07 noviembre 2024

La canción de la semana #933

...is Palabras by Juana Luna, from the Buenos Aires-born, New York-based singer's new album Canciones en Blanco y Negro.

24 octubre 2024

La canción de la semana #931

...is Que Chimbo by Carmen DeLeon. Watch the live version of this song on Carmen's La Biblioteca Sessions concert (23 February 2024).

17 octubre 2024

10 octubre 2024

La canción de la semana #929

...is Lamento en Celinés by Fabiola Méndez, from her 2024 album Okantomi. I discovered this Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and cuatro player, naturally, thanks to the recent Tiny Desk Concert (30 September 2024).

    Fabiola Méndez: vocals, cuatro puertorriqueño
    Juan Maldonado: bass
    Miguel Martínez: percussion, güiro puertorriqueño
    William García: drums

03 octubre 2024

La canción de la semana #928

...is La tarántula é un bicho mú malo (zapateado) from La tempranica (1900), an one-act zarzuela with music by Gerónimo Giménez and libretto by Julián Romea Parra. This is a song of a Gypsy boy, Grabié (a breeches role), hence the lyrics has masculine adjectives when Grabié refers to himself: guapo, malito, seco, etc.

Long after decline of zarzuela, La tarántula remains a staple of operatic sopranos, most likely thanks to Montserrat Caballé. My favourite version, however, is the one by Marujita Díaz.

La tarántula é un bicho mú malo,
No se mata con piera ni palo,
Que juye y se mete por tós los rincones
Y son mú malinas sus picazones.

¡Ay mare! No sé que tengo
Que ayé pasé por la era
Y ha principiaito a entrarme
Er má de la temblaera.
¿Será que a mí me ha picao
La tarántula dañina
Y estoy toitico enfermáo
Por su sangre tan endina?
¡Te coman los mengues
Mardita la araña
Que tié en la barriga
Pintá una guitarra!
Bailando se cura tan jondo doló.
¡Ay! ¡Mal haya la araña que a mí me picó!

No le temo á los rayos ni balas
Ni le temo á otra cosa más mala
Que me hizo mi pare más guapo que er Gallo
Pero á ese bichito lo parta un rayo.

¡Ay mare! yo estoy malito.
Me está entrando unos suores
Que me han dejaito seco
Y comío de picores.
¿Será que a mí me ha picao
La tarántula dañina,
Por eso me he quedao
Más dergao que una sardina?
¡Te coman los mengues,
Mardita la araña
Que tié la barriga
Pintá una guitarra!
Bailando se cura tan jondo doló.
¡Ay! ¡Mal haya la araña que a mí me picó!

27 septiembre 2024

La canción de la semana #927

...is La Reina del Norte by OKAN, from their 2023 album Okantomi. This song concludes the Cuban-Canadian band's recent Tiny Desk Concert (24 September 2024).

    Elizabeth Herrera Rodriguez: lead vocals, violin
    Magdelys Savigne: lead vocals, percussion
    Camila Cortina: piano, vocals
    Yissy García: drums
    Gerson Lazo-Quiroga: bass, vocals

20 septiembre 2024

La canción de la semana #926

...is Ojos Verdes by BALTHVS, from the Colombian trio's recent Live on KEXP concert.

Balthazar Aguirr: guitar
Santiago Lizcano: drums
Johanna Mercuriana: bass, vocals

12 septiembre 2024

La canción de la semana #925

...is Quién me devuelve el tiempo by Julia Rodríguez, a singer-songwriter from Fuerteventura, recorded live at Sofar Gran Canaria.

05 septiembre 2024

La canción de la semana #924

...is Fandango Mediterrani by Carlos Coronado, from the Catalan guitarist's new album Flamenco Mediterráneo. Listen here to the Radio Clásica (RTVE) program from the cycle Nuestro flamenco dedicated to this recording.

Here is an alternative version of Fandango Mediterrani, a duo with violinist Montserrat Martos.

22 agosto 2024

La canción de la semana #922

...is Cha-Cha-Cha Pa'Ca by Orquesta Akokán featuring Carolina Oliveros. This song appears on the Cuban-American collective's new album Caracoles.

16 agosto 2024

12 julio 2024

La canción de la semana #916

...is Rueda, Rueda by María José Llergo, from the Andalusian singer's 2023 album Ultrabelleza. This song opens her recent Tiny Desk Concert (8 July 2024) and — what a coincidence! — closes her tonight's performance at Bilbao BBK Live Festival.

