Dominating this selection of new ethno-futuristic releases are unique collaborations that highlight music styles ranging from hip-hop corridos to ambient psychedelia, milonga, and more. The songs reflect themes of social consciousness, love, existentialism, feminism, and the human condition. And despite each artist’s unique style, the one thing they all have in common is their passion for extraordinary music.
Da Cruz
Baladas da Luta is the new album from São Paulo artist Mariana Da Cruz, who says it’s about “profound, Brazilian urban music in an attack position against hatred, delusion and political short-sightedness.” In addition to her outspokenness on her country’s socio-political situation, she’s also brilliant at capturing disco-era sounds, with lush strings, and contagious ’80s drum machines, on par with the genre.
In her new single, “O Corpo,” she speaks about body positivity, explaining: “It is an ode to one’s own body, this source of inspiration, this interface between the self and the world.”
Fátima Rivera
Hip hop was a way for Chilean rapper Fatima Rivera to get through the turmoil of her adolescence. As a woman, she felt the inequity of living in a patriarchal capitalist society and as a human, she questioned the depth of her existence.
She explains that the objective of her debut album, Amukan, “is to convey a message, a perspective, constructive criticism, and, above all, the impetus and responsibility to transform reality in our favor. The album came from the gut. I immersed myself in a journey of self-knowledge and reflection around everything I lived and felt. I am existential, I believe that we are more than flesh and bones and that depth with which I feel the reality I try to transmit it in my songs.”
Her newest video begins in black and white and features quirky, uncomfortable dance moves by a man covered in what looks like mud or paint. The glitchy action is a wonderful contrast to Fatima’s smooth rapping.
The video was made for her song, “Desafío A La Gravedad.”
Alea & Sebastían Coloma
Despite the heartbreak of leaving a relationship in the new song “Ya No Te Puedo Querer” it comes through with a vivacious, uplifting attitude. That’s because Colombian artist Alea, together with Panamanian singer-songwriter Sebastían Coloma, knew how to bring together a wonderful fusion of sounds that elevate the single’s theme from tears to triumph.
This song, created through virtual collaboration, combines Latin pop, flamenco, rock, and milonga. Alea says that the song “speaks of a breakup but also of liberation, of that strength that you find in yourself when you know that love is no longer served at the table. Writing the lyrics was liberating!”
Tokischa & Natanael Cano
Controversial rapper Tokischa, from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and corrido tumbao prince Natanael Cano, from Hermosillo, Mexico, combine their out-of-the-box music styles for the new single, “Kilos de Amor.” This Dominican-Mexican collaboration puts a spin on love, influenced in part by the relationship between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, which you can see in the artwork for the single.
The video highlights “broken love and pain divided through a metal gated fence within a church symbolizing separation from two worlds of faith.” The video was shot in Mexico and directed by Raymi Paulus.
KronoVox
Synth-rock enthusiasts KronoVox just released an essential new single, “Corazón Digital,” featuring the one and only Alfonso Pichardo, lead singer of the iconic Mexican synth-pop band, Moenia. Produced by Roberto Guzman (CF3, Blue Door Records), the single combines electronic and ’80s rock influences. It pays tribute to synth-wave bands that founded the alternative style of music that continues to dominate the genre in many languages, but as is the band’s tradition, it’s en español.
The band explains that the theme and lyrics refer to “digital relationships, something quite common nowadays, and the uncertainty of taking that relationship to a ‘real’ level or leaving it on the ‘virtual’ plane.”
¿Quiensave?
“Quemayama” is the latest single and cover off California cumbieros ¿Quiensave?’s EP, El After. Poet and musician Patricio Hidalgo originally wrote the song that describes pain and healing. ¿Qiensave?’s Alejandro says they recorded the single as a way to “introduce elements of cumbia and Afro-Cuban percussion to give the song a different flavor. The juxtaposition of heavy-hearted lyrics and upbeat rhythms is our way of presenting the idea that even in the darkness, light always shines through.”
Chancha Via Circuito
Argentine producer and composer Pedro Canale is the genius behind Chancha Via Circuito, a master purveyor of electronic and cumbia arrangements. His new single “Cometa” features the Argentine trio Femina, whose delicate vocals provide the perfect harmonious textures.
The single is from his new album, La Estrella, which encompasses “celestial themes, which also touch on spirituality, love, ephemerality, and nature.” Other notable guests on the new album include Lido Pimienta, Meridian Brothers, and Manu Ranks among others.
Cigarbox Man
Through his style of music, Chilean musician, producer, and DJ Cigarbox Man advocates for peace and sustainability—which he’s dubbed “sustainable rock.” His new psychedelic rock single, “I’m Not Terrified,” was created during a retreat in the Sierras where he was led barefoot through the snow to a “raw and primal state of mind.” The song encourages self-reflection and incites the courage to face whatever may be causing anguish.
By the way, as a luthier, Cigarbox Man designed and crafted his awesome cigar-box guitar with recycled materials and digs into it with all he’s got in the new video for the song. We love to see this passion.
Astronomía Interior
It’s not surprising that the new music project, Astronomia Interior, sounds so spectacular. It’s led by seasoned musicians Ángel Mosqueda and Jesús Báez, members of one of the most triumphant Mexican rock bands, Zoé.
They’ve decided to strike out on their own for this futuristic, electronic sound endeavor and they’ve set the bar high with their two new releases, “California” and “Un Mundo Raro.” They sound so good!
Luz Pereyra
Argentine singer-songwriter Luz Pereyra says she wants to create the most beautiful song in the world, and she just released her newest alt-pop, mantra-fueled song, “Voy Al Ritmo.” The song serves as a preview of her 2023 album, as she ventures into music as a solo artist.
For this single, she included musicians Gustavo Heisser, Jorge Boccia, Ludmila Cykman, and Leo Bravo, who also helped produce the music, with Gustavo doing the mixing. The song comes from an improvisation between Luz and Gustavo, and they explain they were “seeking to capture the sinuous and at the same time luminous moment in which Luz began to understand the difficulties involved in pushing her way in music as a soloist.”
Featured image: Afro-Brazilian artist Da Cruz (Ane Hebeisen)
