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Toucan Records distributes the albums recorded
by the members of Artes Latinas, a consortium of outstanding
Latin musical ensembles: Calle Sur/Tropicante, Los Llaneros, La Negra Karin (member of Calle Sur, Tropicante, and Los Llaneros), Las Guitarras de México, and the Afro-Latin Project.
 The CDs and CD-Rom shown below can be purchased online
using PayPal or by mail.
To order by mail, send us a check to in the correct
amount (made out to "Toucan Records"). Mail
your check to: Artes Latinas,
135 Cornwall Avenue, Waterloo IA 50702. Please indicate
which CDs or individual songs you are requesting.
CDs are $10.50, and the Culture Kit CD-Rom is $39.
Prices include shipping and handling.
COMING SOON: We
will soon make it possible for you to buy individual songs for $1 each! Please
check back. The list will contain many songs that are out of print or have not
yet been published in any of our CDs.
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CALLE SUR
Obsesión (Obsession)
 complete
lyrics Song sampler
Obsesión is beautiful, happy, touching, sexy, rambunctious,
soothing, familiar, and surprising. Obsesión is exactly
what Calle Sur meant it to be: a broad sampler of what makes
Latin American music so great. In this album you will find
new arrangements of familiar classics, such as the title tune
Obsesión, from Puerto Rico, and the Venezuelan folk
song “Alma Llanera.” If you’ve ever thought
you heard Guantanamera one time too many, think again. I guarantee
that you will find yourself singing your heart out to Calle
Sur's version of this compelling and profoundly poetic piece.
The album also contains rare treasures, such as the Argentinean
round Echen coplas, compañeros and the Ladino lullaby,
Durme, kerido hijiko. The CD includes the lyrics to the songs,
as well as a short MPEG video of scenes recorded at several
of Calle Sir’s live performances. No matter how extensive
or limited your collection of Latin American music, you can’t
go wrong with Obsesión.
(Note: the cover design changed.
Check to see if you have it before
buying.)
 Fiesta! complete lyrics coming soon Song sampler
The album "Fiesta!" - as the title of this CD implies - is a party in a box: Colombian cumbias, Dominican merengues, Cuban sones, and Brazilian sambas. Calle Sur pulls out the stops on this album
and keeps you dancing for an hour. Popular hits such as "Magalenha," "Guavaberry," and "Mi Cafetal" are complemented by original cumbias and contemporary arrangements of traditional pieces. "Fiesta!" is full of fun surprises and will keep you engaged from beginning to end.
LOS LLANEROS
 La
Voz Del Viento (The Voice of The Wind) Song sampler
This album contains a compilation of songs recorded by the
members of the ensemble Los
Llaneros at various stages of their careers over
the last 20 years. Timeless classics such as "Caballo
Viejo" are mixed with other jewels of the folk music
tradition of the Colombian / Venezuelan Llanos or savannas.
Beautiful voices and brilliant harp techniques, original and
traditional pieces, and a good balance of instrumental and
vocal music, make this a perfect CD for enjoying the best
of Colombian/Venezuelan folk music. If you have enjoyed "Macapay,"
the previous album by Los Llaneros, you will certainly want
to add this newest release to your collection.  Macapay
(Macapay) complete
lyrics Song sampler
Here is another must-own album, this time by Los Llaneros,
the quartet to which both members of Calle
Sur, Karin Stein and Ed East, belong. Please visit
Los
Llaneros. Most members of the group are originally from
the Llanos region of South America, the vast plains that stretch
out along the Orinoco River basin and unite northwestern Venezuela
with eastern Colombia. The musical traditions of the Llanos
are among the richest and most diverse in Latin America. This
album reflects the breadth of musical styles from the Llanos,
brilliantly sung and played on folk harp, cuatro (a four stringed
guitar characteristic of the region), and maracas. Music and
instruments from other Latin American regions are also featured.
The singers blend their voices in haunting melodies one moment,
then let them soar with bursting energy the next moment. This
is a most delightful roller-coaster effect which pays tribute
to this group's unlimited capacity for musical expression.
The album contains 14 songs (51 minutes). "I highly recommend
"Macapay" to anyone, especially if you have never heard llanero
music before."
 Llano
y Costa
(Savannas And Coast) Lyrics
coming soon
Song
sampler coming soon
This is a re-issue of the first album by Los Llaneros,
when the ensemble was still called 'La Negra Karin y Los
Llaneros.' In its early stages, the music of Los
Llaneros featured the cuatro, the guitar, and vocals
more prominently than the Llanero harp. The
wonderful sounds of the harp are certainly present in this
album, but the cuatro and guitar play a dominant
role, accompanying the lovely blend of Karin Stein's and
Rafa Acosta's harmonies. (Note:
the cover design changed. Check to see if you have it
before buying.)
