Traveling: Puerto Rico

In this cold italian winter I can't help to think about the caribbean. I dream of the sun, the smells de las calles, the sounds. So, I dedicate this post to the most caribbean place of "North" America, Puerto Rico. I'm fascinated by this place, where mestizaje is pushed at the limits, not without contrasts and contradictions. And this is well reflected by the music. Listen to that:


Sometimes I think there's more Puerto Rico outside than inside the island. Here there's an extremely good band, based in Washington, where every influence is perfectly melted into the true and original caribbean sounds. Here cumbia, funky and reggaeton go nicely together to reflect the real sound of the new latino generations.


Sometimes I think that hip-hop would somehow be already dead if it wasn't for the latin influence that made it revive and regenerate into something new and powerful. Latin rap and reggaeton, if well done, are irresistible. They make you dance even if you don't want, and they taste like a ron shot: sweet and hot. This album is a very good example of what latin hip hop is capable to do. Try to believe.


Puerto Rico is not just salsa and rap. There's something for every taste. I liked this album because it feels different. Mima is a musician between worlds. She somehow reminds me of the spanish singer "La Bebe", but with that latin sounds that gives her a good push on on the rhythmic side. Nice lyrics and interesting fusion research. Keep en eye on her.


This album is a mix of different elements, all melted in a folkloric athmosphere of latin rhythms, but not totally "classic". I like the lyrics, and the simplicity a little melancholic. The author is a multiinstrumentalist born in Puerto Rico that makes all by his self, and makes it good.

Traveling: Chile

There's a place in South America that appears to be far. Farer than every other place in the american continent. Maybe because is just a long and thin strip of mountains that isolate the people that live on the coast. Maybe for its troubled and hard history. I don't know why, but since I was a little girl there was something about Chile that made me imagine that land like a bubble somewhere nowhere. There were these people, artists, musicians, writers, sparse all around the world talking about their lost homeland and telling magical tales in a way that made me sure that this was supposed to be a special land.
Here I found some music from that far place. And still it talks to me in the same way. One day I'll see it with my eyes and I'll know a little more how far it is.


This album is the soundtrack of a movie titled "Mejor no fumes" (You'd better not smoke). It includes a very wide range of styles and genres and collaborations of different artists. The result is a poetical travel in the modern chilean pop music, with accents of rock and songs with beautiful lyrics and open atmospheres.


And this one is a weird mix between pachanga, cumbia and ska and rock and... almost everything. It's funny, danceable, interesting and fresh. Makes me think of a long travel by train. Don't know exactly why.


Another perspective on Chile. This album takes inspiration by the rainforest, the autochthonous populations of ancient south America and their traditions and rituals. I must confess that I've been first attracted by the cover and the title. Pacarina, in fact, were the places where the first inhabitants of Peru and Andes were supposed to come from, sacred places like caves or lakes. And before being humans those people were elements of nature, of the underworld... well isn't this fascinating?


When I listened to this album the first thing I thought were Manà. Then I kept listening and was captured. I like this album a lot. It's a little rough, there's a lot of rock and blues, but it's totally "latino" in its best declination. I can't get tired by the lyrics and I totally love Balcones y taxis.

Bonus Track

This is an original project that I wanted to inlcude in this post. An experiment of "painting" portraits by music. I think that mission was accomplished.

Traveling: Philadelphia

I've never been in Philadelphia. Not phisically. But there's so much music I love that comes from that city that I think I kind of know it and I wanted to explore a little more the unofficial scene. There's a lot coming out from Philly, in every possible music genre you could think about.
This is a little taste, and maybe there'll be a second part.


Zilla Rocca is one of those underground stars that you surely have met several times, listening to hip-hop projects, without knowing it. He's fertile, productive, smart and the music that comes out of his mind has some of all these qualities. I love this album and the title says a lot about it. Pour a glass of something strong, volume up, and start enjoying.


Philadelphia is not exclusively hip-hop. There's so much music worth to be listened to, and this is a wonderful example. An extremely good band, a perfect melt between rock, funky, electronic and dub and everythings it takes to make you move.


Back to hip-hop. True Philly sound and philosophy with the work of Dumhi, a DJ, a musician and an idea. Music and rhythm are in the spotlight while the mics change and borrow their voices and their skills to the project.


There's something of Badu, and a little of Jill Scott moving around here. This album is beautiful, with athmospheres that fly on soul and r'n b vibes, play with hip-hop and jazz and always come out in the right way. And it's free. Do we need more?

Cuba, la musica es mujer!

I have Cuba in my heart. So I keep an eye on everything comes from there, most of all the music, almost always excellent music. I can't help sharing this documentary about an extraordinary orchestra where the musicians and the director are all women. They play classical cuban music, with amazing arrangements and great art and technique. But behind the concerts and the music are the stories of these women, beautiful stories of dedication and hard work to achieve a goal.
This is the Cuba I have in my heart.

