Aquella Noche

Recorded live and in Spanish, Aquella Noche (1991) offers melodious songs surrounded by rich acoustic guitars and Latin percussion. Unlike Homeland in 1989 or Culture Swing in 1992, Aquella Noche finds Tish Hinojosa fully immersing herself in her Spanish/Mexican heritage. This is less a singer/songwriter album than a portrait of an artist plumbing her roots. The effervescent "Samba San Pedro" reminds one of a bossa nova classic, while the quieter "Anos, Meses Y Dias" is delivered with the simplicity of a traditional Spanish folk song. The multifaceted chords and rhythms of "Una Noche Mas" and the title cut create a rich, layered music. Arturo Garza's bongos and congas add a forceful though bare underpinning, while Marvin Denton Dykhuis' guitar delivers delicate touches that skillfully draw attention to the melody and vocals. The final ingredient, of course, is Hinojosa's emotional vocals. She adds depth of feeling to pieces like "La Llorona" and "Azul Cristal" that resonate whether or not one knows Spanish. The idea of recording one night of music live and issuing it may seem a bit old fashioned, but the results are simple and pure. Hinojosa's exploration of Spanish traditions on Aquella Noche results in a lovely album of finely textured songs. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.|