Piece Comment

Review of 'LaOtra' Female Vocal Quartet, Uruguay (4min)


We used this piece on WNPR's Morning Edition a few weeks ago. We loved it for it's unusual approach to music reporting (at least in the context of what we usually hear on M.E.). With pieces like this, and the "Musicians in Their Own Words" series, it seems like the non-narrated music documentary has become a standard production technique. Which is, I think a good thing (as long as it doesn't supplant other ways to present music on a news show). Of course, we also love the producer's taste, which provides lovely balance to this and other pieces we've heard. Knowing nothing about this group going in, I was surprised when the second half of the piece has them singing more popular-sounding english-language music. It's (at first) a bit disappointing to hear - then grows on you by the end.

One big suggestion, though: This piece was uploaded with very little additional information about the group, about the music, about context for the piece. If it included a brief suggested host intro/outro, and some links to find out more about this music, it would be much easier for stations to air.