By Animaleja @the.little animal
(Editor's note: Alejandra Cárdenas, known artistically as Little animal, It is a Colombian music of growing popularity due to the good work that has been done and presented to the audience through the record label. Black Earth, based in the city of Medellín. We approached her to ask her to select her 10 favorite songs from the history of Latin America, and she gave us a list full of flavorful recordings, with respect for the continent's folkloric roots).
Ibeyi – River
Ibeyi is a female duo that blends electronic rhythms with folk rhythms and Yoruba chants, creating layers of voices. Their music has an urban style mixed with Afro-Cuban rhythms that change the rhythmic cadence in the middle of the song. I especially connect with their music because it is a perfect mix between the ritual and the urban.
IFÉ – House of love
Ife is a group with influences from dancehall, trap, and Afrobeat that also uses its music as a ritual experience. In this song in particular, I connect with the mood of the melody that feels fresh but speaks in some way of a connection that the group feels with the Afro-Cuban sentiment.
Lido Pimienta – Nothing
Of all of Lido Pimienta's songs, this one resonates with me especially because of the power her voice conveys. The lyrics speak of pain and strength as a learning experience, and I feel she manages to transmit this feeling very well through her performance. Every time I listen to her, I get a sense of a very unique and personal musical style, which makes listening to her a musical experience difficult to define by genre, but one that conveys a great deal of power through her particular style.
Selective Noise – Ancestral Steps
Ruido Selecto is the musical project of Juan Esteban Herrera, a producer from Medellín who is part of the Folcore and Grabaciones Tierranegra labels. He produced his latest single under this label., Ancestral Steps, which is a mix of electronic rhythms with tropical rhythms, especially from the Caribbean region, and its African influence. This song, for me, is the creation of a groove Unique, energetic, it makes you want to dance and creates an atmosphere of instinctive character that invites enjoyment and the instinctive movement of the music.
King Coya, + Sofia Viola – About the Flowers (Barbarella remix)
This remix is part of the compilation Leda's Path Vol. 1, A tribute to the singer Leda Valladares. I like the rhythmic character of the song and the feeling it evokes, making me imagine a festive Andean landscape. I feel that the rhythm is very well done overall, because it makes this song a joyful, energetic track with a strong female vocal presence. Furthermore, I want to highlight the overall work of the two remix albums released under these two labels, Folcore and Fértil Discos, because I feel they successfully compile a style of music that has been gaining momentum for some time now, blending electronic music with Latin American sounds, leaning more towards the southern regions and the Andes.
Ceferina Banquez – I want to, but I can't
Ceferina, a traditional singer from the Colombian Caribbean, conveys a sense of yearning for freedom in this song, speaking of the slavery endured by the inhabitants of Palenque. I feel that, in a somewhat nostalgic way, it's a celebration, where, through powerful and explicit phrases, she commemorates the abolition of Afro-Colombian slavery.
Cerrero + León Pardo + Sexteto Tabalá – Ofelia dub mix
Cerrero, a Colombian producer who uses various dub mixing techniques in his music, remixing original recordings through mixing consoles, in this case applied to traditional folk music. I particularly like the sonic atmosphere achieved in this song and the interesting blend of dub mixing and Sexteto Tabalá, a great pioneer in traditional Colombian Caribbean music.
Chico Mann – Say it like I do, they're calling you
This song has a special vibe that evokes dancing and good vibes. In its synths I feel a groove Very 80s and funky, and I also sense an 80s style in the percussion, but mixed with rhythms leaning more towards Afrobeat. This song gets you dancing from the very first second you hear it.
Combo Chimbita - Memory
This song caught my attention because it's the perfect blend of open Latin vocals with a mix of tropical electronica. I like its sound, with dark and psychedelic atmospheres but a very tropical rhythmic base. Listening to this song, I feel I could define it as a "futuristic tropical" song.“
Etelvina Maldonado Let her cry
Etelvina is a great inspiration to me. Her distinctive voice carries a nostalgia and a familiar lament that transports me to a trance-like state when I listen to her songs. She is one of the great Colombian singers of bullerengue, a traditional Colombian rhythm, slow and rhythmic, which, through laments in female voices, creates a sonic landscape of journey or "trance." This song evokes that feeling of lament and strength, where, with just a few elements—percussion and voices—she manages to create a powerful piece of music that, whether you like it or not, touches your very soul.
