Música
ely guerra’s new album
is both naughty & nice
ely guerra
sweet & sour, hot y spicy
(Higher Octave Music)
Ely Guerra has a smile that, at first, may seem too wide for her face. But this Mexican singer/songwriter has made all sorts of contrasts fit together throughout the past decade. That’s especially true of her new disc, a concept album dedicated to sensuality. On her previous Lotofire, Guerra combined guest guitar virtuosos and electronic effects to craft atmospheric soundscapes that are deceptively simple. With Sweet & Sour, she lets contrasting sonic textures rub against each other, and the result is often an electric spark. Abrasive guitars and drums give way to Guerra’s gentle voice on such indelible songs as “Ojos Claros, Labios Rosas” and “Más Bonita.” The most surprising element in the mix is a cool disco revival on “Bésame.” As she moves from singing in Spanish to English and back again, Guerra’s linguistic shifts are as engrossing as her band’s rhythmic ones. What Guerra sings about — in both languages — is sure to receive as much attention as her music. Whether she is anticipating a sexual encounter on “Puerto Vallarta” or lamenting the lack of one on “Angelito Heart,” Guerra is often funny, and never shy about her desires. The art in the CD booklet cuts straight to the chase, with one provocative photo diagraming a woman’s body, to show potential lovers what to do where. Aaron Cohen
You might like Ely Guerra if you also like: Aterciopelados, Gozo Poderoso (BMG); Carlinhos Brown, Omlete Man (Metro Blue); Cafe Tacuba, Cuatro Love (Blue Note); Marisa Monte, Carlinhos Brown, Arnaldo Antunes, Tribalistas (Metro Blue).
Mariana Montalvo
Piel de Aceituna
(World Village)
Since being forced to leave Chile with the fall of Pinochet, Mariana Montalvo has made France her home. And like many exiles, she has found the experience a mixed bag of sorrow and of opportunity. Both are elegantly expressed in her latest recording. The album continues to draw inspiration from the Chilean poetry and nueva canción that were Montalvo’s first loves, but has opened to a host of new influences from around the world. Piel opens with the reggae-flavored “Sud’ Americano” and from there journeys through the Andean brass band sounds of the title track; a tango-meets-chanson version of the Jacques Brel song, “La Canción de Los Amantes;” and with Congolese singer Lokua Kanza (who has himself recorded with such luminaries of African music as Ray Lema, Papa Wemba, and Manu Dibango), an elegant Afro-Latino bolero, “Encuentro.” Piel is also a sensual delight — with Montalvo’s richly lilting voice, the broad array of acoustic instruments that grace the 11 songs here (flute, violin, accordion, cello, and a variety of guitar and related stringed instruments) and the consistently clear, warm tones of this lovingly produced album.
Something new has been created with this “olive-skinned” merger of musical (and other) worlds — and our world is more subtly and complexly hued and richer for it. Chris Heim
If you like Mariana Montalvo you will also like: Tanya Libertad, Negro Color (World Village); Lila Downs, One Blood: Una Sangre (Narada); Susana Baca, Espiritu Vivo (Luaka Bop); Maria Rita, Maria Rita (WEA International); Marta Topferova, Sueño Verde (Circular Moves).
Bryan Vargas & ˇYa EstÁ!
Afro Latino Soul
(Mofongo Music)
Latin music has a long history of mergers with other popular forms — the “cubop” of Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo, Joe Cuba’s bugaloo, and the Latin rock of Santana are just a few early examples. Continuing that tradition in lively fashion is guitarist Bryan Vargas and his group.
The New York-based band’s debut harkens back to the funky experiments of Mongo Santamaria and up to the more contemporary riffs of some Buena Vista Social Club stars (Vargas even has a go here at the Arsenio Rodriguez classic that Buena Vista has made its own, “No Me Llores”) or the headier new alternative Rock en Español bands like Aterciopelados or Los Amigos Invisibles.
The title pretty much says it all for the sound. What it doesn’t tell you is how much energy and, more importantly, musicianship the band packs into these nine instrumental raves. With Arturo O’Farrill (son of legendary Latin-jazz master Chico O’Farrill and an acclaimed bandleader and pianist in his own right) producing and making a guest appearance, Afro Latino Soul is one of those rare projects that is both daring and fun. Chris Heim
If you like this you might also like: Marc Ribot, Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos (Atlantic); Manual Galban and Ry Cooder, Mambo Sinuendo (Nonesuch); Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers, The Hideout (Milestone); Sonido Isleño, Blue Tres (Tresero); Mongo Santamaria, Greatest Hits (Sony).
Manuel Guajiro Mirabal
Buena Vista Social Club Presents Manuel Guajiro Mirabal
(Nonesuch)
This jazzy Cuban album is the solo debut of 71 year old Manuel “El Guajiro” Mirabal; the veteran trumpeter may be long in the tooth, but this album shows that he is far from played out. This is Mirabal’s tribute to legendary Cuban bandleader Arsenio Rodríguez. Backed by group vocals, Cuban tres guitar, and intricate percussion, Mirabal presents catchy conjunto classics from the ’40s.
Mirabal’s trumpet sound has a tone, strength, and energy that belie his age. Only his ability to leash that sound into perfect ensemble with the other musicians shows that he is no brash young upstart. The musicians here, including Buena Vista greats such as Papi Oviedo, Calunga, and Ibrahim Ferrer, have the tight, cohesive sound of lifelong professionals combined with the loose, joyful vibe of musicians who still play for the pure thrill. Production with an open, big-room sound adds to the feeling of spontaneity. If there exists a polar opposite to over-processed studio musicians, these guys are it. Lissette CalderÓn
Other suggestions for similar music: Afro-Cuban All Stars, A Toda Cuba Le Gusta (Nonesuch); Ibrahim Ferrer, Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer (Nonesuch); Omara Portuondo, Flor De Amor (Nonesuch); Ruben Gonzalez, Introducing...Ruben Gonzalez (Nonesuch); Rosalia De Souza, Garota Moderna (Leeds/Avatar).
