Viva: The Music of Mexico / Exotic Strings

by Percy Faith

Product Description:

2 LPs on 1 CD: VIVA!-THE MUSIC OF MEXICO (1958)/EXOTIC STRINGS (1962).

Recorded in New York, New York and Hollywood, California in October 1957 and June 1962. Originally released on Columbia (1075/8038) and Columbia (1902/8702).

Digitally remastered by Eliot Goshman (Taragon Sound, Deer Park, New York).

2 LP's on 1 CD: VIVA/ THE MUSIC OF MEXICO

Although Percy Faith started in the late '40s as a traditional "beautiful music" orchestra leader/arranger, he was never one to let a bandwagon trundle past un-hopped upon. 1957's EXOTIC STRINGS and VIVA were Faith's response to the twin trends of easy listening music in that year, exotica in the manner of Martin Denny and Les Baxter and Latin music in the manner of Perez Prado and Juan Garcia Esquivel. Neither album has the out-there spirit of Denny or Esquivel; they're much more sedate than those men's use of sound effects and studio trickery. However, Faith does a surprisingly good job of integrating the unfamiliar rhythms into his traditional orchestral style, and these albums may be the way for an Esquivel or Denny fan to ease into Faith's music.