...is goosebumpingly gorgeous Remitente by María Peláe. The video featuring the dancer Pedro Sohu is directed by Mario Ruiz. This is one of the official entries for Benidorm Fest 2024. I don't hold my breath: this song is just too good for Benidorm Fest and, by extension, for Eurovision. Still, I wish María good luck.
29 diciembre 2023
22 diciembre 2023
La canción de la semana #887
...is Abrígame by Jaque Mate, a 1980s Peruvian duo composed of Jorge "Coco" Tafur and Maryna Pastor. This song, together with other delicious rarities, appears on the compilation Viva el Sábado: Hits de Disco Pop Peruano (1978—1989) (Buh Records, 2023).
15 diciembre 2023
La canción de la semana #886
...is Luna by Sandra Bautista with Ferran Exceso and Dani Tejedor. This song appears on the Catalan singer-songwriter EP ¡Voces, Camaradas y Acción!
08 diciembre 2023
La canción de la semana #885
...is Caminante by Soema Montenegro, from the Argentine singer-songwriter new album Círculo Radiante.
02 diciembre 2023
La canción de la semana #884
...is En la Tormenta by Leire Villanueva and Alberto Iriarte, better known as Iseo & Dodosound.
24 noviembre 2023
La canción de la semana #883
...is No Me Pueden Parar by J Noa, from the Dominican rapper's new EP Autodidacta. Naturally, I discovered her thanks to the recent Tiny Desk Concert.
Dominic Brogdon: trombone Carlos Colon: backing vocals Andres Ferret: bass Johnny Jones: alto sax Archie Knuckles: trumpet Jason Mathews: keys Marcos Rijos: guitar Nathalie Rodriguez (Gaiya): backing vocals John Samnson (Jun Blaze): drums |
17 noviembre 2023
La canción de la semana #882
...is Un dragón para olvidar by Ceviche Mixto. This song opens the Bolivian band's new album Valses Para Perros.
10 noviembre 2023
La canción de la semana #881
...is Homenaje al Tres by La 5ta Galaxia, from their eponymous 1982 album. Another gem found thanks to Gia Fu, this time in her mix Salsa Records From Venezuela.
03 noviembre 2023
La canción de la semana #880
...is Funky by Harold López-Nussa, from his new album Timba a la Americana.
Ruy Adrián López-Nussa: drums Grégoire Maret: harmonica Luques Curtis: double bass Bárbaro "Machito" Crespo: congas |
28 octubre 2023
La canción de la semana #879
Vamos al Valle de Elqui by Arturo Jorge y Su Cuarteto Tradición, from the Cuban band's 2023 album Sonero de Oriente.
20 octubre 2023
La canción de la semana #878
The Tiny Desk was spoiling us with some great Spanish-language music during this "Latinx Heritage Month". That's where I discovered for myself Ivy Queen (Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez) — I would have discovered her years ago if I were into reggaeton, which I am not. So, ladies and gentlemen: Menor Que Yo by the one and only Ivy Queen.
Ivy Queen: vocals Barba Blanca: percussion, piano, musical direction Marco Jiménez Santana: violin Adriana Lizardi: double bass Lourdes Naomi Negrón: viola Javier Tirado: cello |
14 octubre 2023
La canción de la semana #877
...is Escándalo, the opener of the 1970 album Pan by Grupo Pan (Venezuela) led by Carlos "Nené" Quintero. Long out of print, this album was recently reissued on vinyl.
07 octubre 2023
La canción de la semana #876
...is Tortuga Mareña by Cantares del Pacífico, a folkloric group from Buenaventura, Colombia led by the marimba player Eryen Korath. This song appears on the album Aguajes de Mar y Manglar.
30 septiembre 2023
La canción de la semana #875
...is Papa Upa by Babalu, Eddy Mar Salsa y Sabor, from the band's 1976 record Tranquilisate. I'd never known who they were if not for Gia Fu's programme Salsa Records From Curaçao, full of equally obscure and wonderfully catchy tunes. I didn't even know they played salsa in Curaçao. Now I know.
22 septiembre 2023
La canción de la semana #874
...is DPM (De Pxta Madre) by Kany García. The song was released two years ago but I first heard it in Kany's recent (and gorgeous) Tiny Desk Concert.
