1. Del Tabaco y el Azúcar 04:01
2.Fitití Ñongo 02:24
3.Lengua I 03:27
4. Erume Kondó 02:03
5. Benkomo 05:25
6. Tierra 06:16
7. De Ida Y Vuelta I 03:42
8. Lengua II 01:35
9. De Ida Y Vuelta II 02:32
10. Nuná 02:40
11. Epílogo 01:55
12. Dos 04:04
13. Caracola 01:28
14. Visiones Sonoras 01:19
15. De Portal 02:35
16. De Tres 00:41
17. De Cuando Era Chiquita 02:50
18. De Coral 03:16
Gnosis
In this vivid and exciting project, the Santiago-raised and New York-based pianist-composer David Virelles looks towards one melting pot from the vantage point of another. A far-reaching work with deep cultural roots, Gnosis speaks of transculturation and traditions, and of the complex tapestry of Cuba’s music – the sacred, the secular, and the ritualistic – but the work’s shapes and forms could only have been created by a gifted contemporary player thoroughly versed in the art of the improvisers. Strings, woodwinds and percussion all have their roles to play in Gnosis, viewed by Virelles as “several families functioning within one unit: this dynamic symbolizes multicultural interaction.” Virelles’ responsive piano and the vocals and percussion of Román Díaz, a profound figure in the transmission of Afro-Cuban musical history, are at the centre of the action. Gnosis was recorded at New York’s Avatar Studios in May 2016 and produced by Manfred Eicher.
This album was made possible with the generous support from The Shifting Foundation.
released September 15, 2017
ECM Records
David Virelles: piano, marímbula, background vocals
Román Díaz: lead Vocals, bonkó enchemiyá, ekón, nkomos, erikundi, itones, nkaniká, marímbula, claves, mayohuacán, pilón, carapacho de jicotea, coconut shells
Allison Loggins-Hull: piccolo, flute
Rane Moore: clarinet, bass clarinet
Adam Cruz: steel pan, claves
Alex Lipowski: orchestral bass drum, temple blocks, bongos, gong
Matthew Gold: marimba, glockenspiel
Mauricio Herrera: ekón, nkomos, erikundi, claves, background vocals
Thomas Morgan: double bass
Yunior Lopez: viola
Christine Chen: violoncello
Samuel DeCaprio: violoncello
Melvis Santa: background vocals
Recorded May 2016, Avatar Studios, New York