"Messico" (Mexico) at times reminds me of recordings that are tourist-like, in that it gives the listener a taste of that foreign culture. It's traveling the world within one's Hi-Fi setup. Italian composer Egisto Macchi composed and made these recordings for film libraries, where a filmmaker or editor can go and locate music for their specific scene. Under such anonymous service, it's amazing that the brilliant talent of Macchi served this industry so well. "Messico" brings images of Mexico, but the Mexico that is in our imagination. The music has strong folk melodies but expanded by an Italian's view of such a culture.
There are touches of spaghetti western overtures, but most of all I think of Sergi Eisenstein's ¡Que viva México! It's a fascinating culture and country, and Europeans (and one Russian) I think were drawn to its allure due to a sexual and intellectual curiosity of a distant place. "Messico" captures the sense of wonderment and it's another brilliant album by Macchi.