LA NEGRA KARIN
Colombian musician "La Negra
Karin" (Karin Stein) is a member of both Calle
Sur and Los
Llaneros." In addition to performing and recording
with the aforementioned ensembles, she has had a long career
as a solo artist. The recordings below are her own productions
as a soloist.
 El
pico del tucán (The Toucan's Beak)
complete
lyrics Song sampler
This is a very diverse album containing 15 songs (45 minutes)
from several different countries, including 6 of Karin's own
pieces, one of them the award-winning "El pico del tucán,"
which won second prize in the 1994 International Folk Music
Festival in San José, Costa Rica. Musical styles range from
the slow and melodic "María Chuchita" (a traditional Pur'hépecha
Indian song from México), to the lively and irresistible rhythms
and instrumentation of "Seis corrido" (a traditional joropo
from of the Colombian and Venezuelan Llanos or plains). This
album highlights Karin's stunning vocal range, which climaxes
in the breathtaking falsetto that she holds at the end of
the well-known "Cucurrucucú Paloma." The album also contains
several instrumental numbers which draw on various folk music
styles, including the Peruvian yaraví and the Brazilian bossa
nova. 12 guest artists add their special touches to this album,
primarily as instrumentalists but also as backup singers.
Karin's concern for environmental causes is reflected in this
album, since five of the songs are about environmental and
social degradation. "This is an album which all lovers of
Latin American music ought to own. It deserves to be well
known and widely distributed.
(Note: the cover design changed.
Check to see if you have it before
buying.)
 Los Mojados
(Wetbacks) complete
lyrics coming soon Song sampler
Departing from her usual repertoire of Colombian llanero folk music
(www.losllaneros.com) and other Latin American acoustic renditions
(www.callesur.com), Karin Stein, a Colombian musician affectionately
nicknamed "Negra," joins Costa Rican mariachi ensemble "Mariachi
Internacional Hermanos Calderón." Mariachi music is originally from
Mexico, but its popularity is so widespread, that many other Latin
American nations have their own mariachi ensembles. Mariachi music is
usually upbeat with melodramatic lyrics, as reflected in the songs on this
album, which also includes some romantic tunes traditionally performed
by trios hired for serenading a loved one. The title song, "Los Mojados," is a sympathetic consciousness-raising song about the desperate plight of those who cross the border illegally, dangerously driven by the desperation of wanting to find a better future on this side of the border. This album features Karin's powerful voice, underscored by the fullness of a traditional mariachi ensemble: luscious strings and bright brasses galore!
The title track of this album, Karin's
composition "Los Mojados," was used in the soundtrack for
the 2008 movie "The Air I Breathe," with Andy Garcia, Kevin
Bacon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Forest Whitaker.
 Camaraca (Camaraca) complete lyrics teacher's guide Song sampler
Winner of Children's Music Web Award (2006)
,
Winner of Parents Choice "Recommended" Award (2004)
Promompompom complete lyrics teacher's guide Song sampler
Winner of Parents
Choice "Silver" Award (2008)
"Promompompom" is the sequel to "Camaraca," full of great songs from various cultures, sung in even more languages: Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, and French Patois! As in "Camaraca," there is a broad range of rhythms, melodies, and instruments, all culturally relevant. If you like "Camaraca," you will love "Porompompom." This album is great for families and teachers who'd like to expand their children's cultural horizons.
SPECIAL CD-ROM FOR TEACHERS
 Latin America Music And Culture Kit Visit interactive web site to preview
For quantities of more than 5 Culture Kits, please contact us directly: music@la-tc.com, phone/fax (319)235-2819. We offer excellent discounts on larger orders.
The Culture Kit is a multi-media, cross-platform (Mac & PC) CD-Rom containing multi-disciplinary teaching resources for levels K-12, all centered around the topic of Latin America and Hispanic cultures. The CD-Rom navigates like a web page using standard html, PDF, MP3, and MPEG files. The CD-Rom contains:
- Numerous recordings of songs for the general music or Spanish class; numerous recordings of compositions for choir, band, and orchestra. The musical recordings are in MP3 format (regular CDs of the music may be ordered).
- Scores, lyrics, and phonetic pronunciation guides to all the recordings on the CD-Rom (spoken pronunciation guides may be ordered on a separate CD). Orchestral and band pieces include scores for individual instruments Maps and geography games. Short theater pieces. Written, graphic, and video instructions on how to make and play South American panpipes. Photos of Latin American crafts for use in art classes.
- Short videos about Latin America, about how to make and play panpipes, and about the authors, Latin duo "Calle Sur." (Videos can also be ordered in DVD or VHS format.)
The Culture Kit is also available through Scholastic, Inc. |
