Hear traditional horns and strings from regions of Mexico in new ways that might border on the experimental, in music by cellist Mabe Fratti, singer Lila Downs, electronic dance producer Mexican Institute of Sound, and composer Felipe Perez Santiago.
From Guatemalan-born, Mexico City-based cellist, singer, producer Mabe Fratti, there’s music using electronics, voice, and cello, both solo and in collaboration with Mexican-based electronic artist (and photographer) Concepción Huerta. Hear the dreamy, outer-worldly music from Fratti’s record around the concept of Pies sobre la tierra (Feet on the Ground) – “how we plan things in our heads and how we export that into the real [and] the interaction of these seemingly separate spaces of mind-reality” (xlr8r.com).
Then, from Mexican singer-songwriter and actress Lila Downs who draws on Mexican traditional and popular music, and incorporates indigenous Mexican influences as well, hear “Cariñito.” It’s from her 2019 record, Al Chile, which was produced by Camilo Lara, the mastermind behind the Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS). Also, there’s music by MIS built on horns, chants and perky electronic dance beats whose subject matter takes on the influence of drug trafficking on communities and how it corrupts politicians and government.
Listen to a work by Mexican composer Felipe Perez Santiago, inspired by the work of astronomer Jill Tarter, the co-founder and former director of the SETI Institute (search for extraterrestrial intelligence), for amplified cello and electronics, as performed by former Kronos Quartet member cellist Jeffrey Zeigler. Then, from the recent album with Paola Prestini, Con Alma, listen to music by Mexican singer Magos Herrera featuring guitarist Vinicius Gomes, aforementioned cellist Jeffrey Zeigler, and percussionist Gonzalo Grau.
There’s also traditional Mexican banda music from an all-star collection of players, the Brooklyn-based Banda de los Muertos, featuring members of Slavic Soul Party, Jacob Garchik (Kronos Quartet arranger) and composer Oscar Noriega. Then, hear a 9-piece combo from east Mexico City, Sonido Gallo Negro (Black Rooster Sound), which draws on 1960’s Peruvian cumbia. Plus, music that explores the connections between Chinese and Mexican folk music from Wu Man and San Diego-based son jarocho group Son de San Diego. -Caryn Havlik
Program #4492, New Music From Mexico (First Aired 5/5/2021)
ARTIST: Lila Downs
WORK: Cariñito [1:00]
RECORDING: Al Chile
SOURCE: Sony Music
INFO: https://liladowns.lnk.to/CarinitoPanteonR
ARTIST: Mabe Fratti
WORK: Todo Lo Que Querías Saber [4:32]
RECORDING: Pies Sobre la Tierra
SOURCE: Hole Records
INFO: mabefratti1.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Magos Herrera; Vinicius Gomes, guitar; Gonzalo Grau, cajón & percussion; and Jeffrey Zeigler, cello
WORK: La creacion de las aves [7:40]
RECORDING: Paola Prestini and Magos Herrera: Con Alma
SOURCE: National Sawdust
INFO: nationalsawdust.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Lila Downs
WORK: Cariñito [3:40]
RECORDING: Al Chile
SOURCE: Sony Music
INFO: https://liladowns.lnk.to/CarinitoPanteonR
ARTIST: Sonido Gallo Negro
WORK: Alfonso Grana [2:28]
RECORDING: Sendero Mistico
SOURCE: Glitterbeat Records
INFO: sonido-gallo-negro.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Banda De Los Muertos
WORK: Culiacan [3:17]
RECORDING: Banda De Los Muertos
SOURCE: Barbès Records
INFO: barbesrecords.com
ARTIST: Mexican Institute of Sound
WORK: Mexico [3:47]
RECORDING: Politico
SOURCE: Nacional Records
INFO: mexicaninstituteofsound1.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Wu Man & Son de San Diego
WORK: La Manta (the blanket) [5:20]
RECORDING: Fingertip Carnival
SOURCE: WIND MUSIC International Corp
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, AppleMusic
ARTIST: Kronos Quartet with Alejandro Flores & Efren Vargas
WORK: El Llorar (Crying) [3:38]
RECORDING: Nuevo
SOURCE: Nonesuch 79649
INFO: nonesuch.com
ARTIST: Golden Hornet featuring Jeffrey Zeigler
WORK: Felipe Perez Santiago: Quest [8:27]
RECORDING: The Sound of Science
SOURCE: National Sawdust
INFO: nationalsawdust.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Mabe Fratti feat. Concepción Huerta
WORK: Dirección [5:03]
RECORDING: Pies Sobre la Tierra
SOURCE: Hole Records
INFO: mabefratti1.bandcamp.com