Antonio Alonso: drums, percussion, background vocals José M. Gómez: keyboards, accordion, background vocals Olga I. González: background vocals, shaker, tambourine Bryan Pérez: bass guitar Cristian F. Rivera: music director, steel guitar, ukulele, background vocals Ricardo Rodríguez: classical guitar, background vocals |
15 septiembre 2023
La canción de la semana #873
Irina Bogushevskaya (Ирина Богушевская) sang:
Ах, Рио-Рита! Как высоко плыла ты над нами,
Через страх и озноб, через восторг побед,
Аргентины далёкой привет!
But what Rio Rita has to do with Argentina? Very little. The pasodoble was composed in 1932 by the Catalan Enric Santeugini i Montsalvatge (Enrique Santeugini y Montsalvaje), then resident in Berlin. Originally called Adiós Madrecita (but seriously!), it really became famous as Für dich, Rio Rita (Rio Rita was the name of a dance bar in Tauentzienstraße 12, Berlin), with the German lyrics by Oscar H. Adam. In 1937, the instrumental version by Marek Weber and his orchestra came to the former Soviet Union where it was incredibly popular. By that time, both Weber and Santeugini left Germany.
The song appeared on a B-side of a 78 rpm shellac record, whose A-side was occupied by... Argentina (Ich will ja nichts als deine Liebe) by Santiago Lopez, also performed by Marek Weber. (Neither composer was credited on a Soviet disc. Typical.) Maybe that explains the Rio Rita-Argentina connection?
07 septiembre 2023
La canción de la semana #872
...is Frágil by Yahritza y su Esencia and Grupo Frontera. An alternative version of this song is closing Yahritza's recent Tiny Desk Concert.
01 septiembre 2023
La canción de la semana #871
I've been listening to this album by 2 Caras — in fact, the only album by 2 Caras — for I don't know how many years. How come I never shared a song on this blog? So, here you are: Chimango from Tango Ska.
23 agosto 2023
La canción de la semana #870
...is La Llama del Amor by Omar Montes with Jairo deRemache and Farruquito. I first heard this song in Omar Montes' fabulous acoustic — sans autotune! — Tiny Desk Concert (17 August 2023).
Omar Montes: vocals Oscar Barrul: vocals, palmas Javier Campos: saxophone, flute Jose del Curro: vocals, palmas Eduardo Figueroa: cajon Cesar Galvez: flamenco guitar Roberto Lorenzo: trombone Marcos Ortega: trumpet Alejandro Paez: bass guitar |
18 agosto 2023
La canción de la semana #869
...is the traditional Garifuna song Maya Hatina (They Can't Bake Cassava) performed by Lebeha Drummers from Hopkins Village, Belize. This song appears on the band's new album Biama — another discovery thanks to Songlines. I find its simple lyrics strangely inspiring.
Maya HatinaMaya Hatina Mebura Hatina. |
They Can’t Bake CassavaI haven’t worked and I don’t bake. |
11 agosto 2023
La canción de la semana #868
A ver, a ver... A Mover la Colita was composed by Miguel Orlando Iacopetti and Luis Alberto Sarmiento and made famous in the 1980s by the likes of La Sonora Dinamita and Wilfrido Vargas. My favourite version is the one by the Ecuadorian band Onda Latina. How did I live all these years and haven't heard this song until now — more precisely, until last month thanks to the French company Le G. Bistaki who used it in their show «Baïna[na]» — is a mystery.
04 agosto 2023
La canción de la semana #867
...is Se Acabó by Ani Cordero. This song appears on the Puerto Rican singer's new album Anamores.
28 julio 2023
21 julio 2023
14 julio 2023
La canción de la semana #864
...is Mi Paisa by Olmedo Torres and Polibio Mayorga. This song appears on Ecuatoriana: El Universo Paralelo de Polibio Mayorga 1969—1981, a monumental compilation by Analog Africa.
07 julio 2023
La canción de la semana #863
...is Un Chelo por Alegrías, featuring voice of Eva Durán. This song appears on the brand new album El Desliz by Cary Rosa Varona.
01 julio 2023
La canción de la semana #862
...is Cuéntamelo by Luis de la Carrasca, from his new album Baró Drom.
