In memory of Gal Costa
Fotografia
The Brazilian singer Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (1945-2022) was closely connected with the Tropicalia Movement of the 1960s. Born in Salvador, in the State of Bahia, she developed an early interest in the Bossa Nova, represented by artists such as Gaetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, João Gilberto and Gilberto Gil. “I was born wanting to sing, wanting to be a singer,” she said in a 2020 interview in Sounds & Colors “I always thought I would be one – I had this intuition and I wanted it. [I knew it from] when I was born.”She was 77 when she died, on 9 November. (sgs)
Philipps
Natalia Lafourcade
De Todas las Flores (Full album with lyrics in Spanish and English)
Another fantastic voice, classified as a lyric soprano. It belongs to the Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade. Born into a family of musicians, she has been one of the most successful south American singers from the moment she started out, in 2002. “Lafourcade’s artistry is simultaneously rooted in jazz, classical, bolero and the Mexican folkloric genre of son jarocho.» (New York Times). For her new album, she partnered with Adán Jodoroski, a filmmaker just like his famous father, Alejandro.
Sony BMG
Makaya McCraven
Dream Another (live)
Born in Paris in the autumn of 1983 to Hungarian singer and flutist Ágnes Zsigmondi and African American jazz drummer Stephen McCraven, Makaya was raised in a vibrant, creative community in the Northampton (MA) area, where his father often played with artists like the saxophonist and ethnomusicologist Marion Brown, multi-instrumentalist Yusef Latif, and saxophonist Archie Shepp, as well as the cadre pf African Gnawa musician (for more, see his website)
ATO Records
Ursina
Míu cor (from the album When I Let Go
Brazil sound is not only for Brazilians, and the language of this and the following songs is older than Portuguese and older than most tongues spoken on the planet. Many people are not aware that Switzerland has four official languages, yes German, French, and Italian, that’s right, but also Romansh, the archaic language spoken in pockets of the Grisons, our easternmost Canton. This song by the musician, singer-songwriter, composer, and vocal coach has been chosen by Netflix for the latest season of the fantasy series Warrior Nun. (sgs)
Radicalis Music
Brian Eno
Who Gives a Thought
Minimalist Brian Eno needs no introduction. Here, he delivers a dirge for the lowly of birth, either human or insect. Did you know the famous musician, composer, visual artist, and producer’s full name is Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, despite humble beginnings? Bands and musicians he played with include Roxy Music, David Bowie, David Byrne, John Cale, Laurie Anderson, U2, or Robert Fripp, to name a few. There are few contemporary musicians who enjoy a greater influence on contemporary music, be it ambient, Rock, electronic pop, or experimental.
Nonesuch Records