The Unmoderated Latina Vocal Recommended Recordings Thread

I'm an unabashed lover of the female voice. I don't like male voices in general. Over the last several years I've grown to really enjoy listening to Latin American women sing, in Spanish and Portuguese.

I have a large number of recordings, but don't know the appeal of such music here, so thought I would not clutter Justin's thread with my recommendations.

I will post a few recommendations to start with, and if I don't get much response, will let the thread die.

Bernard said:

I'm an unabashed lover of the female voice. I don't like male voices in general. Over the last several years I've grown to really enjoy listening to Latin American women sing, in Spanish and Portuguese.

I have a large number of recordings, but don't know the appeal of such music here, so thought I would not clutter Justin's thread with my recommendations.

I will post a few recommendations to start with, and if I don't get much response, will let the thread die.

Click to expand...

Bernard,

I was actually thinking of just a more generic "Female Vocals" thread. Not quite as "nichey" and probably more gravitational versus one base ethnicity...?

But it's your thread, so your call. Cheers.

Laura Fygi: Latin Touch

This album (in Spanish) is available on CD, but I have it on a JVC XRCD. The first time I heard it I was astounded that this level of quality was coming from a CD; it is truly a superb recording, which I would love to hear on some higher-end ML's than mine.

She sings a number of Spanish standards, really well. Definitely worth buying, even if this music is only of passing interest to you. I don't know how readiy available the XRCD is; I bought mine from my ML dealer several years ago.

tsv_1 said:

Bernard,

I was actually thinking of just a more generic "Female Vocals" thread. Not quite as "nichey" and probably more gravitational versus one base ethnicity...?

But it's your thread, so your call. Cheers.

Click to expand...

Todd,

I hear you, but as I said, I don't know the appeal here, and don't want people to have to plough through a bunch of recommendations of music which are of no interest to them. Hence my statement that if I don't get much response to my posts I will let the thread die.

And yes, I do have a Portuguese/Spanish last name, though I don't speak either language.

Ana Caram: Rio After Dark

This is one from Ana Caram, a Brazilian, who sings in English and Portuguese. It's on the Chesky label (they "discovered" her), and as is usual with Chesky, it's great sonically. I think it may also be available as an SACD.

This is Brazilian music at its best. She sings a number of slow slongs as well as some faster ones, and has a very expressive voice.

One of the tracks (Viola Fora De Moda) is a great demo track as it has rain sticks, birds, etc. Must be interesting in surround, and awesome on the CLX.

Another track (Anos Dourados) is a duet with a guy, done very nicely. It's interesting to "hear" her smile during the song. My wife loves this song (and so do I).

She has a number of other very nice CDs, all on Chesky, and all of which I have.

Todd, take my word for it and buy it.

Bernard said:

This is one from Ana Caram, a Brazilian, who sings in English and Portuguese. It's on the Chesky label (they "discovered" her), and as is usual with Chesky, it's great sonically. I think it may also be available as an SACD.

This is Brazilian music at its best. She sings a number of slow slongs as well as some faster ones, and has a very expressive voice.

One of the tracks (Viola Fora De Moda) is a great demo track as it has rain sticks, birds, etc. Must be interesting in surround, and awesome on the CLX.

Another track (Anos Dourados) is a duet with a guy, done very nicely. It's interesting to "hear" her smile during the song. My wife loves this song (and so do I).

She has a number of other very nice CDs, all on Chesky, and all of which I have.

Todd, take my word for it and buy it.

Click to expand...

I have some AC... but not this one. I will look into it. Thanks

Marta Gomez: Cantos de Agua Dulce

Another CD from Chesky, this time Marta Gomez from Colombia, The disk is entitled "Songs of Sweet Water". She has a charity for children called "Agua Dulce".

This is one singer I keep coming back to as I really like her voice. She uses rhythms from a bunch of different Latin countries, with most of them being upbeat. One of the tracks includes the four syllables "La La La La", and the way she handles it makes me relax instantly (not that I'm uptight ). She has a bunch of other CDs, all of which I have and really enjoy.

Great sound as usual from the brothers Chesky.

She appears live quite frequently in Boston and NYC. One of these days I have to get to one of her concerts.

Selina :bowdown: Teano Goddess!

Teena Marie did many nice spanish/portugese songs, R.I.P. T

Hey Bernard,

Great thread. I haven't had much time to post, but I've been following along as much as I can. I share your taste for Latina vocalists and and plan to use this thread to update my library.

The only problem I have is, I'm so spoiled on vinyl now, it's hard for me to relax and listen anything digital. Probably not my only problem... Anyway, if some of your recommendations are on vinyl, that would help with my selections.

Oh yeah, have you listened to Astrud Gilberto with the Stan Getz Quartet on "Getz Au Go Go"? I have the 180g 45rpm 2 disc set. A live performance. That's my recommendation for today.

Ray

Ray,

The Ana Caram "Rio After Dark" is (was?) available on vinyl, and I do have the vinyl, which is superior to the CD.

I do have the Getz. It may be on LP; I have not listened to it in a long while.

