By José Gandue @Gandour
Luckily, we have had the opportunity to ease our sorrows during the misfortunes experienced this year with good music., and especially music made by female talent. In Latin America, the valiant artistic soldiers, those who have best faced the terrible days we are going through, are led by women who set the standard and, regardless of the prejudices and rejections of the dark force of fools, They have managed, in their own way, to dismantle, with brilliant songs, the horror that they want to impose on us. And do you know the secret to such power? Above all, they have demonstrated their courage. reinventing each sound genre they have tackled, making it their own, adapting the structures to their own way, forging their own path. Contradicting any preconceived notions, they have come to teach us that music also belongs to them and they can do with it whatever they want, and They work wonders that allow us to celebrate life, despite what surrounds us.
Rita Indiana She hadn't released any new music in ten years. The Dominican artist, who in the last decade has dedicated herself more to writing and commenting on the challenges of society, He allowed himself to be convinced, amidst the current circumstances, by Eduardo Cabra (yes, Visitante, from Calle 13), to return to the studio and get rid of all the clichés that were running through his head and turn them into tunes. The result? Ten songs, 36 minutes of unexpected music., unprecedented mixes, where what we have always known about the rhythms of the region undergoes a happy mutation, passing through various filters that destroy and rebuild everything, to establish a new criterion, a new way of feeling the Caribbean. Here we hear the original merengue at the absurd speeds of hard techno, hip hop as an invasive participant, oriental aromas that shake up the traditional flavor, symphonic strings that heighten the tension of the moment, and a western influence adding a tenderness that surprises even the most skeptical. Watch out, Everything is still Caribbean; there's no shame in one's origins here., But there is a general and effective questioning of identity as it was conceived from the beginning. No one denies where it all comes from, what their ancestry is, but from now on, Rita Indiana sets the direction she wants the sound to go, taking the helm of the ship herself. That's what his new album is all about. Mandinga Times.
And in the middle of Mandinga's times, where hatred seems to be king and where stupidity is his helpful jester, Rita Indiana speaks openly about fears, stigmatization, discrimination, and rejection., And he faces all these obstacles with fascinating speeches, where he reminds us of the strength that resides in love, that strong love that doesn't dwell on sentimentality but instead arms itself with courage. She knows that what's coming can't be faced with flowers and smiles, but rather with the light on her side and the toughest barricades of war. Or, as she says in Fear, which could easily be one of the best recordings we've heard during 2020:
«"In the distance
Smoke is visible in the pasture
These are signs
What can I do?
Arrive to eat first
I drink your saltpeter
And I lick all my fingers
Because from that cruel cauldron
You serve me what I want.
In short, yes, we have a great album here.
