Las Palabras, aka Rafael Cohen

Las Palabras Finds The Words In Charming Minimalistic Tunes

Soundcheck | Feb 8, 2021

Las Palabras is the plural-named solo project of Rafael Cohen, of the dance-punk band !!! (pronounced chk chk chk). Cohen, a Brooklyn-based musician by way of Washington DC (his band El Guapo was on Dischord Records), studied with Anthony Braxton in school, and lived in Mexico City until he was 10. In Las Palabras, (a Spanish phrase for “The Words”), he taps into his earliest musical memories of Guatemalan marimbas, Peruvian waltzes, Brazilian bossa nova, salsa, and reconciles these sonics with the musician he has become (Cohen’s statement, Brassland.org). He plays some of these charming and whimsical songs in his native language, remotely for the podcast.

Set list: "Condesa," "Juan Pared," "Pescador"

"Condesa":

"Juan Pared"

"Pescador"

Web Extra: "Cayendo"

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