Ray, you're depriving yourself of a lot if you don't listen to a song because the medium is crappy.

Sergio Mendes: Confetti

This is a recommendation of a single song on an LP, a copy of which is available on Amazon.

The song, in Portuguese, is "Morrer De Amor" (To Die Of Love), sung by Gracinha Leporace. I have long loved the song, and used to listen to it on cassette at my sister's place, until I found the LP. The singer has a somewhat husky voice, which is very expressive. Ray, if you find the LP cheap, buy it (it's $7.99 on Amazon, which I don't consider cheap for one song).

The singer is an unknown to me. She has two LP's available on Amazon, one at $65 (yikes !), and the other at $20.

Lila Downs. Start with "La Cantina" and go from there. Loads of fun.

Snatam Kaur: Mother's Blessing

Here is a song I really like, in Spanish and English, but not sung by a Latina. She's a paleface with a Sikh name. It's from her album "Liberation's Door". Apart from that song, my feelings towards the rest of the album are very dependent upon my mood, but I do always like the song. Here is a link to the YouTube video of the song, called "Mother's Blessing".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nobyWAwwhs8

I particularly like the section that starts, "Beber nectar...."

Rosa Passos: Rosa

Here is a recommendation of another Brazilian singer I like, Rosa Passos, on the CD "Rosa". This is a series of quiet, introspective-sounding songs (I don't speak Portuguese). It opens with an "a capella" song, and the rest have only her acoustic guitar for accompaniment. Really beautiful. Ray (Satch), go out and buy it.

I had previously recommended on this forum another of her CD's, "Entre Amigos" with bass player Ron Carter, on Chesky.

She has a bunch of other CD's, all of which I have and enjoy listening to.

Omara Portuondo and Ibrahim Ferrer

Another recommendation of just a single song, on the CD "Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer". The song is "Silencio" by Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo, so not strictly just a Latina vocal, but a duet with a guy.

This must be the saddest song I have heard, wihch basically goes: In my garden the flowers are sleeping. Don't tell them how sad I am, for they would surely die. This song is also on the Buena Vista Social Club DVD, and there Omara Portuondo is bawling her eyes out towards the end of the song.

One thing I do not like on the song is when Ry Cooder joins in with his electric guitar; it sounds horrible.

Hey Bernard,

Looks like I have some catching up to do!

I didn't know there was a DVD of the Buena Vista Club and I haven't heard of Ibrahim Ferrer.

Although not Latina, the song "Chan Chan" off of the Buena Vista Social Club album is one song that I keep coming back to. Very epic sounding, gives me goosebumps. Do you know where I can get a translation for that song? Chan Chan was a city somewhere in Central America that existed for hundreds of years until they were conquered by the Mayans, at least I think that's how the story goes. Is that what the song is about?

I'm going to order your other suggestions. Even if they don't have it on vinyl. I know I'll like them.

Ray

Yeah Ray, I do like "Chan Chan". Here are the lyrics, which I found at http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/b/buenavistasocialclub10501/chanchan373062.html

"I'm going from Alto Cedro to Marcan
Then from Cueto, I'm going to Mayiar.

The love I have for you
I cannot deny
My mouth is watering
I just can't help myself.

When Junika and Chan Chan
Sifted sand together on the beach
How her bottom shook and
Chan Chan was aroused!

Clean the dry sugar cane leaves
from the path
So I can get to that trunk
I want to sit down.

I'm going from Alto Cedro to Marcan
Then from Cueto, I'm going to Mayiar"

Thanks Bernard!

Amanda Martinez: Amor

"Amor" is the second CD of Amanda Martinez, a Canadian singer with a Mexican father. For several months I listened to it very frequently, and saw her in concert last year at the Montreal Jazz festival; really enjoyed it.

She also sang at The World Cup last year, at the opening game when Mexico played South Africa (strangely enough, her mother is from South Africa); she composed a song specially for that.

I bought this CD because I enjoyed her first CD (called "Sola"). In retrospect I prefer Amor to Sola, but listening to Amor made me appreciate Sola more.

She composes most of her own material, and sings it well, though on one song which I like (the first), she sounds like she's singing a phrase while breathing in, which is a bit distracting. However, I'm looking forward to listening to it on the CLX, an opportunity I hope to get when I go to the Montreal Hi-Fi Show later this month; I hope ML is there.

Most of her stuff is upbeat, but she does a great job of "Cucurucucu Paloma" (not her composition), which is a sad song.

Marta Gomez: Entre Cada Palabra

Another Marta Gomez recommendation on Chesky, "Entre Cada Palabra" ("Between Each Word"). According to the liner notes, even the silence between words has meaning.

Most of the songs are her own composition, and I enjoy the whole CD, but one that really stands out is the classic (not her composition) "Cielito Lindo" (beautiful little sky); everyone else sings it as a waltz whereas she sings it as a ballad. It is extraordinary.

A reviewer in TAS mentioned one song ("Casi") as a test, but I can't remember the context. It's a very nice song, in any case.

As is usual of Chesky, a really good recording.