La Negra – Tribute to Mercedes Sosa

Claudia Meyer’s fourth solo album is a tribute to Argentinian folk singer Mercedes Sosa, affectionately known as ‘La Negra’. Meyer’s renditions convey the respect and affinity she has towards Sosa’s lyrics, which were sourced from folk singer-songwriters Violeta Parra, Silvio Rodríguez and Atahualpa Yupanqui, among others. The album opens with the timeless ‘Gracias a la Vida’, a well-covered Latin American song. It’s followed by ‘Siempre en Ti’ featuring a duet with Sosa herself – accomplished by merging Sosa’s voice from a 1991 recording – where Meyer creates a proximity and intimacy so typical of La Negra. The track ‘Alfonsina y el Mar’ features a poignant duet with late Belgian singer Maurane, included here as a homage to both Sosa and Maurane.

Meyer’s interpretations are faithful to the original live versions, accompanied by charango, guitar, cuatro and the bombo (Andean drum) with Marc ‘Marquito’ Benabou on percussion. The mellow and lyrical instruments blend with Meyer’s voice to grace us with a modern presentation of the songs that Mercedes Sosa made famous around the world decades ago. Even those who don’t speak Spanish will feel a deep connection to this beautiful and soothing album. The language of poetry knows no barriers.