1980s. With this 1995 compilation, the songwriting talent and virtuosity this unique group possesses were gathered together in one comprehensive CD. Notable inclusions are the anthemic hit "Bamboleo," from their debut, Gipsy Kings; the slowly emotive "Trista Pena" the Italian cover "Volaré," from Mosaïque; and assorted live cuts that wonderfully capture the wild energy these players spark onstage. In short, the Gipsy Kings are a celebratory bunch who know how to rock with a rhapsody of acoustic guitars, passionate vocals, and walls of congas, timbales, cabasas, and bongos. Check this caravan out. --Karen Karleski

List Price: ~~$18.98~~	Our Price: $9.99

Volare! - The Very Best Of The Gipsy Kings

Artist: Gipsy Kings
There's very little doubt that the Gipsy Kings are good at what they do--they've become the brand name in Sevillana, the pop-oriented flamenco style. Since 1989, when the single "Bamboleo" and their Gipsy Kings album broke through and went gold in the United States, they've found a willing audience in America for their style, which, while flashy, doesn't demand a great deal of the listener, unlike more hardcore versions of flamenco. This double set collects 37 of their biggest tracks, including a version of the Eagles' "Hotel California," into one package guaranteed to satisfy fans of their precise, jubilant playing. And there's no denying they have the power to move people with their singing and fretwork, making this a must for those who want to experience all the familiar material in one sitting. Like the band themselves, the record is an unqualified success as a greatest hits package. --Chris Nickson

List Price: ~~$24.98~~	Our Price: $15.70

The Ultimate Jesse Cook (2-CD Set)

Artist: Jesse Cook
Jesse Cook began his amazing career on Narada, signing with the label in 1994. One year later, he released his debut album TEMPEST. The album quickly sold over 100,000 units in the U.S. alone and propelled the rumba flamenco guitarist into the limelight just as "world music" was gaining broader acceptance among mainstream audiences. His astounding chops, sultry rhythms, and undeniable stage flair combined to make Cook one of the stars of the genre.

Since then, he has become an international phenomenon. He's reached rock-star status in his native Canada, his Juno-award winning albums have sold over 1 million units worldwide, and his live shows are legendary. THE ULTIMATE JESSE COOK captures all the fire of Cook's most popular hits from his 6 albums on two, specially-priced CDs.

List Price: ~~$17.98~~ Our Price: $10.10

Lagrimas Negras

Artist: Bebo & Cigala
Winners of three PREMIOS DE LA MUSICA AWARDS (Spanish Academy of Musical Arts & Sciences) Lágrimas Negras, a collection of old standards performed by Cuban jazz pianist Bebo Valdes and Spanish flamenco vocalist Diego el Cigala.

This was recorded at the suggestion of Hollywood Oscar® Award-winning director, Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque), which has become a phenomenon in Spain.

The result is a journey that discovers the essence of the Latino "love" song with connections to Cuba, Central and South America, and Spain.

Picked by New York Times critic Ben Rattcliff as "the best album of the year", Lágrimas Negras has had an impressive debut. The album has never been out of the top 30 since its release in Spain over nine months ago, achieving double Platinum sales status. It has won five Amigo Awards, one Premio Ondas, and three Premios de la Musica Awards (including Best Album).

List Price: ~~$18.97~~ Our Price: $9.52

Masters of Flamenco Guitar

Artist: Various Artists
Many subtly varied kinds of music fall under the rubric of flamenco, which is a style of singing, dancing, and even living, as well as playing the guitar. This collection presents a good guitar selection, highlighted by the polished technique of Sabicas, the profundity of Manolo de Huelva, and the sheer brilliance of Melchor de Marchena. There is a drastic change of atmosphere in the transition from track 10 (a zapateado played by Nino Ricardo) to track 11: Manolo de Huelva accompanying the voice of Manuel Vallejo. Suddenly we are in a cuadro, the natural environment of flamenco, with a group of participants clapping, stamping their feet, and shouting encouragement to the musicians. No longer is it just a man sitting alone on a stage or in a studio, playing the guitar fluently and flawlessly; this is cante hondo, the heart of flamenco, intense and astringent, and the best of this disc's many flavors. --Joe McLellan

List Price: ~~$11.98~~	Our Price: $8.17

Poets & Angels: Music 4 The Holidays

Artist: Ottmar Liebert

List Price: ~~$16.98~~	Our Price: $8.89

Nina de Fuego

Artist: Buika
Buika unveils herself on the cover and bears all on her third album,
Niña de Fuego. Buika does away with the costumes that usually
decorate album covers, stripping away all but her feelings.
When she moved to Madrid and recorded her first album, she showed
the never-ending possibility of her skills as a singer. With her second
album,Mi Niña Lola, produced by Javier Limón, she got the
credibility, the recognition, the awards, the performances, and the
exciting reviews that left people breathless.
Her career cannot be summarized in a sentence but when she opens her
mouth you realize there is no singer like her.
Buika now arrives with her third album, Niña de Fuego (Girl
of Fire) again teaming up with producer Javier Limón. On this album,
Buika returns to the Spanish copla, performs for the first time several
ranchera songs, and also some new songs composed by herself and Javier
Limón. The album is full of songs about love and longing affection.
Buika sings of her personal experience in the lyrics that she and Javier
Limón wrote and composed.

List Price: ~~$17.98~~	Our Price: $11.53

The Scent of Light

Artist: Ottmar Liebert + Luna Negra
While The Scent of Light is Ottmar Liebert + Luna Negra's first studio album featuring the band since 2004's La Semana, the recording picks up on the spacial sensibility of the recent binaural CD Up Close by spreading the sound across the full stereo field to create superb listening depth. While Ottmar has stepped away from the recent minimalism of his 2007 Grammy nominated solo album One Guitar, you still sense the high resolution, beautiful clarity, and live combo dynamic. It's a layered recording, with the multiple guitars, basses, keyboards & percussion subtly exchanging altitude, rooms, and dimensions. The excellent detailing and positioning leaves a lot of space for the imagination to roam, resulting in a big sound, big pictures, big stories.

List Price: ~~$16.99~~	Our Price: $11.17

Reflections of Spain: Spanish Favorites for Guitar

Artist: David Russell , Isaac Albeniz , Enrique Granados , Joaquin Malats , Francisco Tarrega , Antonio Ruiz-Pipo
David Russell was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but his family moved to Spain while he was still a young boy so he could study music in the birthplace of classical guitar. On Reflections of Spain, Russell plays the music of his childhood home with all the joy you would expect from someone revisiting a beloved place. Russell's formidable technique is powered by a keen intelligence and tempered by an emotional delivery. He plays chestnuts like Tarrega's "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" and Albeinez's "Austurias" with a fond intimacy that rescues them from cliché. Perhaps the finest moments on the CD are Russell's guitar arrangements of four of Granados's compositions. Although Granados wrote pieces like "Danza Melancolia" and "Andaluza" for piano, Russell's thoughtful versions remind us that the folk dances that inspired them were originally accompanied by the guitar. David Russell is one the finest classical guitarists to emerge in recent years, and his playing on Reflections of Spain is a near perfect wedding of technique and temperament. --Michael Simmons