Traveling: South Africa

I can't think of a weirder place than South Africa. The nature takes your breath away, and people is the strangest mix of colours and languages and cultures that you can think about. And there's this deep, souring wound of recent history hidden almost everywhere. I've been in S.A. just for few days, but I definetely want to go back and stay longer cause I totally fell in love with the place. This is a little musical journey in that different world.


This is the kind of folk album that I can listen over and over without getting bored. There's blues in it, and beautiful verses, and this soft, kind of nostalgic athmosphere that totally traps you. Beautiful.


When I think of S.A. music I immediately think "voices". And Moloi is one of the most promising voices of the south african panorama. Born in Soweto, raised in the U.S, there's a little of this and a lot of that in his work. But most of all, there's this incredibly soft and versatile voice.


Speaking of mixed things... this album has a little bit of everything: dubstep, reaggae, hip hop and this political and angry lyrics that are worth a listening.


I chose this album cause I have kids and I know how hard it is to find good kids music. When I saw the smile on my little ones faces I knew this one was good.

Bonus track:

Goapele is one of the best NuSoul voices ever. She belongs to the golden era of Maxwell and Floetry, before the big bang with D'Angelo, Badu & co. So here she is, with her page on BandCamp and some beautiful tracks where her voice still brights.

Traveling: Ibiza

It's August. The sun is totally shining, nights are warm and long. Time to dance on the sand, chillout till dawn or watch the sunset with the people you love. There's no place in the world that recalls this kind of atmospheres as Ibiza. A little, beautiful island in the spanish Mediterraneo that has become homeland for the best dance music in the world. Want to taste it and take it home?
Here we go:


Deep down to the roots of the Ibiza's groove. This compilation comes from the past but it's so extremely fresh and contemporary. Lacks just the sea taste. The rest is all here.


Jumping to 2009, this album is a good example of the most "typical" Ibiza spirit: two dj's (one from London one from Ibiza) working together to create this peculiar, irresistible trance sound that has become the hallmark of Ibiza night parties.


Another sound, different vibes, still totally fascinating. French roots, spanish inspiration. Much more electronic and rhythm mixed with the right amount of coolness and chillout. Maybe it's rage, but of the nice ones.


Ibiza's not only trance and chillout and smooth athmospheres. There are lots of music movements under the island sun. And this is an example of the spanish rap wave that goes around por allà.

Traveling: Haiti

Poor Haiti. Beautiful Haiti. Sometimes it's impossible to understand why everything happens on the same place at the same time. But I don't want to begin an useless speech about politics, and misery and so on... I want to look forward, and try to give a sound of hope and possibly happiness to that incredible island. There's a strong spirit inside haitian people, there's the caribbean ability to stand up and laugh even in the worst events, there's this sense of uncertainty that makes present, here&now, the most important thing in the world. And there's music. Caribbean. Ca va sans dire...


Eleven tunes that say a lot about Caribbean fusion and influences. Tons of Africa and a pinch of latin. Fresh and light.


Hip-hop and politics to promote the cause of democracy in Haiti. Various artists in different ways linked to the island rap to explain why development and welfare of people must pass through rights and democracy.


Another artist that express the meaning of "creolness". Pop, hip-hop and latin in a nice mix.


Another way to represent Haiti from the outside. This artist has haitian parents, has born in the States, and lives in Australia... Absolutely creol.

Traveling: Portugal

Just a little strip of land between the continent and the Ocean. A frontier. That's Portugal, a long border between the old and the new world. And as all the frontiers an incredibly rich, and mixed country with an enormous history, and a future all to define yet.
Musically speaking, I think there's a lot to know about Portugal. Let's try a start:


This artist and his guitar can create atmospheres that change as fast as the sky over the Atlantic ocean. I loved it. Free download.


An album of pure jazz, composed by a bass player, a musician that express all the influences of the Iberian peninsula and its strong relationship with other frontiers like Cuba, Mozambique, Angola. His music is original and yet classic. Can't miss it.


A superfresh release (it says tomorrow?). This album reminds me somehow of Tuck&Patty. Guitar and voice in first plan, beautiful songs, soft atmospheres, but in a completely portugues key. Free download.


This project is part of a group of albums that intend to preserve and make circulate the music of Azores islands. These little pieces of Europe lost in the middle of the Atlantic ocean are kind of a mistery to most of the people. Discovering the traditional music of the islands is like opening a little window on a secret waiting to be unveiled.

Traveling: India

I've never been in India. I will. But I don't want to go there as tourist, I'd like to travel to India in the very sense of this word. For now, I can only try to learn something about the subcontinent by readings, photos and music. I chose not to include in this journey all the albums tagged India but actually dedicated to Yoga and meditation and virtually recorded everywhere else but in India.
I was looking for sounds more authentical and I found these:


This is an extremely interesting project of field recording. There's music, sounds of nature, streets, conversations directly taken during a travel through India. There are photos too. Just smell's missing.


