Ariel Ramirez: high fidelity for folk: a passionate exponent of traditional music, this prolific composer has brought the rhythms of Argentina's interior to world audiences.

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Ariel Ramirez: high fidelity for folk: a passionate exponent of traditional music, this prolific composer has brought the rhythms of Argentina's interior to world audiences.

Listeners by the millions have come to recognize the opening bars of Misa Criolla: the first thumps of the Andean bombo, or drum, the tonal layer set down by the chorus, and the soloists' chanting of the Kyrie to the folk rhythms of a vidala and baguala. The famous folk mass, written by Argentine pianist-composer Ariel Ramirez, made its debut in 1964 on a Philips recording that featured the vocal group Los Fronterizos as soloists, the mixed chorus of the Cantoria de la Basilica del Socorro front Buenos Aires, and a small ensemble playing Andean instruments, all under the direction of the composer. Also featured on the record was another Ramirez composition, Navidad Nuestra a rendering of the Christmas story with words penned by poet-historian Felix Luna, also set to the rhythms of Argentine folk music. At the time, Philips executives gambled on this project largely because interest in folk music was on the...

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