The Panorama Lighthouse is a section that is responsible for highlighting the most important releases in Ibero-America and is published simultaneously in all the media that make up the alliance, thus multiplying its reach and visibility. Every delivery updates us on the struggles in each of our countries, currently going through the reality of COVID-19, and on the news of their musical ecosystems. As we always say, there is much to discover out there. If you want to know what the region sounds like today, this is the place and the time.

Lighthouse is composed of IndieToday (Argentina), sounds from here (Bolivia), Scream&Yell (Brazil), shock (Colombia), Magazine AM:PM (Cuba),  POTQ (Chili), Sound World and Construction Area (Spain), Indie Rocks! (Mexico), Rock Achorao' (Peru) and Piiila (Uruguay). It also works to create original and innovative content, as well as various activities that serve to break down borders and build bridges between the different countries of Ibero-America.

Cuba

By Magazine AM: PM

Another month goes by and we continue to be in turmoil. The difficult economic situation in Cuba, with ever-increasing inflation and lack of basic supplies, is practically unbearable. Partly as a result of this scenario, news of the massive exodus of Cuban youth through different channels is increasing. At times, it seems that the country is running on empty. So the return of the Havana World Music festival in May -after two years of inactivity due to the pandemic- is one of the good news that fills us with illusion, in the midst of disenchantment. In the meantime, we enjoy the musical releases, of which we leave you some recommendations.   

Despertar ( Egrem, 2022) is the first album by the young pianist Adrián Estévez. It breathes jazz airs, tinged with classical pianism sonorities through open harmonies and improvisations reminiscent of Cuban, Hispanic roots and the latin. Compositions such as Looking for the exit or Not going The young musician is accompanied by Samuel Burgos on bass and Marcos Morales on drums, companions of many routes.

Residente (Calle 13) and Ibeyi made the sound of This Is Not Americathe latest single from the Puerto Rican rapper. Strong Afro percussions, beautiful choruses by the Franco-Cuban sisters and a clear message of protest against the situation of the Americas below the Rio Bravo, are recreated in a video clip full of semantic references that recall part of the history of our continent.   

Jesús Pupo is another young pianist who does not stop creating and releasing music. In his second phonogram, Prayed (Egrem, 2022), are developed in the format of jazz-band its stories of love, hope, spirituality and harmony with nature. It features several collaborations, among them, Danay Suarez, who provides vocals and authorship to the single In you. 

La Jaibera is a chachachá that is part of the most recent recording production of Cuban saxophonist Maikel Vistel with his Orquesta Gigante: Azul Presents At Sea. In this song he is accompanied by singer Daymé Arocena, who, from her contralto timbre of wide register, shows her interpretative skills for traditional Cuban music.

In F sharp. 20 years is not all (Bis Music, 2022) is Interactivo's recently released album. They celebrate with it the two decades of the group, so it is logical that it is starred by those who grew up in the band and had to do, in a certain way, with its musical creation and development, from the most experienced to the new signings. A phonogram that delivers 12 songs of pure Cuban gozadera, where the voices of Cimafunk, Telmary, William Vivanco, Yusa, Brenda Navarrete, Francis del Río and many more join in. As a tribute are the flower of my gardenin which Suylen Milanés appears on backing vocals, and Buenos Aires Death of 92remembering its creator, Santiago Feliú. It is a historical album, which also contains the interactive version of the song The thing is coming by Silvio Rodríguez, but above all it brings, as we are accustomed to, a lot of flavor.

Pianist Daniela Barreto recently made her debut as a singer. A girl with a heartbreaking sensitivity and a beautiful voice timbre. From the EP she recorded on República Records, with songs that range from jazz fusion to indie, she released the first single I know youby troubadour Silvio Rodríguez, accompanied by none other than Gastón Joya on bass. Cuban trova and jazz come together here. 

Tumbakin is a new Cuban music project born from the union between Alcibiades Durruty and Albertico Muguercia, both former members of the Pupy y los que Son Son orchestra. For Ponte, its first single audiovisual, they collaborated with Cuban dancer and rapper Fredy-Clan and his record label F-ClanEntertaiment, which will also accompany them in future productions. It breathes and dances in the purest Cuban timba style, along with a small nod to flamenco culture with its characteristic clapping and dancing. Tumbakin sounds from Barcelona and is already resounding in the Cuban music scene. 

For months Rapzodia and Piq Montano, former vocalist of Toques del Río, have been working on this collaboration that finally arrives to the digital platforms.. Black Suggah is a sensual track that combines the voices of Piq and Daniela and challenges them, to highlight them, within the styles of soul, R & B, hip hop and funk and fuse them with the poetic inventiveness that Leonard Acosta wastes in his bars. 

Havana 4:00 am is the album that Jota Barrioz recently released on digital platforms, distributed by Puntilla Music. An album that according to the artist himself wrote in the wee hours of the morning and reveals another facet of his music. "Each song is a phase of my night, a lunar phase". We already knew Each picture and Ghostthe latter in collaboration with David Blanco; now it is completed with another five songs, among which the following stand out bad love song and Hot Chat, in addition to collaborations with young hip hop exponents such as Dj Asere, El Individuo and Alfie.  

Arema Arega is one of the most versatile artists of the current Cuban music scene. That is why Your Beautiful Eyes is one more success on its part, which shows it once again as experimental, different and innovative. The single tells through sounds from soul, jazz, reggae and R&B, stories of a woman who cannot leave her past behind.

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