Omara Portuondo (Havana, 1930) is one of the great exponents of traditional music on the Caribbean island, where she is also revered as the ‘bride of the filin’. Her long career began in 1945 as a dancer in the famous Havana cabaret Tropicana, but it was in singing that she found her place in the golden age of traditional music in her country. As a member of the D’Aida Quartet alongside Elena Burke, Moraima Secada and her sister Haydée, he has accompanied stars such as Édith Piaf, Pedro Vargas, Rita Montaner, Bola de Nieve, Benny Moré and Nat King Cole.
You just need to put Omara Portuondo and Cartagena in an internet search engine. Dozens of entries appear. Since the Cuban diva first performed, the port city has seen countless presentations of the “filin’s girlfriend.” His connection to Cartagena is such that he proudly shows on his main page that the festival La Mar de Músicas gave him its award in 2014.
In 2019, it was announced that the Buena Vista Social Club diva was withdrawing from the international stage and the city that had welcomed her so many times said goodbye to her at the Cartagena Jazz Festival. But he still has the strength for another big international tour. Little was known about the Cuban diva until the ever-observant C. Tangana, in his devotion to bringing the greats of popular music back to the present, re-released “El Madrileño” with three new songs, including “Te venero” with Omara Portoondo.
The artistic project of the poet and singer-songwriter from Molina, Paskual Kantero, has been touring for ten years. In that time it has gone from small cafes to big stages and festivals and has become a multicultural band that encourages dance with its great rhythmic and sound richness. His ’10 years of flowers, wind and fire’ tour, which will take him to the United States and Latin America, will pass through La Mar de Músicas. Concert at the Patio del Antiguo CIM, where he will review the repertoire of his entire discography. A process that started in 2011 with the publication of ‘Flowers between steel’. Later, in 2013, came his second episode, ‘Tocando Tierra’, produced by Amparo Sánchez (Amparanoia). In 2016, with the album ‘Viento Sur’, Muerdo positions himself as one of the best Latin American voices, crossing the Atlantic with his mestizo sound.
This success was followed by the albums ‘La mano en el fuego’ and ‘Fin de la Primera Vida’, which were a real triumph. Recorded ‘La sangre del mundo’ in Buenos Aires last year, in collaboration with the musician and producer Diego Pérez (Tonolec, Nación Ekeko) and the engineer, Latin Grammy winner Matías Cella (Drexler, Kevin Johansen). This latest album is an approach to South American cultures and sounds. It is thus a tour of Mediterranean, Andean and tropical rhythms, in which Muerdo establishes itself as a proposal closely associated with folklore and ethnic sounds, combining synthesizers, programming, samplers, loops and all kinds of electronic embellishments.
Fresh sound in which the rhythms that have fallen from the sky stand out because of the vocal harmonies. Gentle waves that make the audience float in their songs. The melodic basses and their attractive guitars are the perfect dressing for this band of three young people in 2019. Mala Cotton is their name. In his songs, English and Spanish coexist harmoniously and give way to each other, as can be seen in songs like “Fen Shui,” “Acho!” or ‘Love of L’or’.
These three songs form the last single of the group of the same name, published in the same 2022. The Murcian band is the result of a mix of styles that sound in harmony under a careful instrumental atmosphere. His lyrics are packed with symbols and immerse the listener in themes that evoke travel.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Riccie Oriach is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is passionate about the richness of sound of his country. The nomination of his second album, ‘Mi Derriengue’, for the 2020 Latin Grammys put him on the map as the future of the island’s talent. Although he grew up in the punk scene of his childhood as a skater, a journey through the rhythms and styles of Dominican folklore led him to his debut EP ‘Viaje al infinito’.
His eclecticism led him to launch his third goal, ‘Maquiné’. An album with songs like ‘Yo proposal’, ‘Caracolita’ or ‘La Gomba’. Riccie Oriach is a fresh wave of tropical rhythm that takes the sounds of Latin rock and Caribbean music further. A style that has led him to be an ambassador for his country at the Dubai Expo this year.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
