By the Zonagirante.com team @spinning zone
Friends, we're back to the difficult game of to select the best albums of this year in Latin America. It is an unfair activity, with every possibility of falling into errors that many radicals will not forgive. The truth is this: We chose eight albums (no longer five, as before) that amazed us so much that we listened to them repeatedly, that filled many of our emotional voids and made us sing nonstop. These eight very different works (and that makes us incredibly happy) illustrate, in a way, where the best music on the continent is found. They come from different corners of the continent. and they are united by the right spirit to break the rules in some way. Each one answers questions that are floating around. Some clarify the question of whether rock is still alive or not. Others offer answers to the foolish and dictatorial excesses of cheap and misogynistic reggaeton. There's one that, along with other gems we won't mention in this list but that we remember, opens new paths for the evolution of hip hop in these times. In short, These eight great productions confirm that much of the best music of the moment is made on this side of the planet. And it confirms that we are experiencing a golden age of art that deserves to be celebrated and listened to with confidence. Here is our list of the best works of the year:
He killed a motorcycle police officer – The O'Konor Synthesis Let's start with the most obvious point. It's clear to a large part of the specialized press in Latin America that this was one of the best albums of 2017. It's a sensitive album, where a permanent state of intimate nostalgia is palpable., Full of solid lyrics and exciting soundscapes. Santiago Motorizado's voice is on the verge of breaking every time he hits a higher note., But it touches the limit and doesn't break; rather, it traps and shelters us. With that touch of sadness that seduces in an honest, intimate, beautiful way. Do you want to tell anyone about music that truly deserves the independent label, for its rebellious spirit and intelligent outcome? Here it is. If this isn't the best album of the year in Latin America, it's a close second.
Best moments: The treasure, The eternal night, Someone who deserves it.
Ibeyi – Ash: It was a difficult album for these Cuban twins. The aim was to verify that his phenomenon was not a passing fad., that after his first work, and more than one song as impactful as River, They could continue to amaze the audience and maintain the expectation. This new work has a striking feel which combines gospel sounds from the southern United States, exquisite experiments in Caribbean percussion, voices that seem to be born in soul, and a good review of the poor aims of current reggaeton, where they take its essence and turn it around so that it works, instead of being a load of rubbish to repeat on the worst radio stations, a masterpiece that can be celebrated throughout the world.
Best moments: No man is big enough for my arms, I'm leaving, Ash.
Elkin Robinson – Sun a shine: This man lives in paradise. His home, on Providencia Island, in the heart of the Caribbean Sea, far from the daily violence of mainland Colombia, It's the perfect space to make music to sing to the sun, To the sand, to tranquility. Anyone, being picky, might say that so much calm, so much leisure, could generate limited and unattractive melodies. Fortunately, that didn't happen. Robinson, Produced by Richard Blair (Sidestepper), He made songs to celebrate life, which also avoid the tourist clowning of others, assuming the responsibility of making music for the whole world and counteracting the misery seen elsewhere. This is the Caribbean with the most encouraging sound.
Best moments: Sun a shine, Revolution Time, Bring ma people back.
Fito Páez – The liberated cityPáez needed to shake off his status as a superstar of Argentine rock, to step out of their comfortable space of success, where every record he released, whether good, average, or mediocre, was immediately celebrated by court jesters and lazy media personalities, without even reaching the heights of his artistic Olympus. Here he has come to understand the social and political circumstances of his country They needed a suitable chronicler of that time and place. It was about time the Rosario native's talent exploded again, with enough love and rage in his lyrics to create texts that become rallying cries and insults that become rallying cries. Páez commits himself and makes enemies in the process, but his talent achieves magical moments amidst his confrontation with those who believe it's time to accept things and remain silent. His achievement deserves to be celebrated.
Best moments: Black Christmas, Islamabad, Your Life My Life.
Tsh Sudaca – Equilateral: Colombian hip hop is experiencing its best moment. Their best representatives are managing to break with that clumsy desire to present themselves as a street gang soundtrack and It is entering the development of good texts, accompanied by brilliant sound efforts. A good example of this is the Bogota-based project Tsh Sudaca, which is presenting its second album. where the creator's skillful rhymes and the fine instrumental accompaniment stand out. It's 38 minutes of intellectual intensity and good musical taste, featuring outstanding jazz references and evolved arguments of the genre, without falling into worn-out and dangerous clichés.
Best moments: Slow life, Rio, Say What.
Mista Savona – Havana meets KingstonYes, Mista Savona is an Australian DJ, an opportunist like few others, who one day (telling the story badly and quickly) He realized that there was a lot to be done in the field of music in the Caribbean. That there were two great monsters, Cuba and Jamaica, that could come together to reinvent the existing Caribbean sound. Savona realized that The blender of rhythms and auditory flavors could generate new excuses to make the whole world dance. Three years of research, experimentation, and bringing together great talents from both islands to enter a studio and reinvent their own classics, taking them out of their traditional packaging and creating more intense gems for everyone's enjoyment. We are facing a phenomenon similar to Buena Vista Social Club, but with a forthright and revolutionary spirit.
Best moments: Carnival, Carnival Horns, La Sitiera.
Portugal – The Ancient AstronautsThis is a group that manages to ignite passion in its fans and alienate its detractors. It has done so for the past few years, achieving with its listeners what few can: never go unnoticed. This album, their third, makes a conscious effort to avoid the emotional impact of each track, through sensitive instrumental performances and Mariano Hernández's captivating voice. Some critics reject the work of these Chileans. because they find it too emotional. We applaud them because they create exciting, well-rounded songs that, while framed within pop, They take risks to thrill the fearless viewer.
Best moments: Carnival, Giant, The known pains.
IFÉ – III+IIII: Otura Mun, Puerto Rican, producer of Mima, Cultura Profética and Calma Carmona, has decided to respond to the Caribbean electronic music phenomenon with the intense spirituality that allows him his experience as an Ifá priest or babalawo, in the Yoruba religion. In ÍFÉ you can feel the touch of the machines alongside a necessary air full of soul, Puerto Rican rumba, dancehall and Santera tradition, achieving as a result some of the most honorable moments of experimentation experienced this year on this side of the world. It hasn't yet had the good fortune to become a massive phenomenon, but this is a delightfully groundbreaking album that deserves attention from those truly seeking different and surprising music.
Best moments: Bangah, Umbo, Higher love.
