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Grupo Sintesis - Sintesis - Areito LD-3951- Cuban progressive. This is their 2nd LP - their first was also called "Sintesis" in Cuba and had a similar cover to this LP. (In Mexico, their 1st LP was retitled " En Busca De Una Nueva Flor" and had a different cover). Sintesis is probably the first Cuban band that didn't sound Cuban (at least on their first two LPs). Their sound was a definite nod to the British and European progressive bands of the 1970's and they quite intentionally wanted to sound progressive so the traditional Cuban instruments and sounds were left out. Their reworking of the psych prog monster tune "Grifo (Animal Mitologico)" done a few years prior by Cuba's "Grupo de Experimentacion Sonora/ICAIC" is testimony to the unique spin Cubans took on the prog sounds. Sintesis' version is more structured, textured and wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Yes album. A truly unique progressive experience not be be overlooked.

Tracks: Con Alas De Fuego/Nubes Veloces/Nana Del Nino Que Volo/Grifo (Animal Mitologico)/Aqui Estamos/Variaciones Sobre Un Zapateo/Los Cantares No Se Inventan/Elogio De La Danza (I.Lento II.Obstinato).

GRADING
Some ringwear on sleeve.On the front near the bottom there are two minor rips about 1/8" each as well as a slightly frayed top right side and bottom right side corners - again about 1/8" which doesn't hinder on the overall look of the LP. Both labels are clean and free of any writing or marking. I played this LP from start to finish and there are no skips/jumps/surface noise. EX(-)/EX(-).

BIOGRAPHY
Síntesis was formed in 1975 as Cuba's first progressive rock band. It combined influences from groups such as Genesis, Pink Floyd, PFM, Yes (as well as other European '70s progressive bands) with the sensibility and poetry of Cuban trova. From the beginning, the group sought some of the best Cuban songwriters to write the lyrics for the group's songs. At that time, the band was formed by Eliseo Pino (Vocals, Guitar), Ele Valdés (Vocals, Synthesizer), Miguel Porcel (Vocals, Guitar), Silvia Acea (Vocals, Keyboards), Francisco Padilla (Drums), Enrique Lafuente (Bass), José María Vitier (Keyboards) and Fernando Calveiro (Guitar). Some biographies erroneously mention that the group dissolved shortly after its second album in 1979, En Busca De Una Nueva Flor. However, Síntesis never dissolved. It evolved, keeping some members from the original band. The new incarnation of Síntesis featured an exciting blend of progressive rock combined with Afro-Cuban Santeria ritual music and jazz fusion. The Síntesis of the late 1980s was led by singer and composer Carlos Alfonso, a former member of the Cuban fusion jazz band Irakere, his wife Ele Valdés, the original singer and keyboardist from the 1970s version of Síntesis, and multi-instrumentalist and composer Lucía Huergo. Another familiar face from the original 1970s line-up was drummer Francisco (Frank) Padilla. At that time, the rest of the band was formed by Fidel García on vocals and keyboards, José Bustillo on guitar, and Joel Drich on batá drum. The group collaborated with one of Cuba's top Afro-Cuban singers, Lázaro Ros on its album, Ancestros (Ancestors), featuring him as an advisor and guest singer. Lucía Huergo left in 1987. In 1989 Síntesis made a tribute to one of Cuba's finest singer-songwriters, Silvio Rodríguez. An album titled El Hombre Extraño was recorded and all the lyrics featured were by Silvio Rodríguez, who appears as a guest on one track. José Bustillo and Frank Padilla left in 1992. They were replaced by Victor Navarrete on guitar and Raúl Pineda on batá drums. On Ancestros 2, Síntesis' 1992 album, the group's sound included Afro-Cuban chanting and percussion with Yes-style vocals and elaborate arrangements. An important addition to the band during that period was Equis Alfonso (or X Alfonso), the son of Carlos Alfonso and Ele Valdés. Equis proved to be a crucial addition as keyboardist, singer and composer or co-composer. He wrote half of the songs. Another key element was keyboardist and composer Esteban Puebla, who composed nearly a third of the album's music. The group tours internationally on a regular basis. The most recent line-up is formed by: Carlos Alfonso - director, bass, vocals Ele Valdés - vocals, keyboards Fidel García - vocals, percussion, keyboards Esteban Puebla - piano, keyboards Equis Alfonso - vocals, keyboards Victor Navarrete - guitar, chorus José Leonardo Angel - drums, percussion Madonna Alfonso - chorus Oney Cumbá - percussion

NO CUBANS RECORDS ARE GRADED MINT OR NEAR MINT AND ANY CUBAN RECORD GRADED IN EX CONDITION HAS BEEN PLAYED TO CONFIRM THIS GRADE. MOST CUBAN RECORDS AFTER 1970 HAVE RINGWEAR TO SOME DEGREE DUE TO THEIR PAPER-LIKE SLEEVES. ALL RECORDS ARE STRICTLY GRADED

M = Mint The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioation in sound quality... Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EX = Excellent: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VG = Very Good: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

G = Good: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

F = Fair: The record is still just playable but has been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

P = Poor: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The record and contents will be badly damaged, or partly missing.

B = Bad: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only used as a collection-filler.

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