Sueños is Spanish for dreams

Advantages: Great course. Plenty of extras from the BBC
Disadvantages: Lack of opportunity to speak when learning alone. Need for sustained motivation

...This review is based on my own experience of learning Spanish with Sueños 1. Although I was an absolute beginner when I started this course, I am a language teacher (I teach French)which you need to bear in mind when reading this review. I have wanted to learn Spanish for a very long time, but due to studying other courses, I didn't have time. Why did I choose to study this way rather than attend a class? Well, I have had a lot of practice at studying on my own and I am usually fairly disciplined. I like to be able to progress at my own pace, which could mean going quickly through some chapters, or stopping altogether for a while. And classes are not readily available where I live. ~The pack itself~ ******************* The Sueños pack comprises a book and 4 audio Cd's totalling over 5 hours of audio. I also purchased...

weetoon 21.01.2006 (31.08.2006) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Suenos Spanish Course - BBC

Sueños Can Be Nightmares.

Advantages: It tries hard.
Disadvantages: Too hard, in fact.

...Course? There are many, some good, some a total waste of money and time. As always, I turn to the BBC to see what is available, and currently it?s the very high-profile Sueños (Dreams). It?s always a good idea to look at the BBC first. It will bear repeating that I think the appearance and layout of a textbook are of vital importance, particularly if you?re studying at home. This is not being trivial. If the book looks good, feels good to handle, has an attractive page layout with illustrations, then you?ll enjoy it much more. If it has cultural and historical tips to inform you and divert you from the business of learning for a while, then these are more advantages. Learning anything is a discipline, and anything that makes it all a bit lighter and more pleasant can?t be bad. Does Sueños Have These Features? Yes, in abundance. In...

Schmutzie 05.07.2003 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Suenos Spanish Course - BBC

A dream come true

Advantages: Ferrer's beautiful voice, simple arrangements
Disadvantages: None at all

..."Mi sueno" is the final album recorded by much celebrated lead vocalist of the Buena Vista Social Club, Ibrahim Ferrer. In spite of being well-known among die hard fans of Cuban music, Ferrer was not even famous in Cuba let alone the world outside the isolated Carribbean island until American musician Ry Cooder discovered the veteran performers and made them into international superstars; Ferrer was 69 years old at the time. Cuban music includes several very distinct styles. Son is the highly rhythmic style of music that incorporates the Spanish 'cancion' style with African beats. Modern salsa music is derived from 'Son Cubano'. Guajira is derived from son and is distinct because of the arpeggiated guitar or piano parts; the Cuban classic "Guantanamera" is the best-known example of this style. Rumba is typified by call and response...

fizzytom 02.11.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Mi Sueno - Ibrahim Ferrer

Pies Descalzos

Advantages: some very good songs, excellent work for a debut.
Disadvantages: not mainstream so people will be very critical of it.

...total there are 11 tracks as follows; 1. Estoy aqui 2. Antologia 3. Un poco de amor 4. Quiero 5. Te necesito 6. Te espero sentada 7. Pies decalzos, suenos blancos 8. Vuelve 9. Pienso en ti 10. Donde estas corazon 11. Se quiere, se mata -Estoy aqui was her major hit which propelled her to Latin fame. Its a very upbeat kind of track. -Antologia is aslow, mellow kind of out door track, siuted for a evening surrounded by friend after a party or something. Beautifully sung. -Un poco de amor. Reminds me of a pop/regga/caribbean kind of song. Very, 'all sing together song'. No bad, but definatly not the best song on the album. -Quiero. Starts off with an extended guitar strumming away and builds up with harmonica and then drums join in. Mellow, but with a uplifing beat. -Te necesito. The best song of the album. Reminds me of Tu...

yahtonie 12.09.2003 (26.11.2003) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Laundry Service - Shakira

Cafe del mar vaolume 3.

Advantages: Simply fantastic
Disadvantages: none.

...and I don't mean that badly, its nice to be soothed so much by one cd. The theme on this cd is mostly a natural rythmic feeling, guitars and classical sounds, but with some electric influence, but as i have said, nothing shocking, I have heard alot of these tunes on BBC 1's Holiday programme and i'm sure most people would recognise a few of the tunes at least. There are 13 tracks on this cd, and as usual, they range from different era's, most are from 1996, one from 1991 and track 3, Sueno con Mexico, a classical guitar piece is from 1979. On almost all of the Cafe del mar cd's you will find one track from about 30 years ago, but it will fit in, and its age won't show, infact you will probably find it to be the best track on the cd and will want to find more music by the artists. Volume 3 also boast's the best and most fragile cover...

markfarrow 23.04.2004 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Cafe Del Mar Ibiza Vol.3 (Compiled By Jose Padilla) - Various Artists

Music for 3 Pianos

Advantages: Beautifully hypnotic music from the master of floating ambient piano
Disadvantages: It is a very short CD indeed

