OMARA PORTUONDO; "Gracias" (World Village/Montuno) ****
For 60 years Cuban singer Omara Portuondo has brought joy to her audiences. "Gracias" is her way of saying, well, thank you.
Singing with the late Nat King Cole and the Buena Vista Social Club, Portuondo has made a name for herself with her passionate and poignant delivery.
Portuondo recorded "Gracias" last year in Havana. The CD was released, fittingly right before Thanksgiving. And, according to her statement, the album is filled with songs she loved to sing.
Sweeping romantic elements shine in "Adios Felicidad," her sassy confidence rises in the hip-shaking "Amame Como Soy," which has always been a favorite of Portuondo, and the duet "Cachita," which she sings with her granddaughter Rossio Jimenez, show her love for tradition, family and music.
In the liner notes, each song has English and Spanish commentary, which gets the listener a little deeper into the mindset of this marvelous singer.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com