Luis de la Carrasca: cante Jérôme Boudin-Clauzel, Antonio Paz: piano José Luis Dominguez, Manuel Gomez: guitars Olivier Lalauze: double bass François Taillefer, Domingo Moreno: percussion |
23 junio 2023
La canción de la semana #861
Momi Maiga: kora, voice and percussion Aleix Tobías: drums, percussion, handclaps Martín Meléndez: cello Pau Figueres: Spanish guitar Rusó Sala: voice Carlos Montfort: bass |
...is Mansani by Momi Maiga, from his album Nio.
16 junio 2023
La canción de la semana #860
...is La Lloroncita (Mexican son jarocho) performed by Diana Baroni. This song appears on the Argentine singer and musician's new album Mujeres.
Diana Baroni: vocal Ronald Martin Alonso: viola da gamba Rafael Guel Frias: baroque guitar |
10 junio 2023
La canción de la semana #859
...is No Siendo Más by Valentina and Juanita Añez, aka Las Áñez. This song appears on the Colombian duo's Live on KEXP performance at El Desierto Casa Estudio, Desierto de Los Leones, Mexico on March 17, 2023.
03 junio 2023
La canción de la semana #858
...is Desde El Cielo by the Guatemalan cellist, singer and songwriter Mabe Fratti, now based in Mexico. This song is taken from her magnificent Live on KEXP performance at El Desierto Casa Estudio, Desierto de Los Leones, Mexico on 15 March 2023.
Mabe Fratti: vocals, cello I. La Católica: guitar Jarrett Gilgore: saxophone Gibrán Andrade: drums |
27 mayo 2023
La canción de la semana #857
After seeing Maui's brilliant — and side-splittingly funny — performance earlier this week in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, as a part of «Voces de Ellas», I can't get this song out of my head. So I thought, why don't I share it here. De nada.
Ramón and Pepe Priego: guitars "El Cete", Juan Suárez "El Bomba", Antonio Montoya: palmas Gaspar "Nieto": bongos |
Yo no soy de lanzarme |
19 mayo 2023
La canción de la semana #856
...is Gucci Los Paños by Karol G. I like the version of this song accompanied by a gorgeous all-female band as performed at the Tiny Desk.
Susana Vasquez: guitar Jemma Heigis: piano Giulliana Merello: drums Patricia Ligia: bass Crystal Torres: trumpet Hailey-Mae Niswanger: flute Katiuska Fernandes: percussion Irany Martinez: accordion India Anderson: tuba |
11 mayo 2023
La canción de la semana #855
...is Rezo a la Luna by Parranda La Cruz, from the Lyon-based vocal and percussion quartet's eponymous album. Once again, I learned about them thanks to Songlines.
05 mayo 2023
La canción de la semana #854
...is Mala Mía by Sol Pereyra in duet with La Dame Blanche. This song opens Pereyra's brand new (released yesterday!) album La Película.
27 abril 2023
La canción de la semana #853
Embarrassing as it is, it looks like I never posted here a song by a Paraguayan composer or performer. So, to correct this oversight (as well as to acknowledge the fact that I've just came back from the masterclass of Pedro Martínez), this week's song is Mangoré by Pedro Martínez Trio.
Gonzalo Resquín: drums Chino Corvalán: bass |
20 abril 2023
La canción de la semana #852
...is A escondidas by ¿Who's the Cuban?, a French group that "mixes the essence of Cuban music with hints of rock, pop and psychedelia". This song appears on the band's new album Pafata.
Thibaut Chipot: drums, percussion Olivier Duranton: keyboards, backing vocals Cédric Geremia: guitar Olivier Herrmann: bass Carl Lelonge: trombone Dayron Ramirez Hernandez: lead vocals, backing vocals, trumpet |
14 abril 2023
La canción de la semana #851
...is Por Qué Ou Ka Fè Sa featuring Brenda Navarrete and David Walters, from the new all-star album Estrellas by Guts. From the Songlines review:
This is a glorious album that was never supposed to happen. Fabrice Henri, the French hip-hop producer better known as Guts, had planned to record in Cuba. But COVID restrictions made that impossible so he flew the Cuban musicians to Dakar, and invited Senegalese stars to join the sessions, along with his own musicians from Europe. Twenty-five artists from three continents were involved, and in 15 days they recorded this 17-track set. The result is like a more funky, updated version of the original Buena Vista concept, and it works because the great cast were clearly enjoying themselves.