...beautiful when his passion and his artistry and his playing are at their most taut, most otherworldly, most ambient, most minimal as it evokes the most lyrical moments from him. Despite the brevity of the CD and of the pieces in general, Music for 3 Pianos contains what is possibly some of Budd's most beautiful and beguiling work. Pulse Pause Repeat is a glorious introduction, sucking us in with staccato drifts of piano, in a style slightly out of the ordinary for Budd, as it is more structured than usual. Nevertheless, because of its difference it attracts the attention a little more than usual for Budd and he then slides us further into the music on La Muchacha De Los Suenos Dorados that utilises more clearly Budd sounds. A simple, haunting refrain stabilises the pieces, creating a sense of continuity whilst elegant occasional keystrokes...

No_name 09.12.2006 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Music For 3 Pianos - Harold Budd & Ruben Garcia/Daniel Lentz

The Dead Don't Walk, Unless Its A Very Bad Novel

Advantages: Interestingly disturbing special effecfts
Disadvantages: Its very dull really, dull and at times incoherant

...When it comes to Euro Horror, Italy by far leads the way; a close second however is Spain. During the early 1970's their short lived victory paved the road ready for Italy to roll through. During this time movies like Tombs Of The Blind Dead were great success stories but in 1974 No profanar el sueño de los metros, or Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue as it was known in the UK became the best known of the Spanish horror epics. George is owns an antiques store in Manchester, for the weekend he plans a trip to Windermere to visit a new house he has purchased as a retreat from society. On his trip he encounters Edna who accidentally reverses her car over his motorbike. George insists that Edna takes him to Windermere being as the accident was her fault. However on the journey Edna persuades him to detour to a nearby town where she...

sghawken 21.02.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue (DVD)

The Beautiful Girl and the Penis Bowl

Advantages: Good weather. And some different ice creams.
Disadvantages: Not much else

...'m not even a little bit ashamed to say that the first place I ate following my hotel breakfast was McDonalds. You'd have rushed there too if you'd seen their latest desert offering - a Tres Suenos (3 dreams) McFlurry, with 3 types of Cadburys and chocolate sauce. A week later, back in the city, I also ventured, unabashedly, into Wendy's for a Cookie Dough Frosty (their version of the McF). In between I dined on street food (I live on the edge, I do) and at a 24 hour Churro restaurant and Pizza Hut Express. I also ventured into Spoon, a local chain that is cheap and cheerful, and has a fantastic cake selection as well as meals and snacks. And, I may or may not have booked my first hotel solely on the basis that it boasted an ice cream parlour at its north east corner. Pops, the local chain, it turned out was ok but not a patch on Mexican stuff...

zoe_page 25.01.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of San José (Costa Rica)

There is Nothing Old about This, nor me!

Advantages: Buying the albums an advantage
Disadvantages: Hard to fault but a few floors with the mixing

...! ~ Encore Une Fois 10 - Chicane ~ Offshore 11 - Nalin & Kane ~ Beach Ball 12 - Da Hool ~ Meet Her At The Love Parade 13 - Paul Van Dyk ~ For An Angel 14 - Storm ~ Time To Burn 15 - Zombie Nation ~ KernKraft 400 16 - Darude ~ Sandstorm 17 - Golden Girls ~ Kinetic 18 - Sueno Latino ~ Sueno Latino 19 - The Future Sound Of London ~ Papua New Guinea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . So Why buy It ? ---------------------- This albums the only one I know to fulfil any Old Skool Lovers needs. It contains every memorable classic going from late back in the early 90?s right up until 2002. You just won?t find as many hit old skool classics packed onto one album like you have here. Any woman or bloke who helped to fill the club floors back then- this is for you! Without being...

3min_man 20.04.2004 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Back To The Old Skool - Ibiza - Various Artists

Only a branch from the Maestro's tree

Advantages: Amazing melodies and profound beautiful lyrics
Disadvantages: Absolutely none

...of Pigs invasion, which happened on Playa Girón (Girón beach) in 1961. A very poignant song, using mainly acoustic guitars. It is a poetic and desperate cry to poets, historians, musicians? and the world as a whole. Silvio questions the way in which we should relate to and remember this event. "Unicornio" has become a mantra to all Silvio lovers. It is a song about ideals; where he has lost his Unicornio Azul (Blue Unicorn) and is desperately searching for it, offering anything to anyone to find it again. The melody is very soft and deep, with hints of sadness intermingled with hope. The other songs on the album are: "Sueño de una noche de verano" (Midsummer night's dream), which starts very calmly and gets more lively throughout. Brass instruments, acoustic guitars and piano dominate. This one is about a dream, which is sadly...

Librelola 13.08.2005 (08.11.2005) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Cuba Classics Vol.1 (Canciones Urgentes) - Silvio Rodriguez