29 diciembre 2013

La canción de la semana #402

The last song of the year is Mapu (Tierra), sung in Mapuche and Spanish by Noelia Pucci, a singer and composer from Neuquén Province, Argentina. A slightly different version of this song appears on her debute album, Noe Pucci.

20 diciembre 2013

La canción de la semana #401

...is All Along the Watchtower performed by Eliades Ochoa. This song appears on the new album From Another World: A Tribute to Bob Dylan, a collection of 13 Dylan's songs re-nterpreted by musicians from Algeria, Australia, Bhutan, Egypt, India, Iran, Hungary, Macedonia, Myanmar, Romania, Taiwan and, of course, Cuba.

14 diciembre 2013

La canción de la semana #400

Our 400th (!) song of the week is Apriétame asi by Dominican accordionist, singer and composer Lidia María Hernández López, better known as La India Canela.

From the liner notes to her 2008 album, Merengue Típico from the Dominican Republic:

The song that made La India famous in the early 1990s, this merengue is in the mambo-based style that was then just beginning to bring típico back into the public eye. Tho first mambo section starts at about 2:00; a second mambo enters after the next verse, and is filled in with bass and conga solos.

And what solos: short, inventive, fun solos. Electric bass may have replaced marimba in merengue típico bands, but — pay attention! — between 2:52 and 3:04, the bassist Alfonso González Perdomo is doing his fantastic imitation of marimba sound.

07 diciembre 2013

La canción de la semana #399

...is A trace of grace composed by Michel Godard and performed by Godard (serpent), Helena Rüegg (bandoneon) and Quique Sinesi (guitar, charango). This theme appears on the trio's album Días de felicidad (2012).

30 noviembre 2013

La canción de la semana #398

The Barcelonian band Calima was created in 2005 by Juanlu "El Canijo" Leprevost (a founding member of Ojos de Brujo). This week's song, Que me lleve, appears on Calima's brand new album, Lumbre.

15 noviembre 2013

09 noviembre 2013

La canción de la semana #395

Hispania & Japan: Dialogues is a project by Jordi Savall that commemorates arrival of Francis Xavier to Japan in 1549. It features Hespèrion XXI, La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Japanese musicians Masako Hirao, Hiroyuki Koinuma, Ichiro Seki and Yukio Tanaka. This week's song is Senhora del Mundo performed by the late Montserrat Figueras García (soprano) accompanied by Ken Zuckerman (sarod) and Prahbu Edouart (tabla).

01 noviembre 2013

La canción de la semana #394

Què volen aquesta gent? (What do these people want?) was composed in 1968 by Mallorcan singer Maria del Mar Bonet to lyrics by Lluís Serrahima. The song, based on a real tragic event, was promptly banned by Franco regime and, perhaps in part thanks to that, became something of an anti-Franco anthem. This version was performed by Bonet and Companyia Elèctrica Dharma during Concert per la Llibertat on 29 June 2013.

27 octubre 2013

La canción de la semana #393

...is Pachamama performed by the author, Laura Caronni (cello, violin, vocals) in duo with Juan Carlos Cáceres (piano and vocal). This song appears on Cáceres's 2011 album Noche de Carnaval.

19 octubre 2013

La canción de la semana #392

...is Desconsolado from the 1989 Finnish road movie Leningrad Cowboys Go America directed by Aki Kaurismäki.

When the film was finished, the fictional rock band, Leningrad Cowboys, continued as a real one. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their iconic Total Balalaika Show, Leningrad Cowboys and The Russian Air Force Choir will be touring Finland from 27 November to 7 December 2013.

12 octubre 2013

05 octubre 2013

La canción de la semana #390

Siboney was written by Ernesto Lecuona in 1929. Many great singers had a go at it but this week's version is performed by the one and only Concha Buika! This song also appears on her latest album, La Noche Más Larga. Buika performs at London's Barbican on 14 October.

28 septiembre 2013

La canción de la semana #389

...is Los Chucos Suaves by "Father of the Chicano Music" Lalo Guerrero y Sus Cinco Lobos, recorded in 1949.

Los Chucos Suaves
(Lalo Guerrero)
Carnal, póngase abusado,
Ya los tiempos han cambiado.
Usted esta muy agüitado,
Y hasta buti atravesado.

Antes se bailaba swing,
Boogie-woogie, jitterbug.
Pero esto ya torció.
Y este es lo que sucedió.


Coro:

Pachucos suaves bailan rumba,
Bailan la rumba y le zumba.
Bailan guaracha sabrosón,
El botecito y el danzón.


Cada sábado en la noche
Yo me voy a borlotear
Con mi linda pachucóna.
Las caderas a menear.

Ella le hace muy de aquellas
Cuando empieza a guarachar.
Al compas de los timbales,
Yo me siento petatear.