06 abril 2023
La canción de la semana #850
...is Vivo by the Tenerife-based Compañía Pieles, from their latest show Tarasca.
30 marzo 2023
La canción de la semana #849
El Pichi is a song from Spanish 1931 revue Las Leandras. It was composed by Francisco Alonso with lyrics by Emilio González del Castillo and José Muñoz Román. The song was performed by Celia Gámez, Sara Montiel, Lina Morgan, Rocío Dúrcal, Sofía Álvarez and Paloma San Basilio, among others.
91 years later, Rozalén released the version of the song with new lyrics called Pichi 2.0. It appears on the singer's 2022 album Matriz.
23 marzo 2023
La canción de la semana #848
...is Dear Paco (Cepa Andaluza) performed by Maureen Choi Quartet featuring Maureen Choi (violin), Mario Carrillo (double bass), Daniel García Diego (piano) and Michael Olivera (drums). This composition appears on the band's 2019 album Theia.
17 marzo 2023
La canción de la semana #847
...is Guanabacoa by Ana Carla Maza Quartet.
Fidel Fournneyron: trombone Ana Carla Maza: cello, vocal Vincent Peirani: accordion |
09 marzo 2023
La canción de la semana #846
...is La leyenda del tiempo (Federico García Lorca/Ricardo Pachón) made famous by Camarón and re-invented by Xosé Lois Romero & Aliboria.
03 marzo 2023
24 febrero 2023
La canción de la semana #844
...is Alaé Alaá by La Ruca y El Quinde de Barbacoas. This song appears on the magnificent debut album ¡Dale Duro al Bombo! of the Colombian folkloric group led by Ruth Elena Cabezas "La Ruca".
17 febrero 2023
La canción de la semana #843
...is Tres Hermanos by Hermanos Gutiérrez featuring Dan Auerbach who, I presume, is the third brother of the title. This theme appears on the Ecuadorian-Swiss guitar duo's album El Bueno y el Malo. You can hear its two-brother version in the recent Tiny Desk Concert.
Estevan Gutiérrez: guitar, percussion |
10 febrero 2023
La canción de la semana #842
...is Tabú, Tabú composed by Manuel Alejandro and performed by Sola. This song appears on her 1971 eponymous debut album, also known as Un muñeco de madera and Soy Rebelde . There's precious little information about this Mexican singer on the web; I hope to find out more one day.
02 febrero 2023
La canción de la semana #841
...is Canterurías by Chabuca Granda, here performed by Susana Baca in her Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, at the Babel library and bookstore in Lima, Peru and introduced as “Afro-Peruvian bonus track en Babel”.
Óscar Huaranga: bass Jonathan Mendoza: acoustic guitar, vocals Alex Quijandría: percussion, vocals Manuel Mejía: percussion, vocals Luis Miguel: percussion Renzo Vignati: electric guitar Juan Carlos: piano, violin |
28 enero 2023
La canción de la semana #840
...is Por si volviera by Eva Sierra & María de la Flor. A different version of this song, together with Respirar, appears on Sierra's brand new (released last week!) album Equilibrio.
(Eva Sierra) hoy |
María de la Flor: vocals Iker García: guitar |
20 enero 2023
La canción de la semana #839
...is Curandera by Arube (Belén Álvarez Doreste, Xerach Peñate Santana and Alba Gil Aceytuno).
13 enero 2023
La canción de la semana #838
...is El pavo real by Pedro Canale aka Chancha Vía Circuito with the Colombian band Meridian Brothers. This song appears on the Argentine musician's fabulous new album La Estrella, featuring collaborations with artists such as Fémina, Las Añez, María José Montijo, Lido Pimienta and Manu Ranks.
06 enero 2023
La canción de la semana #837
Happy New Year everybody! I learned about Tambor Hembra, a folklore group from Manizales, Colombia, thanks to their collaboration with La Perla, the protagonists of my previous post. This week's song is No Va Pal Río.