Radio Tarifa
Fiebre
(Nonesuch)
One of the hottest styles on the world music scene today is the evolving sound of flamenco. A host of artists are mixing this distinctive music of southern Spain with a host of other influences — from the pop-flamenco of bands like the Gipsy Kings to the recent, internationally acclaimed meeting of Cuba’s Bebo Valdes and Spain’s Diego Cigala on Lagrimas Negras to the inspired flamenco jazz of pianist Chano Dominquez. Radio Tarifa takes its name from a town in southernmost Spain. And as that name implies, North African, Arabic, Sephardic, and Mediterranean influences all play a role in their sound. On the heels of three previous studio albums, Tarifa returns with this live recording. The album is a liberating experience, capturing the excitement and energy of Tarifa’s fascinating musical synthesis, and, unlike their studio sets, giving the group more room to move, stretch out and really get cooking on a number of songs. Though the album also marks the 10th anniversary of the band, it suggests they are only just beginning to find their groove — and to open themselves and the world to a richer meeting of cultures and sounds. CHRIS HEIM
If you like this you might also like: Paco de Lucia, Cositas Buenas (Blue Thumb); Jerry Gonzalez, Jerry Gonzalez y Los Piratas del Flamenco (Sunnyside); Diego Amador, Piano Jondo (Milestone); Diego Cigala & Bebo Valdes, Lagrimas Negras (BMG); Chano Dominguez, Hecho a Mano (Sunnyside).
Juana Molina
Tres Cosas
(Domino Recording)
It’s the rare artist who can succeed at both music and acting, but they’ve both come naturally to Argentinian musician Juana Molina. Growing up, her father gave her guitar lessons and she listened to British progressive rock from the 1960s and ‘70s, while soaking in the influence of family house guests such as Brazilian bossa nova legend Chico Buarque. Fast-forward several years and Molina has become a featured actress on the hit Buenos Aires television comedy, Juana Y Sus Hermanas. When Molina went back to music in the late 1990s, the quiet and experimental tone of her recordings had more in common with her earlier experiences than the uproarious TV program. Her most recent disc, Tres Cosas, builds on the sparse approach of her previous international release, Segundo. The key difference is that now all of the writing, mixing, and producing is entirely her own. Minimalism pervades Tres Cosas; this disc demands, and rewards, close attention. On “No Es Tan Cierto,” Molina’s hushed voice sings over four repeated acoustic guitar notes that, rather than becoming deadening, add hypnotic interest to the intimate tones of the song. In “Isabel,” her conversational vocal style draws on the style of French chanson, but it is layered over airy electronica-inspired sounds. Molina’s famous sense of humor isn’t entirely absent from this album, but, like other aspects of her music, it’s notably understated. Aaron Cohen
You might like Juana Molina if you also like: The Beatles, The Beatles (Capitol); Chico Buarque, Construcao (Philips); Tortoise, Standars (Thrill Jockey); Caetano Veloso, Transa (Philips); Tom Ze, Fabrication Defect (Luaka Bop).
Marta GÓmez
Cantos de Agua Dulce
(Chesky Records)
Superbly talented singer and composer, Marta Gómez, writes music that seamlessly interprets South American folk traditions through the dual lenses of Latin jazz rhythm and singer-driven pop. The bones of the songs are folkloric, with forms ranging from Colombian cumbias and bambucos to Peruvian landos and beyond. On her latest CD release, Cantos de Agua Dulce (Songs of Sweet Water) Gómez uses her addictive songs to highlight social issues central to Latin American life. With track titles like “El Pueblo,” “Canción De Cuna,” and “La Finca,” Gómez touches on topics that translate across Latino America. Her sound, despite its old roots, is extremely accessible, catchy enough to translate easily across language barriers. Lissette CalderÓn
If you like Cantos de Agua Dulce you’ll also like: Lila Downs, One Blood: Una Sangre (Narada); Zap Mama, Ancestry in Progress (V2. / Bmg); Maria Rita, self titled CD (Wea International); Chavela Vargas, Coleccion de Oro (Orfeon); Lola Beltran, Antologia (Blue Note Records).
Robi “Draco” Rosa
Como Me Acuerdo
(Sony International)
If you’ve never heard of Robi Rosa, or were bitten by the Rosa bug after hearing his first all-English solo album, Mad Love, last year, then his latest release, Como Me Acuerdo, is the perfect step forward and back. It features a few remixes and two new songs, but its main function is as a fan-friendly retrospective reaching into Rosa’s earlier Spanish-language recordings. To longtime fans of the 2004 Latin Grammy winner, singer, songwriter, and producer (and former Menudo member), this album offers just a few new treats. But for those of us just tuning in to Rosa’s talent, it is a revelation of intense, well-chosen rock/pop songs making up a seamless, stand-alone whole. The passionate big-ballad sound of his recent “Más Y Más (Crash Push),” for instance, is nicely balanced by the spare, acoustic “Bandera.” Como Me Acuerdo needs no accompaniment, and is an easy way to introduce yourself to this charismatic crooner. Lissette CalderÓn
Similar artist in the same genre: Juanes, Mi Sangre (Universal Latino); Aleks Syntek, Mundo Lite (Emi International); Bebel Gilberto, Tanto Tempo (Six Degrees); Robi Rosa, Frio (Sony International).