    María José Llergo Sanchez: vocals
    Julio Martin Macias: keyboards
    Juan Manuel Montoya: bass, guitar
    Carlos Sosa Zambrano: drums

27 junio 2024

La canción de la semana #914

...is La Vereda by Yasser Tejeda, from the Dominican artist's latest album La Madrugá. This song was also featured on the recent Tiny Desk Concert (15 May 2024).

    Mario Castro: tenor sax, keyboards
    Kyle Miles: bass, vocals
    Francis Peña: drums, maracas, vocals
    Yasser Tejeda: vocals, electric guitar
    Jonathan "Jblak" Troncoso: drums, congas, maracas, vocals

21 junio 2024

La canción de la semana #913

...is La Música by Ketekalles feat. Balkan Paradise Orchestra and La Dame Blanche. This song appears on the Catalan band's 2023 album Antiheroína. Check out the live version with El Plan de la Mariposa at CC Konex, 17 March 2024 (Buenos Aires, Argentina).

14 junio 2024

La canción de la semana #912

...is El Silencio by El Laberinto del Coco featuring Kianí Medina & Ama Ríos. This song also appears on the Puerto Rican band's recent Tiny Desk concert (5 April 2024).

07 junio 2024

La canción de la semana #911

...is I Believe by Màquina!, a Catalan prog-rock band active between 1969 and 1972. This song opens the band's debut album Why? (1970).

31 mayo 2024

La canción de la semana #910

...is Guérison by Amina Cadelli, better known as Flèche Love. This song appears on the Swiss-Algerian artist's new album of the same name.

03 mayo 2024

26 abril 2024

La canción de la semana #905

...is Tania by Ana Tijoux, a tribute to the singer's late sister. This song appears on Vida, the first album of Tijoux in ten years.

19 abril 2024

La canción de la semana #904

...is Bailarín by La Yegros, from her new album Haz. This song also opens the Argentine singer's live set at the Cabaret Sauvage, Paris (12 February 2024).

05 abril 2024

La canción de la semana #902

...is Safo by Tarta Relena (Marta Torrella and Helena Ros), based on the lyrics by Sappho. This song appears on the 2021 album Fiat Lux. I learned about this amazing Catalan duo thanks to their performance on the Tiny Desk Concert (3 April 2024).

29 marzo 2024

La canción de la semana #901

...is Rata de dos patas, probably the most famous ranchera performed by Francisca Viveros Barradas, better known as Paquita la del Barrio. The composer Manuel Eduardo Toscano said that, although Paquita asked him for a vehicle to vent resentment towards her ex-husband, the true inspiration behind the song was ex-president of Mexico, Carlos Salinas de Gortari. In any case, I don't know a more elegant way to heap a series of delicious insults on an unworthy ex. Check out the lyrics here.

22 marzo 2024

La canción de la semana #900

Libertango, one of the best-known compositions by Astor Piazzolla, is 50 this year! Since its original release in 1974, it was covered about a zillion times. Some of the most famous versions include those by Al Di Meola, Richard Galliano, Hiromi & Edmar Castaneda, Yo-Yo Ma and Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Here's another stunning cover by the Finnish accordionist Ronja Pehkonen.

09 marzo 2024

La canción de la semana #898

I first heard De cristal two days ago in the concert of Sylvie Hernández in Casa de Colón and just had to share it with you. This song appears on the Canarian singer-songwriter's debut album Magua*. Sylvie Hernández plays next Saturday 16 March, 21:00, in parque Tamaraceite Sur, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, as a part of the new Musicando season.


* The Canarian word magua means pity, heartbreak, feeling of loss or longing, sadness, melancholy, or nostalgia for homeland.

02 marzo 2024

La canción de la semana #897

...is La farsante by Juan Gabriel. This version (which probably should be called El farsante) was performed by Fabiola Trujillo last Saturday in her new show «Con alma mexicana» in Parque Doramas, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

25 febrero 2024

La canción de la semana #896

...is Zyryab, from Paco de Lucía's 1990 album of the same name. The theme is named after Abu l-Hasan Ali ibn Nafi, aka Ziryab, a legendary 9th-century Arab singer, composer, poet, musician and teacher, who established in Córdoba one of the first music schools in the world and is said to have known 10,000 songs by heart.

By now, Zyryab has become a flamenco and jazz standard, covered by the likes of Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band, Ara Malikian, Colina / Serrano / Carmona trio, Amos Lora... the list goes on. For me, however, nothing beats the author's own take which I was lucky to see live some 30 years ago. Of course, there is no such thing as"definitive" Paco de Lucía version. Which one is your favourite?

