Panorama Faro: see what's new from Rita Payés, Obelisco, Girl Ultra, AKRIILA, More
Mi Amigo Invencible from Argentina; the Brazilian band Exclusive os Cabides, the unclassifiable Chilean AKRIILA; the Colombian singer More; the Cuban star Cimafunk; the Catalan Rita Payés; the Mexican R&B voice Girl Ultra and the Uruguayan band Obelisco. These are the proposals that we highlight for the past two months in the Panorama summary, the joint article by the media that make up Faro (Alianza de medios culturales y musicales Iberoamericanos) that seeks to point out those releases that should be taken into account by all music lovers in the region.
As every month, you can also listen to -and follow- our playlist on Spotifywhich presents an expanded selection of outstanding songs from each country.
ARGENTINA / by By Juampa Barbero (indie today)
Bow and arrow - My Invincible Friend
In Bow and arrowMy Invincible Friend goes through a pop odyssey through the contradictions of life: bittersweet, catchy and full of melodies that provoke sad smiles. From the opening gallop of Horses to the introspection of Lost callthe ninth album by the band from Mendoza is a testimony of their artistic evolution. Mariano Di Césare's lyrics, full of vivid images and emotionality, are intertwined with sounds that oscillate between classic and contemporary. With the participation of Juan Saieg from Usted Señalemelo and Juliana Gattas, Mi Amigo Invencible is not afraid to venture into new horizons, while reminding us of the transformative power of music in turbulent times. Bow and arrow is part of the 40 best Argentinean albums so far this year according to Indie Hoy.
BRAZIL / by Bruno Capelas (Scream & Yell)
Strange Things - Exclusive Cabides
Exclusive os Cabides come directly from Florianópolis, one of the favorite vacation destinations of Uruguayans and Argentines in Brazil. But whoever thinks of a seafaring or beach sound is mistaken: what the quintet from Santa Catarina does is alternative rock straight out of the 90s, with gritty guitars, vocal choruses and humorous lyrics. It's as if Stephen Malkmus had been surfing on Joaquina beach listening to Mutantes, or the gaucho rock composers of bands like Bidê ou Balde and Graforreia Xilarmônica had been listening more to Yo La Tengo. The starting point to fall in love with the group in Strange Thingsthe band's second album; it is Luminária de Lava, a success instant indie that narrates one of those fortuitous encounters in elevators so common in any big city. But there is more to this day-to-day life full of little stories: being disgusted by lizards bathing in water tanks (Tropical Lizard), celebrate a find in second-hand clothing stores (Verão and Brechó) or have fun admiring the siris by the sea (Siris Paradinhos em um Cantinho Bem de Boa). It is also worth paying attention to the intelligent interplay between the electric guitars of João Paulo Pretto (base) and Eduardo Possa (solo), replicating so well the instrumental games of that wonderful decade and creating interactions capable of conquering even those who don't speak a word of Portuguese. The melodies are so bubbly that, in a parallel universe, it would not be impossible to dream of a hit as big as the TV series of the same name as the album. Start marathoning now.
CHILE / by POTQ Team (POTQ Magazine)
epistolary - AKRIILA
They say that everyone has at least one book to write, or at least one story to tell. If in 2023 AKRIILA laid its foundations with EP 001is this year, with epistolaryher first album, which made it clear that this story will undoubtedly have many more chapters. Part of a new generation of artists, elusive when it comes to placing them in a specific musical genre, it is possible that she is the one who leads the way in this field. Pop, drum and bassreggaeton, reggaeton, electronica. The musical genres are the amusement park and the instruments and computers, the toys and tools to imagine and create; with emphasis on imagine, because if there is something that is missing today are artists who want to sound like themselves and not follow the obvious route in terms of production to stick. Because it is possible to stick by being yourself. And that is what AKRIILA demonstrates with this first album. The day after its release, the artist called her fans through networks to celebrate the novelty in a cultural center in Santiago. The response was chaotic and even unexpected for many. Thousands of people arrived and the space collapsed, for security reasons it was not possible to perform as planned. Days later, it was announced the live performance of epistolary at Blondie, a nightclub for more than a thousand people. It didn't take long for the tickets to sell out. AKRIILA is not a hype. She is a new artist who woke us up from boredom.
