...is Las Rosas No Hablan, a Spanish-language version of As Rosas Não Falam by Cartola, performed by the Melissa Aldana Quartet featuring Cécile McLorin Salvant. This ballad appears on the Chilean saxophonist's 2026 album Filin.
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Melissa Aldana: tenor saxophone Gonzalo Rubalcaba: piano Peter Washington: double bass Kush Abadey: drums Cécile McLorin Salvant: vocals |
...is dandovueltasdandovueltasdandovueltasdandovueltas (yes, that long) by Naomi Ramírez Rivera aka RaiNao, a duet with great Omara Portuondo. I first heard this song on the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter's Tiny Desk Concert (20 May 2026).
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RaiNao: vocals, tenor sax, maracas Frido Vargas: guitar, timbal, backing vocals Emilio Mendez Ramirez: keys Giovanni Ortiz: bass LuisFra Colon: tenor sax, güiro, flute Jahaziel Garcia: trumpet Joey Oyola: trombone Nubia Marina Garcia: percussion Naisa Suané: percussion Deborah Amanda: backing vocals Veronica Rolon: güiro, backing vocals |
...is Guardaespaldas by Melanie Santiler. I discovered this Cuban singer thanks to El Gao Sessions; the beautiful version of this song opens Melanie's recent concert (26 September 2025).
Lázaro Peña: piano Kevin Figueredo: trumpet |
...is A Santa Bárbara aka Que viva Changó by Celina & Reutilio, a duo of Celina González and Reutilio Domínguez, from their 1956 album of the same name.
...is Zunzun Baba by Rita Donte, from the Cuba-born, Mexico-based singer-songwriter's 2025 album Ritual.
...is Pequeña Fuga y Mambo by the Rayko León quintet and Carlos Alemán. This song appears on the Canarian pianist's 2021 album En clave de rumBach.
Osvaldo Hernández: timbales Rayko León: piano Wichy López: trumpet, flugelhorn Fofi Lusson: double bass Alberto Valdés: congas, güiro |
...is Ahora by Line Kruse feat. Daymé Arocena, from the Danish-French violinist 2019 album Invitation.
...is Los ejes de mi carreta, a milonga composed by the Argentine Atahualpa Yupanqui (1908—1992) on the lyrics by the Uruguayan Romildo Risso (1882—1946). I hope you like this recent version by the Cuban Septeto Santiaguero.
...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).
Magdelys Savigne: lead vocals, percussion Camila Cortina: piano, vocals Yissy García: drums Gerson Lazo-Quiroga: bass, vocals |
...is Cha-Cha-Cha Pa'Ca by Orquesta Akokán featuring Carolina Oliveros. This song appears on the Cuban-American collective's new album Caracoles.
...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).
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!
...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.
...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 |
Vamos al Valle de Elqui by Arturo Jorge y Su Cuarteto Tradición, from the Cuban band's 2023 album Sonero de Oriente.
...is Un Chelo por Alegrías, featuring voice of Eva Durán. This song appears on the brand new album El Desliz by Cary Rosa Varona.
...is Mala Mía by Sol Pereyra in duet with La Dame Blanche. This song opens Pereyra's brand new (released yesterday!) album La Película.
...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 |
...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.
...is Guanabacoa by Ana Carla Maza Quartet.
Fidel Fournneyron: trombone Ana Carla Maza: cello, vocal Vincent Peirani: accordion |
