Palabras Urgentes

At 77 years old, Baca has never sounded better; her voice has lost none of its dynamism and the careful production of this new album gives her even more room to shine. A great example is ‘Color de Rosa’, which featured on her much-loved 2001 album, Lamento Negro. The arrangement is similar, but the emotion wrenched out of the performance is so much greater, the moody intro flowering into the glorious levity of the chorus, even when the lyrics carry such melancholy. The rousing Andean brass band on the pre-chorus to ‘Negra del Alma’ is a touch of class, adding jubilation to what must surely be the definitive version of Manuelcha Prado's song. ‘Sorongo’ is similarly bombastic, but with a poignant message about slavery, the chanted chorus and Afro-jazz arrangement leaving no emotion left untapped.

There is fire in Baca's belly, with songs paying homage to South America's female guerilla fighters and tracing Afro-Latin heritage through tango, milonga, cueca and landó. Snarky Puppy's Michael League is on production duty and deftly adds touches of donkey jawbone, marimba, and so much more to give depth to these songs without ever getting in Baca's way. It's a glorious testament to the continuing mission of Baca's to preserve and project Afro-Latin culture.