This "fiesta" is in honor of the Virgin, and contains music by Roque Jacinto de Chavarria, a Brazilian Baroque composer (1688-1719), Juan de Araujo (Chavarria's teacher) and others. Don't let their unfamiliarity and the unfamiliarity of the other composers/arrangers on this CD put you off--all the music is flavorful, solid, Baroque fare, and much of it is rhythmically propulsive with an exciting Latin beat. Musicologist Bernardo Illari has put it all together to create a thrilling, vastly entertaining, and unique experience. It winds ups as a veritable pageant, beginning with a drummed entry into the cathedral, followed by the polyphonic sections alternating with purely instrumental ones and some nice monophony as well. Needless to say, Garrido leads his large instrumental and vocal forces with verve and understanding. The CD comes with a DVD including an interview with Garrido and some rehearsal footage which should have been more gripping if they were to include it at all--but why look a gift-horse in the mouth? --Robert Levine