Reviewed by Chris Tozer

Do not let the title of this album mislead you into passing it off as a collection of dreary if admirable monastic chants. In truth, it is brimful s that you'll find yourself singing along with even though the lyrics are in Spanish from beginning to end! Diaz is well established as a gospel singer in Spain although he is a native of Uruguay. He is clearly an excellent singer and an able Spanish guitarist. Anyone who is familiar with the prayers and sayings of the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta will undoubtedly find these songs exceedingly inspiring. For those of us who know nothing of her writings this album will serve as a highly accessible introduction for Luis has the knack of writing tunes as good as many well established standards. At least one of the songs - "No Hay Mayor Pobreza" ('There Is No Greater Poverty") consists of just the one delightful line sung repeatedly as a prayer. 1 have already witnessed its impact in a reflective service. It is a shame that we Brits draw so much of our inspirational music from across the Atlantic. This album should encourage us to redress the balance towards our European brothers. My one regret is that there was no space in the accompanying booklet for an English translation of the lyrics.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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