Ignacio (1977)

Ignacio (1977)

Another album originating from 1975. It also goes under the name "Can you hear the dogs barking?" and "Entends-tu les chiens aboyer?" in some LP versions. Click here for a hilarious cover of one.

It is the soundtrack to the Mexican film "No Oyes Ladrar L 23323n132x os Perros?" by French director Francois Reighenbach. Vangelis is actually creditted as "Vangiles Papathalnassiou".
The film tells the story of a poor Mexican peasant from a small vilage who travles across the country with his son who (Ignacio, who is deadly ill) to find a doctor. Intercut are the storys and fantasies the father tells Ignacio of him as a grown up. A potential future, showing him as musician, leader of the villag or hopefull imigrant in a big city.

The title refers to a traditional story, which sais that in the past dogs were smart and could talk. If something was stolen or woman had sinned, they always know who did it and told it to the victims. But dogs misbehaved themselves and as punishment lost their ability to speak.

As usual with Vangelis soundtracks not all of the music on the album is present in the film, and also there are a few small passages in the film with cues not released on the album. The film also contains some traditionals from the location.

The album consists of two main (rather sad, romantic) themes appearing in various forms, assisted by some very diverse passages like a thundering (electronic) church organ and an impressionistic percussion jamsession. A lot of gentle piano playing and softly stretched synthesizerstrings contrast the fast and darker pieces. A very diverse album, yet very coherent.
There is a newer CD edition (2 tracks) on the Camden label which has the last half of "La Fete Sauvage" in stead of the last half of "Igancio". See for a table with the CD versions and some more information about this the June 16 1998 update of the lastest news section of this site (GO!).
In some countries this album is rather hard to find.

1 Entends-Tu Les Chiens Aboyer?