Nice example of geographic declination of jazz. These tracks are the demonstration that playing jazz doesn't mean blindly reproducing the american sound. In this music you find classical indian inspirations, electronic, and improvisation.


And this is the same process applied to pop music. This Calcutta duo makes a strange and kind of whimsical pop music mostly in hindi, mixing Bollywood athmospheres and folk reminiscences.


Before listening to this album please follow the instructions: put on your sunglasses, get out of your closet that '80s dress that you thought you'd never never wear again and try to remember those dance steps you saw in Bollywood most sugary productions. Press play. Smile.

Traveling: Argentina

Argentina is big. Huge. Traveling Argentina is like going through a continent, and there's no chance to find a single sound that characterize it. Of course in matter of music Buenos Aires plays the part of the lion and influences the global musical image you can get of the country. So what can we expect from la musica argentina? Pop latino. Most of all. A lot of folk influences by different roots and inheritance, some tango, of course, so hot now all over the world.
Take a look:


This artist plays a modern version of tango with a look to the classics and a jazzy perspective.


Tango, milonga, cumbia, in a urban and modern flow. Simply beautiful.


The real name of Cursi y melancolico is Juan Manuel Godoy. The meaning of the art name says a lot about his music a little "cheap" and much more melancholic. Nice declination of argentinian folk.


The last volume of a trilogy. A melting-pot of different faces, styles, rythms very well mixed. Nice tunes and lyrics from Mar del Plata.

Traveling: Japan

Four days from now it will be 2 months since the earthquake and the tsunami that devastated part of Japan. There's still a lot to do. Maybe more now that media attention has been fading. The world of artists has been in first line trying to help raising funds and focus the people attention on this tragedy. Here some of independent japanese musicians works. A lot to think about, a lot that we still could do.


A collective of electronic artists that tried to capture the sounds and the feelings of the days immediatly following the earthquake. Impressive.


Another cowork between three Tokyo based artists. Beautiful atmospheres and sounds. Can't miss Ametsub tracks (he's got Sakamoto in his fans...).


Another collection, this time the tracks are 50! from artists based in 7 different countries but someway related to Japan. Mostly dubstep, electronic, some hiphop. Tracks were all unreleased or especially created for the occasion. Funds to Red Cross Japan.


I chose this track to close this post because it's totally different from the rest. These two japanese artists play indian music on tabla and sitar. They play extremely well. The perfect demonstration that music belongs to nobody and to anyone.

Traveling: Iceland

Before summer breaks in, I virtually travel in the nordic land of Iceland. Atmospheres are soft, but somewhat warm. And yes, Bijork is in the air.


Acoustic and nice. Beautiful melodies and pleasent voice. The perfect soundtrack for dawn and sunset.



Again chilly and spacial atmosphere. Tracks named after the Inuit icey world. With an elegant touch of electronic and drums. What comes out is a touching, enchanting, strange kind of rock.


Take a symphony orchestra and put it in the hands of a strange kind of icelandic genius who takes with him a great amount of electronic stuff. This is the result!


I think that the title means Dreamland (not that great guessing). That's exactly how this album sounds. A dreamy, light, aethereal mix, from a BandCamp pro.

Traveling: France

France is the second prolific music producer, after US, with a lot, really a lot, of music online. There's something for every taste, from punk rock, to latin, afro, hip hop... Personally I find something special in the way french artists decline hiphop and jazz. There's always a smooth accent, even in the rawest tune. Something so irrefutably french.


A long music marathon that can keep you dancing and listening for a good while. Hazel is a bandcamp topseller, and these tracks are worth the effort of buying.


Soul music, with good vibes, great vocals, and beautiful french lyrics. And free! What else?


Back in '77 with this beautiful album, made of plenty of real instruments, latin influences, and that 70 funky accent that make you want to put on your platforms and flower-power dress, and just dance.


This is exactly what I mean when I think of french sound. Jazzy, somewhat acid, but still smooth, sexy.

Traveling: Spain

The places I know and the ones I'd like to know. I start with Spain, but never know where sound can bring you when you start following it.


You say Spain, you think guitars. And it's not just stereotype. There are so many fresh ideas coming out from flamenco, and guitars. And this is a good example, from Barcelona.



This is just one piece in a wide range of declinations of contemporary spanish music composed by a talented cello player. It's not easy. But definetly interesting. Give also a try to Toccata for piano solo.


This is not a band. Is a project to give more voice to the massive movement of music composers and song writers that populate Madrid music scene. Every month a meeting in a club, and a collection of live music.


This is the spanish pop that Europe knows better by other names. But in Spain Ferreira is a travel-a-lot ensemble. You can listen to them live even in children concerts. If you happen to be in Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid...check the dates out.