De Musica Ligera: The Return of Juana Molina

Argentine comedic actress-turned-singer Juana Molina announced her return to the studios with a new album expected to come out in October.  Wed 21 will be Molina's first album of new music in five years and it was composed, performed, recorded and produced by her.

“Eras” is one of the ten songs from Molina's new album and is described by music blog Earbuddy as "a female-fronted Radiohead track or know it for what it actually is — an excellent new single from Juana Molina."  Judge for yourself by listening to "Eras":

We will be off on Friday though we hope to return over the weekend and possibly answer the following questions:

Today’s Video: “It’s a love song…”

This week’s look at upcoming free concerts in New York ends tonight. In the past four days, we’ve highlighted music from Los Amigos Invisibles, Chicha Libre, Curumin, and Alex Cuba. We’re taking a different turn tonight by quickly highlighting two great Latino comics.

Pablo Francisco and Gabriel Iglesias will both be performing in Central Park next Friday evening. Both these comedians have been frequently on Comedy Central and have also had their own specials. Iglesias sometimes uses self-deprecating humor to poke fun at his obesity (e.g. the five levels of fatness) while Francisco is best-known for his impressions and wide-ranging voices.

Here is a brief, somewhat NSFW clip Francisco joking about Mexican (norteño?) music:

Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, YouTube, Official websites of Pablo Francisco and Gabriel Iglesias

Today’s Video: Viva (Alex) Cuba!

This week’s look at upcoming free concerts in New York continues with a quick word on Alex Cuba.

The Cuban-Canadian artist has received several Juno Awards for his delightful blend of Latin jazz, rock, and funk. He will be performing at Madison Square Park on the 24th of this month though he will also be touring North America this summer.

Al Jazeera English highlighted Cuba last year; take a look as he explains his musical inspiration as a child:

• Wednesday – Curumin, Juana Molina, and El G
• Tuesday - Chicha Libre
• Monday - Los Amigos Invisibles and Aterciopelados
  

Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, YouTube, alexcuba.com

Today’s Video: A triple threat

We continue with our look at this summer’s free concerts in La Gran Manzana with a can't-miss gig in Central Park.

The tenth Latin Alternative Music Conference in July will bring numerous artists to New York and while some are more recognizable than others rest assured that the quality of the music is always superb.

Take the July 8th Central Park Summerstage concert as an example; Argentine songbird Juana Molina is relatively well-known having been covered by the likes of Spin and Rolling Stone. (Shameless plug: us too!) Curumin and El G are definitely not slouches and their music is excellent in their own forms. All in all, the ambient sounds of Molina, the Brazilian funk/rock of Curumin, and the varied combinations from Buenos Aires’ El G combine to form a buffet for the ears and mind.

All gushing aside, here’s "Vem menina" by Curumin:

• Tuesday - Chicha Libre
• Monday - Los Amigos Invisibles and Aterciopelados
  

Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, YouTube, Latin Alternative Music Conference, Central Park Summerstage, Spin

De Musica Ligera: Juana Molina

"Imagine if Tina Fey quit comedy and sang electronics-based folk songs." This was the description recently given by Rolling Stone to Argentina's Juana Molina. Don't let her comic background fool you, however. The critically acclaimed singer's voice resonates in such songs as "Un Dia" and "No es tan cierto." As the Boston Herald described her:

Molina’s unique sound is more than a one-note thing these days. Yet the same sensibility that drew her to her grandmother’s empty elevator continues to inform her dreamlike music decades later. It permeates the otherworldly, trance-inducing rhythms of her new CD, “Un Dia,” that enfold her sweetly melodic songs and Spanish lyrics.

The comedienne-turned-songstress will end her U.S. tour this weekend with performances in Virginia and Philadelphia. She is as delightful live as she is recorded and is well-worth seeing.

Here are some of her songs in case you missed her live or you're interested in what her music is all about:

• Juana Molina - Un Dia
• Juana Molina - Micael
• Juana Molina - La Verdad
• Juana Molina - En los días de humedad
  

Online Sources- Brooklyn Vegan, Juana Molina (English site), Rolling Stone, Boston Herald, YouSendIt
Image- NPR

Bloggers of the world unite!

• A porn actress has accused a married, journeyman ballplayer of having a “tawdry romance” with her. Discuss.
• Sage words from Mexican author Carlos Fuentes.
• A look at the late Cuban-born cartoonist Antonio Prohías.
• Will Uruguay escape largely unscathed from the global economic slowdown?
• This Saturday a protest will be held against controversial Arizonan sheriff Joe Arpaio. (If you’re lucky you just might catch a glimpse of Charles Barkley).
• Say “hello” to Colombia’s narco-paramilitary leaders.
• A personal note: I love Argentine singer Juana Molina!
  

Image- Concurring Opinions
Online Sources- La Plaza, Plan Colombia and Beyond, Deadspin, VivirLatino, Guanabee, Small State, Latin American Musings, Latin American News Review

De Musica Ligera: Tunes of ‘08

2008 is about to come to an end but before that why not enjoy some primo songs from the past year? Juanes, Sergio Mendes, and Julieta Venegas were a few of the great artists who released new and exciting music over the past year. The wide range of tunes released this year by Latin American/Latino musicians can satisfy just about every musical taste as evidenced by some of the exceptional songs below:

• Aterciopelados – 28 (Don’t forget to revisit our interview with Hector Buitrago!)
• Banda de Turistas - Todo mio el otonio (Very poppy, 60s- tinged music from an underrated Argentine band)
• Breeders - Regalame Esta Noche (Kelley Deal may not be fluent in Spanish but her emotion cannot be ignored in this ballad cover)
• Calexico – Absent Afternoon (Calexico’s music has a great Mexican folkloric sound which must be heard)
• Juana Molina - Un Dia (Sweet, slightly eclectic music from an excellent South American chanteuse)
• Nortec Collective - Akai 47 (One of the best representatives of the “latintronica” genre)
• Pistolera – Guerra (Great song with a political message from this New York-based band)
• Plastilina Mosh – Party (Do you remember Summerstage, Maegan?)
• Sonido Del Principe - El Principe (A Dutch DJ puts a modern tinge on tropical cumbia music)
• Yma Sumac - Bo Mambo (This isn’t a single from 2008, but its worth noting that the Peruvian singer died in November)
  

Image- daylife.com (Colombian rockeros Aterciopelados were one of several great musical groups with new albums and music in 2008)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, yousendit.com

Today’s Video: Juana Molina’s backstory

What makes Argentine singer Juana Molina tick? What led to her becoming a musician despite being a successful television comedienne? How can her music be “hard to follow” and “beautiful” at the same time? Find out the answers to this and more in the following 2006 interview:

Molina will be the opening act for some of Feist’s concerts including tonight in Brooklyn. Her next album is set to come out in October.

FYI – Later this week we’ll look into the Latin Alternative Music Conference which started yesterday in New York.

Stay tuned!

Sources- juanamolina.com, Wikipedia, Brooklyn Vegan, YouTube, LAMC