World Cafe Latin Roots: 7 Femme-Fronted Andean Electro-Alternative Acts
Caro Arroba describes her music as “tech house Andino.”
Isabel Dávila/Courtesy of the artist
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Isabel Dávila/Courtesy of the artist
There is such a superb and expanding community of musicians and producers creating Andean electro and alternative soun we’ve decided to highlight some of the womxn producers and femme-fronted projects stimulating this empowering movement. Ranging in soundscapes that feature ethno bass, dance floor field recordings and techno, these exceptional musicians are giving new life to often forgotten roots music.
These one-of-a-kind sound artisans are producing material as legacies of their countries ancestral music while also generously providing a musical platform for its regeneration.
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Caro Arroba
Currently making music in Chicago, Quito, Ecuador-hailing producer Caro Arroba describes her music as “tech house Andino — exploring the relation between mind, nature and machines” and presents this as exhilarating sound tributes to the indigenous peoples of Ecuador. She samples traditional Pre-Colombian rhythms with the use of Andean instruments like tollos, quenachos and ocarinas. She then loops these, randomly or in sequence, into techno and house, in effect creating musical time travel.
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Lara Nuh
The dynamic visuals, folk-storytelling and heart-pounding musical sensations in the video for “Tierra que suena“ by producer Lara Nuh, are instantly, incredibly mystifying. It’s a gutsy synergy of hip-hop, chant and electronica. The musician and spoken word artist from Lima, Peru digs creatively into the sounds of the past while not shying away from making use of current technology. In her most recent live electronic dance track “Colibrí“, for example, she makes magic with an array of MIDI controllers, hardware sequencers and samples.
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ShuShupe
Inspired by the sounds of the Peruvian jungle, plus cumbia and a close encounter with a venomous viper known as a shushupe, producer Ursula Talavera created ShuShupe, a purveyor of “folkloric music with beats.” Her latest recording, “Ayahuasca Love,” is included in the New Latam Beats From Perú compilation.
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Barda
Cecilia Gebhard, known artistically as Barda, is an Argentine producer who composes complex down tempo electronica, nurtured by the micro-region of Alto Valle as well as Patagonia. She is considered part of the new South American wave. Her EP Lembrança debuted as a limited release 12″ vinyl via Shika Shika Records in Berlin. It’s a synthy, experimental mix of acoustic instruments, ethno bass and charango. Barda, together with MicaTower, form part of the Plantasía music series in Buenos Aires.
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Maribel Tafur
From Lima, Peru, Maribel Tafur is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and composer. Incorporating field recordings, her aural designs are a moody amalgam of warm, inviting ambient and down tempo sounds that create the ultimate sensory experience. Tafur has been commissioned to create soundtracks for all the restaurants run by Peruvian chefs Pia Leon and Virgilio Martinez, and has collaborated on music soundtracks and backdrops for fashion designers and their brands. In the music video for Summer Dreams, she uses Cymatics which show water patterns triggered by music playing through a speaker.
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Swing Original Monks
Swing Original Monks, formed in Quito, are an invigorating, multicultural frenzy of musical energy with Colombian artist Juana Monk belting out electrifying vocals and Steph Viteri on bass. The seven-piece ensemble traverses the borderless world of music highlighting familial Ecuadorian sounds with the unconventional, like Balkan merengue or Western chicha. In addition, they combine elements of nu-cumbia, folk, rock, jazz and gypsy swing. Their album SOMOS is actually a reissue of their debut album, La Santa Fanesca. The original album caught the interest of producer Eduardo Cabra of Calle 13 who they eventually worked with, recording the new edition in Puerto Rico.
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Daniela Alban
This young graphic designer and electronic producer focuses on underground music communities sharing dance floor deliriums of techno, dub, psychedelic and low frequency sounds. In addition to her electronic skills, she’s an avid musician who plays guitar, drums, bass and piano, which she uses in her programming. Her music can be found on the release Insert Content, on the Miaw label along with artists Gianni and Nicolas Ricalde.
The Thistle & Shamrock: New Releases And Debuts
Worlds Colliding: Rhiannon Giddens And Francesco Turrisi
Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi.
Karen Cox/Courtesy of the artist
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Karen Cox/Courtesy of the artist
- “Ten Thousand Voices”
- “Pizzica Di San Vito”
- “Little Margaret”
Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi are both gifted multi-instrumentalists and devoted students of music history. Each has dug into the past to illuminate the present and worked to give credit where credit is due for the way instruments and ideas have moved over time between people and places.