17 febrero 2024

La canción de la semana #895

Why, I was sure that I had already posted this clip by Laritza Bacallao some 10 years ago... But no. Her performance during yesterday's Gala Drag Queen in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria made me check it out. Anyway, it's never too late to share a good carnival song: Que Suenen Los Tambores!

09 febrero 2024

La canción de la semana #894

...is El Ofendío by La Muchacha & El propio Junte, featuring Isabel Ramírez Ocampo aka La Muchacha (vocals, guitar), Miguel Velásquez Matijasevic (bass) and Camilo Bartelsman (drums, percussion). This song appears on the trio's 2023 album Los Ombligos.

El Ofendío

Ay, sabe que vengo ofendido
Me mataron al parcero con la bala de un fusil
Ay, sabe qué me ofende más
Que sean dos los que he tenío que enterrar
Oscurecía tengo la ruta
Entre toas las bocas muecas que se fuman la bazuca
Y no es muy larga la triste historia
Pero sirve que se quede en la memoria

Llegué en la noche a las cinco esquinas
Iluminadas por el fuego de la riña
Y de las llantas que se queman pa calentarme
Todos los rotos que dentro del pecho me salen
Y me gritan por los ojos, ojos con hambre
Hambre que calman los sancochos de las manos de las cuchas
Y los socios y de toas las ñeras
Que me sustentan esta lucha, compañera

Ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay

Ay, sabe qué, sigo ofendido
Porque siguen disparando con el cañón del fusil
Desde los techos y supermercados
Con los mismos aparatos de la muerte financiados por el estado
"Nos están matando", gritan las paredes
Gritan campesinas, campesinos, indígenas y palenqueras
Las putas y travestis, las chirretas, las rebeldes
Mamas, hijas, taitas, pa que escuchen las pichurrias dirigentes

Аy, ay
Ay, ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay, ay

Аy, ay
Ay, ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay, ay

03 febrero 2024

La canción de la semana #893

...is La quietud de la Huaca by Manongo Mujica featuring the voice of Gabriela Ezeta. This is the closing track of Mujica's concept album Ritual sonoro para ruinas circulares.

Based on the rereading of the famous tale by Jorge Luis Borges "The Circular Ruins", the Peruvian composer, percussionist and painter, Manongo Mujica, takes a new look at some of his great obsessions: the desert on the coast of Peru and the pre-Hispanic ceremonials found there. For years the impressions of these places have mobilized a very personal aesthetic, arising from understanding the desert as a space for inner listening, and the ceremonial centers or huacas, as the representation of a mystery.

27 enero 2024

La canción de la semana #892

...is De Monteadentro by Luz Dary y su orquesta "La Decisión". I first learned about this Colombian artist from Gia Fu's brand new set "Women in Salsa Records: Mainstream & Beyond".

18 enero 2024

La canción de la semana #891

...is Siento una pena by Mito y Comadre, a Venezuelan electronic roots group now based in Bogotá, Colombia. This song appears on their debut album Guajirando. The video was created by the Peruvian animation studio Tenis.

Music
    Shanna Hernández: voice
    Guillermo Lares: cuatro, percussion, drums, marimba, marímbola, pads, keyboards, voice effects
    Christian Castagno: guitars
    Andrés Álvarez: keyboards
    José Chepe Ariza: bass
Video
    Animated and directed by Tenis
    Direction: Diego Tenorio
    Animation and drawings: Sergio Dapello, Sofia Lores, Muriel Holguín, Jorge Maita, Diego Tenorio
    Edition: Muriel Holguín
    Executive Producer: Laura Jordan

05 enero 2024

La canción de la semana #889

...is Olvidarte nunca by Julieta Laso featuring La Dame Blanche. This song appears on the Argentine singer's new album Pata de Perra.

Pata de perra es un dicho que se usa mucho en las provincias del norte de Argentina y también en algunas partes de Latinoamérica. Creo que en México también. Y yo no sabía qué nombre ponerle al disco, estaba desesperada con eso, y un amigo salteño, cuando estábamos hablando, me dice: “qué te voy a ver si vos estás patiperreando todo el día” (lo dice con tonada salteña). Le dije: ¿qué me dijiste? Patiperrear, me dice. Pata de perro suelen decir, más que de perra. Es como alguien callejero, que anda sin rumbo. Y me pareció divino.