Dia Prometido
Kismet Dia Prometido (SP/IR/CL,rec.1971,re.2014)***'
This multicultural Spanish band is one of the few or only albums/projects that uses the psalter as lead instrument in the same way as sitar had been used as an exploited instrument to introduce and present popular pop song covers, for the same reason that this gives this a pleasant exotic and attractive sound.
The band has use of some organ/electric guitar, mostly drums, bass and flute to the psalter that keeps the songs light and happy but adds some rock and occasionally in one track (Simon and Garfunkel) a slight psych element to it too (simply by combining this exotic element with an electric guitar solo). Often the music has the lightness like that of Latin (One Note Samba) or like Italian popular music (“Concerto per Una Voce”), and of course exploits popular songs, like two Beatles songs too (“Something”, “And I love her”) or popular songs from movies. A few tracks have just a bit more acoustic guitar. To sound more serious there are some hints to Baroque/classical music too, in an equally light way as in the Italian example. “Symphony n°40 in G Minor” for instance cleverly changes to Persian music approach. “A time for us” has a classical hint but still is a pop/rock track (Baroque flute). I should of course mention also elsewhere lots of flute over the psalter/drum/guitar/bass too.
The new exploited combination is really nice to hear something different, it does not mean the instrument can simply be exploited so easily for every track and make it necessarily better, it surely is satisfying for one just slightly now and then rockier album, like this one.