While Rhiannon’s work has focused on the influence of African traditions on what we think of as American music, Francesco is an expert in the often unacknowledged influence of Arabic and Middle Eastern music on what we think of as European sound. They found common ground in their quest to dispel false cultural narratives and turned it into gorgeous music on a new collaborative album called there is no Other. Hear their live performance in the player.
The Thistle & Shamrock: Raise Your Voice
The Thistle & Shamrock: The Scottish Traditional Music Hall Of Fame
Christine Kydd.
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Host Fiona Ritchie is joined by the well-loved singer of Scottish traditional and contemporary songs, Christine Kydd. Featuring songs from Christine’s new album Shift and Change, the conversation explores the appeal of traditional songs, the power of some legendary songwriters, and the evolution of Christine’s own work as a performer, educator and composer.
Hear the debut of this new collection of songs and join the company of Fiona and Christine.
Koffee Takes Her ‘Rapture’ To The Streets With New Remix
Koffee’s “Rapture” remix pours the gasoline of adrenaline onto an already fire track.
Frank Fieber/Courtesy of the artist
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Frank Fieber/Courtesy of the artist
Koffee is waking up new generations to the style, complexity and power of reggae. The Jamaican-born rising star and 2019 NPR Slingshot artist has only been at this professionally for a couple years — the 19-year-old recently graduated from high school — but her passion for her culture is palpable and the momentum of her music is only building.
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After dropping the five-song EP Rapture in March — the project was easily one of the best releases in 2019 so far — Koffee is back with a remix to the title track. “Rapture (Remix),” featuring fellow Spanish Town native Govana, adds an extra shot of adrenaline, throwing gasoline onto an already fire track. For the official remix video, the duo took it to the streets of their hometown to show how community, beauty and danger all intermingle on their island.
“Koffee anna coffee, mi say no gimmicks / She a pro widit, treat di ridddim like she grow wid it,” Govana rhymes, propping up young Koffee as she awaits stardom.
The Thistle & Shamrock: Scent Of Spring
Kim Robertson
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Spring is in the airs… and in the jigs, reels, and songs as we put out a musical welcome mat for the first signs of the season. Artists featured in this episode include Nightnoise, Kim Robertson and The Whistlebinkies.
The Month in Movies: What’s in Theaters This June
As we venture forth into the heart of the summer movie season, the month of June brings us more superheroes, more action, some highly anticipated animated features and a plethora of sequels, spin-offs and reboots (some of them a combination of those things). Interestingly, we’re also getting a number of releases involving evil dolls, as well as a couple of musical hits from across the pond.
Below is our guide to all the major titles coming to theaters in June and how to get your tickets now.
June 7:
Dark Phoenix
Starring: Sophie Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy
The latest installment of the X-Men movie franchise (and final sequel in Fox’s main series before the characters enter Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe). Dark Phoenix reprises the comic book storyline in which Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) becomes too powerful for her own good, and so she turns bad. Jessica Chastain joins the cast for this follow-up to X-Men: Apocalypse in a mysterious role, while that movie’s X-Men team returns for this 1990s-set blockbuster.
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Late Night
Starring: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow
One of the biggest hits of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Late Night is about a legendary talk show host (Thompson) whose long-running show is about to replace her. Kaling (The Office), who plays a last-minute hire for the program’s otherwise all-male writing team, also penned the screenplay for the comedy, which Fandango’s Erik Davis called “very timely” and “whip-smart.” Lithgow is the late night show host’s husband, and Ike Barinholtz plays her potential successor.
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The Secret Life of Pets 2
Starring (voices): Patton Oswalt, Kevin Hart, Harrison Ford
Welcome back to New York, this animated sequel is waiting for you. And so are the many lovable domestic animals from the original The Secret Life of Pets, which was a huge hit in the summer of 2016. Oswalt takes over the role of Max the dog, whose home life has experienced another major change, while Hart returns as the voice of the cute but tough bunny Snowball and Ford makes his animated feature debut as a farm-dwelling sheepdog named Rooster.
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June 14:
Men in Black International
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Liam Neeson
Emma Thompson also appears in this Men in Black spin-off reboot, reprising her character from the 2012 sequel Men in Black 3. The new movie takes the franchise across the pond to the UK HQ of the MIB as Tessa Thompson plays a new recruit to the alien-monitoring, Earth-protecting organization. She teams up with a hot shot agent (Hemsworth), and their mission is to save the planet from one of their own. Kumail Nanjiani co-stars as the voice of an extra-terrestrial sidekick.
