Ciutat de Barcelona

Encouraged by his previous collaborations with La Cobla Sant Jordi-Ciutat de Barcelona in a couple of songs, Roger Mas decided to cut an entire album with the traditional Catalan music wind ensemble. Together with his longtime pianist and arranger Xavier Guitó, the singer/songwriter put together a special repertoire adapted for cobla instruments, culled from both his own compositions and an eclectic list of sources. These 18 tracks, sung in six different languages, include striking readings of, for instance, Mas' 2010 recording with La Cobla Sant Jordi "El Dolor de la Bellesa" (arguably this project's cornerstone), the copla standard "La Bien Pagá," or "Amore Che Vieni, Amore Che Vai," by the Italian dean of songwriters, Fabrizio de André. ~ Mariano Prunes