(Prog Folk/Prog Rock) Supay - Confusión - 2004 (2007), FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Supay biography
Like many other progressive bands from South America (old or current), SUPAY, an instrumental act from Peru, aimed from the very beginning at the forge of an artistically driven rock input enriched by the incorporation of abundant colours and nuances from Andean folk, in order to state and reaffirm a particular identity within the confines of symphonic prog. Guitarist Luis Proaño founded SUPAY in late 2000, together with drummer Neto Pérez and bassist Juan Roldán - former partners in previous bands - as a power trio. The band took their name from the Inca equivalent to Hades, the Greek God of the Underworld [later on, to the Devil in the Christian religion, as well]. Soon after the band's debut on stage, woodwind player Williams León entered the ranks in order to help SUPAY to properly enhance their Andean facet with a supply of traditional woodwinds. It wasn't until July 2003 that the band could take their repertoire to a recording studio; at the time, the band had been augmented as a sextet with the entry of keyboardist Gustavo Valverde and a second woodwind player, Alex Valenzuela, while newcomer Renzo Danuser was in charge of the bassist's role.

Eventually, their debut album "Confusión" was released the following year, an album full of magic and captivating beauty. While not really becoming a commercial success, it caught the attention of some music critics, as well as a small cult following in the 'underground' rock scene of Lima.

In 2006, Chilean label Mylodon records re-released "Confusión" with a remastered sound production. This gave Supay the opportunity to be known by prog fans worldwide, given the association of Mylodon with Musea. During that same year, under an irregular schedule and facing inconsistencies in its line-up, Supay managed to record new material. This material (now as a quintet after the departure of one windwood player) was partially released in the EP "El Viaje" in March 2007, and two months later, released completely in the namesake long-duration CD. This first edition, as it had happened for the band's debut album, is an independent local edition.

A long-duration CD equally titled "El Viaje" was released two months later. Both the EP and this sophomore album had been recorded in intermittent sessions all through 2006 and early 2007. Only one woodwind player remained from the line-up that had recorded "Confusión"; the original keyboardist left after the ultimate session; there were two people alternating the bassist's role, since Danuser was by then about to move to Switzerland to pursue personal life's projects. Despite the inconsistency of the recording line-up, the album turned out to be musically powerful and compositionally inspired.

Particularly recommended to fans of JETHRO TULL, LOS JAIVAS, CAMEL, as well as lovers of 73-75 PINK FLOYD and 76-78 GENESIS. Generally speaking, SUPAY's music feels quite suitable for lovers of art-rock with strong folk and fusion tendencies.

Almost every time I listen from a South American Prog Folk band, I end being partially disappointed, because instead of a real Prog Fusion between Rock and Andean sounds, I end listening some watered Folksy tunes with a lot of Rock and very little of Prog, well guys, this is not the case of SUPAY's debut album "Confusión", the Andean essence is present in every tune and the Prog component is more than evident, IMO we are talking about the most promising band to follow the steps of LOS JAIVAS, this time from Perú, the heart and center of the Inca Empire.
But again I find a big problem in the categorization of this bands in Folk Rock, people expect to listen something similar to JETHRO TULL or STRAWBS, to the point that I already have read reviews talking about the TULL connection, please guys, if you expect that, you will probably be disappointed, there's no similarity with Celtic or British Pastoral music, this is pure Andean Ethnic music, radically different even when equally beautiful.

The album starts with "Pueblo Mio" (Town of Mine), a song which from the start presents us a real Andean atmosphere, with the quenas (Peruvian ancestral pentaphonic wood flute) and Zampoñas (Peruvian pan flute) and the folk styled percussion performing a native tune magisterially blended with the guitar and keyboards. The magical contrast between the Andean tune and the radical changes show us we are before a very skillful Progressive band.

"Avanzando" (Advancing) begins with another clear Andean introduction with guitar and quena reminding us of the music from the Peruvian "serranía", but almost immediately the keyboards change the dreamy atmosphere for a Symphonic solo, which is followed by another autochthonous passage, this time faster and cheerful. The changes come one after the other proving us the versatility of the band. An excellent guitar solo follows with a sound that has a distant reminiscence with Metal, but that's not all, vocoders, jazzy sections and more indigenous music performed with piano and quena come one after the other, nine minutes of pure Progressive Rock.

"Confusión" (Confusion) marks a radical change, this ime starts with a clasuic Rock guitar, but SUPAY never forgets their roots and comes back over and over to the native music, jumping from Andean to Hard Rock with amazing skills that allow the music to flow perfectly, as if this mixture was something natural.

"La Nueva" (The New) begins with an extremely beautiful one quena introduction that is joined by a second one and later by zampoñas with the unique percussion that can only be listened in Cuzco or Puno, all the native wind instruments start a contrapuntal section that leads to a melodic piano and winds section of incredible beauty while a lonely Rock guitar in the style of Carlos Santana gives the support the song requires, but never loosing the melancholic mood, again several changes make this track unforgettable.

Is Andean Jazz possible? Well, "En el Viento" (In the Wind) answers this question with an emphatic yes, first making some sort of well structured jamming and later with a clear Rock background, but always with the winds reminding us we are before a Folk band.

"Imperio" (Empire) is a much more pompous track with strong and loud guitars, lush keyboards that morph into a Metal song and later returns to the indigenous roots, that this time come o stay, several variations on the same theme reinforce the impression that SUPAY manages Rock, Jazz and Jazz Fusion perfectly, very interesting song.

The album is close with "Chicago Chico" (Little Chicago) a reference to a district in Lima that represents the fusion of the people from the mountains and the modern part of Perú, in the same way the music is a perfect blend of the native and Rock sounds describe perfectly the creole nature of this part of the country while recapitulating previous tracks.

Last time I rated a Peruvian album and to avoid chauvinism, decided to give only four stars despite I believed it could easily reach the perfect score, but this time I won't be unfair, SUPAY'S "Confusion" deserves not less than five stars, because it's the essential and perfect expression of Andean Ethnic Progressive Rock in the 21st Century.

- Luis Proaño / guitar, quena
- Williams León / quena, zampoña and other Andean woodwinds
- Alex Valenzuela / quena, zampoña and other Andean woodwinds
- Renzo Danuser / bass
- Gustavo Valverde / keyboards
- Neto Pérez / drums