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Shaft
Starring: Jessie T. Usher, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Roundtreee
What’s the movie franchise where two of the sequels have the same title as the original? (Shaft) Right on. Roundtree is back as the iconic private detective John Shaft from the 1971 Shaft, while Jackson reprises his role as his nephew, John Shaft II, from the 2000 movie also called Shaft. This time the focus is on that man’s son, John Shaft Jr. (Usher), an FBI agent who must team up with his two elder heroes for a murder investigation that takes them into the Harlem underworld.
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June 21:
Anna
Starring: Sasha Luss, Helen Mirren, Cillian Murphy
From Luc Besson, writer and director of The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita and Lucy, comes another action movie involving a kick-ass heroine. Newcomer Luss, a Russian supermodel turned actress, is the titular Anna, a Russian supermodel turned secret government assassin, one of the world’s deadliest. Mirren plays her handler, while Murphy and Luke Evans also co-star in what’s being sold as “an electrifying thrill ride” with “startling twists.”
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Child’s Play
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Mark Hamill (voice)
Chucky gets a fresh start with this reboot featuring Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, as the voice of the deadly doll. Plaza stars in the new version, which takes the franchise back to its horror roots, as a single mother who mistakenly buys her son (Bateman) an evil toy with artificial intelligence. The cast of the remake also includes Brian Tyree Henry (If Beale Street Could Talk), who plays the detective investigating Chucky’s murders, and Tim Matheson as a toy company CEO.
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Toy Story 4
Starring (voices): Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Tony Hale
While the grown-ups are watching the Child’s Play redo, the kids get their own movie about sentient toys. The fourth installment of Pixar’s flagship franchise follows Woody (Hanks), Buzz (Allen) and the rest of the gang of playthings on an existential adventure, during which they meet a new character called Forky (Hale) made out of a spork and googly eyes. Other additions include Keanu Reeves as a daredevil action figure and Christina Hendricks as a villainous doll.
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Wild Rose
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Matt Costello, Jane Patterson
Irish singer Jessie Buckley, who broke out on the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything, leads this award-winning drama about a Scottish mother of two who, after being released from prison, travels to America to find fame as a country music star. Harry Potter actress Julie Walters and Game of Thrones actor Jamie Sives also feature in the movie, which has been receiving rave reviews on the film festival circuit since its Toronto premiere last fall.
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June 26:
Annabelle Comes Home
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mckenna Grace
For those who haven’t had their fill of evil dolls with Child’s Play and Toy Story 4, this Annabelle sequel rounds out the trio just days later. Farmiga and Wilson reprise their roles as real-life paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren from other installments of the Conjuring Universe horror franchise, while Captain Marvel‘s Mckenna Grace co-stars as their young daughter, who becomes the target of the Annabelle doll’s terror.
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June 28:
Yesterday
Starring: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon
Slumdog Millionare and Trainspotting director Danny Boyle teamed up with Love Actually and Notting Hill writer Richard Curtis for this fantasy comedy about a musician (Patel) who wakes up in an alternate timeline in which The Beatles never existed. But he still remembers their songs and so becomes famous performing such hits as the eponymous “Yesterday.” James co-stars as his best friend, McKinnon plays his agent, and singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran appears as himself.
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The Thistle & Shamrock: Dreamtime
Maire Brennan
Mella Travers/Courtesy of the artist
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Mella Travers/Courtesy of the artist
Settle into an hour of soothing voices and soaring instrumentals that all go to prove this roots music business needn’t always be high-energy. Featured in this episode are Davy Spillane, William Jackson, Maire Brennan and Dougie MacLean.
GoldLink Turns Up As A Hologram For ‘Zulu Screams’ Video
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GoldLink is riding a well-deserved tide of goodwill ever since his 2017 studio debut At What Cost, a record that birthed “Crew” and resulted in his first Grammy nomination.
“Zulu Screams” is the latest glimpse of new material from the rapper since January’s “Got Muscle.” It’s a low-key, welcome return for the rapper’s nimble flow, setting his sights outside of his hometown’s go-go music. His voice snakes around P2J’s delightful production infused with sped-up highlife guitar, assisted by the similarly agile DMV singer-songwriter Bibi Bourelly and Brit-Nigerian singer Maleek Berry.
Directed by Meji Alabi, the visual for “Zulu Screams” finds GoldLink as a maestro of a particularly rowdy warehouse function — neon strobelights, a game of craps, and a lot of athletic dance moves on display. The only catch? GoldLink, in these modern times, is a hologram.
