Sones istmeños, the soul of the Zapotec Indians from southern Mexico.

Virtuoso guitarists - some famous, others unknown, sing, in Zapotec and Spanish, the love songs and laments that are amongst the great romantic compositions of Mexican music.

Third in the acclaimed series that presents the great masters of Mexican son, this CD reveals the musical heart of a proudly defiant culture. Vocals in the sones istmeños are profoundly emotional, charged with an infectious melancholy.

There is a rugged sweetness in the singing both in Zapotec and in Spanish.

This CD was recorded in the towns and villages of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and brings together three groups as well as one duet and one solo artist. The musicians vary considerably in age and in their styles of playing, from the country style of Los Pergaminos to the deep roots of Vieju Lucccxhu and Binni Gula'za to the more sophisticated style of Hermanos Rios and the spectacular trio from Juchitan, Los Andariegos.

Proof of the international appeal of this CD, one track has been selected for the Putumayo CD, 'Native American Odyssey' and three tracks for the Putumayo CD, 'Mexico.'

CO 135 ©, (p) Discos Corason, 1998. Produced by Eduardo Llerenas