COLOMBIA / by Valentina Alfonso (Shock.co)
Don't make me go on (EP) - More
Don't make me go on is the first EP by Mariana Moreno, better known as More, an artist born in Brazil but raised in Cali, a city that is recognized as the salsa capital of Colombia. More leads a movement of emerging R&B and alternative soul artists that have gained momentum in the country in recent years. With a mix of Latin rhythms and lyrics written from and to a broken heart, Don't make me go on takes us, in the words of its author, on a conceptual journey of five phases towards the light after moments of great darkness. The artist opens the door directly to her conception of love, past and present, and to the ideas she had to destroy to find herself. An album that goes through afrobeat and salsa, beats of perreo and pop sounds. His roots in Cali and Brazil, together with his years in Germany, built the sound amalgam of each of his songs.
CUBA / by Magazine AMPM
Pa' Tu Cuerpa - Cimafunk
In Pa' Tu CuerpaCimafunk fuses Cuban tradition with contemporary sounds, reaffirming the overcoming as a hallmark of their artistic evolution. From the energetic start in Cuchi Cuchi to the nostalgic collaboration that is At your mercythe Cuban artist's third album is a testament to his growth and ambition in the face of a global audience. An album with lyrics full of mischief and flavor that intertwine with an impeccable production that oscillates between the danceable and the contemplative.
With stellar participation from George Clinton, Big Freedia, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Pancho Céspedes and Nik West, Cimafunk fearlessly explores new sonic territories. Pa' Tu Cuerpa consolidates the artist as one of the ambassadors of the new wave of Cuban music, capable of making it vibrate beyond the borders of our island.
SPAIN / by Sound World
From the road to the road Rita Payés
The Catalan Rita Payés has a magnet. Whoever approaches her, wants to work with her. Names like the American Jon Batiste, C.Tangana or Silvia Pérez Cruz are just an example of this. At twenty-four years of age, he has lived what other musicians do not even manage to caress in a lifetime. His time with the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, his beautiful Lua Amarela (2016) or even the adventure with his mother, Elisabeth Roma (the album Like skin (2021) was a revelation.) His present is now a different one, the one that reflects On the way to the roadThis work shows an artist who explores different corners of her personality because, although at first glance the name of Rita Payés is associated with jazz, she is much more than that. Her universe also includes singer-songwriter songs, pop, classical music and bossa nova. She sets no limits or barriers.
Mexico / by Cynthia Flores (Indie Rocks!)
Blush - Girl Ultra
With a natural evolution in her sound within the range of rhythms and experimentation that can be found in the characteristic R&B of Mariana de Miguel, aka Girl Ultra, comes the seven-part EP tracks titled Blush (Via Big Dada / Ninja Tune). A release that has been quite well accepted by Anglo-Saxon international media and that brings a production with more techno beats, house, very 90's and early 2000's club beats, bright with a touch of girlie that the artist adds in her lyrics. In them the Mexican artist delves into a narrative about attraction, desire and melancholy, an ode and exploration of femininity.
URUGUAY / by Kristel Latecki (Piiila)
Dreams and Gardens - Obelisk
"It's better at home than anywhere," Dorothy repeats so she can leave Oz. And with that mantra begins Dreams and GardensThe new album by the most recent line-up of the power trio Obelisco, like a homecoming, or the awakening of a Technicolor dream.
With a riff and melodic influence reminiscent of Smashing Pumpkins, added to the skater hardcore swagger of Fun People, Obelisco painted a vivid and powerful album, informed by live music and fueled by current sentiments. In the voices of Federico (guitar) and Camila (bass) -completing the trio Goma on drums-, odes to freedom and rebellion are interspersed with melancholy and emo catharsis. With the body well present, ready for the pogo and the chorus.
Obelisco is one of the main protagonists and articulating bands of the new under Montevidean rocker, which since the end of the pandemic enclosure has become an effervescent movement. "For some time now this mountain has been burning / And we are in the flames", they sing in the track Fire. It's not a dream, it's true.