Coro

21 septiembre 2013

La canción de la semana #388

...is Tango Hississä (Tango in an Elevator) performed by my Finnish tango heroines, Milla Viljamaa and Johanna Juhola. The duo's new album, Tango Diary, is out 10 October.

14 septiembre 2013

La canción de la semana #387

To mark the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Chilean coup, Bruce Springsteen sang Manifiesto — reportedly the last song written by Victor Jara — during his first ever performance in Chile. Now tell me you don't get goosebumps from that trumpet solo and the last verse.

Yo no canto por cantar
ni por tener buena voz,
canto porque la guitarra
tiene sentido y razón.

Tiene corazón de tierra
y alas de palomita,
es como el agua bendita
santigua glorias y penas.

Aquí se encajó mi canto
como dijera Violeta
guitarra trabajadora
con olor a primavera.

Que no es guitarra de ricos
ni cosa que se parezca
mi canto es de los andamios
para alcanzar las estrellas,
que el canto tiene sentido
cuando palpita en las venas
del que morirá cantando
las verdades verdaderas,
no las lisonjas fugaces
ni las famas extranjeras
sino el canto de una lonja
hasta el fondo de la tierra.

Ahí donde llega todo
y donde todo comienza
canto que ha sido valiente
siempre será canción nueva.

07 septiembre 2013

La canción de la semana #386

...is a Sephardic song Tres Hermanicas Eran (There were three sisters) performed by Savina Yannatou and Primavera en Salonico.

Tres hermanicas eran,
blancas de roz, ay ramas de flor
Tres hermanicas eran,
tres hermanicas son.

Las dos eran cazadas,
blancas de roz, ay ramas de flor
Las dos eran cazadas,
la chica en perdición.

Su padre con vergüenza,
blancas de roz, ay ramas de flor
Su padre con vergüenza
a Rodas la envió.

En medio del camino,
blancas de roz, ay ramas de flor
En medio del camino
castillos la fraguó.

Ventanas hizo altas,
blancas de roz, ay ramas de flor
Ventanas hizo altas
porque no sube varón.

Varón es que lo supo
blancas de roz, ay ramas de flor
Varón es que lo supo
a la mar ya se echó.

01 septiembre 2013

24 agosto 2013

La canción de la semana #384

Raúl Mannola is an Argentina-born Finnish guitarist now based in Madrid. This week's song is milonga Nenúfar performed by Raúl Mannola Quartet, featuring Leandro Bianchi (guitar), Juan Carlos Aracil (flute) and Jesús Mañeru (percussion).

07 julio 2013

La canción de la semana #377

...is La secreta by Limando el Serrucho, who were performing in the early hours of this morning at the Fuerteventura en Música 2013 festival in El Cotillo. The international band was formed in Fuerteventura in 2002 and is now based in Madrid.

22 junio 2013

La canción de la semana #375

...is ¿Quién será? composed and recorded in 1953 by Mexican Pablo Beltrán Ruiz. Its English version, Sway, was made famous by Dean Martin the following year. The song was covered by numerous artists, from Cliff Richard to Björk and Jennifer Lopez, and remains as (if not more) popular today as 60 years ago.

The videoclip from Escuela de vagabundos (1954) featuring Pedro Infante.

09 junio 2013

La canción de la semana #373

I never heard of jazz pianist and composer Ariadna Castellanos until I saw her on Spanish TV earlier this week. And now I want to share her music with you: Volar por volar by Ariadna Castellanos and Juan Debel.

05 mayo 2013

28 abril 2013

La canción de la semana #367

...is Yo quisiera by great Oscar D'Leon. There are many versions of the song but my favourite is this extended jam session featuring José Alberto "El Canario".

22 marzo 2013

La canción de la semana #362

Bebo Valdés, Cuban jazz piano legend, died today aged 94.

Obsesión, a bolero by the Puerto Rican composer Pedro Flores Córdova. Bebo Valdés, piano; Dieguito El Cigala, vocals; Javier Colina, bass; Israel Porrina "Piraña", cajon; El Niño Josele, guitar.

17 marzo 2013

La canción de la semana #361

...is Planta Baja performed by Tres Tristes Tangos, a tango/klezmer trio from Mexico City consisting of Alex Daniels (accordion), Daniel Paz (clarinet) and Jorge González (double bass).

03 febrero 2013

La canción de la semana #355

...is La Fuerza del Sentimiento featuring chanting by Peruvian Shipibo shaman Guillermo Arevalo Valera. This song appears on Black Box, a new album by French guitarist Nicolas Repac.

27 enero 2013

20 enero 2013

La canción de la semana #353

...is Peruvian Groovin' by Cuban-American band Del Exilio. The band's new album, PANAMERICANO, is out on 1 March 2013.