SUSANA BACA / スサーナ・バカ / PALABRAS URGENTES / レコード

音楽活動開始から50年を経て、未だ第一線で活動を続けるアフロ・ペルーのフォルクローレを代表する大歌手、スサーナ・バカの2021年作はプロデューサー/アレンジャーにマイケル・リーグ(スナーキー・パピー)が参加! ペルーの首都から150キロ離れた小さな町カニエテで録音されたという本作は、かつてより良い世界にするために戦った人々に捧げられているとのこと。そしてなんとベッカ・スティーヴンスがチャランゴで参加というこれはもう名盤確定の1枚です!



LINER NOTES

In the 50th year of her musical career Susana Baca has no intention of surrendering her creativity to the will of others and Palabras Urgentes is not just another album in her discography. It is more than that. It is a musical creation, a collection of songs, intended to take on today’s difficult times.

The album was not created to be just a beautiful distraction or as a means to charm the listener. On the contrary, Susana has recorded this album as a form of protest and to spark debate — and the listener must understand this to really understand the album — but, also, as a means to encourage us to cherish and value the time we are given and to live in the fullest sense.

Immersed in her country’s political landscape Susana Baca has come to understand and value the importance of being the heir to singers that once sung for liberty, social equality and for the end of racism. There is a bleak shadow over Peru’s recent history and the only way forward is by confronting the past.

Palabras Urgentes is a collection of 10 songs that attempts to bottle the heritage and tradition of those that once fought for a better world. It was recorded in Cañete, a small town located 150 kilometres from Peru’s Capital, and the songs are given added life by the presence and support of Michael League (Snarky Puppy, Bokanté, David Crosby) whose production brings a universal and contemporary sound to the album.

It is the combination of the music’s beauty and urgency of the lyrics that makes Palabras Urgentes so compelling. It is a journey divided into 10 chapters. Each one a self-contained narrative with its own beginning and end, but when they all come together they become one single journey; a unique musical reflection of the traditions of Peru.

Palabras Urgentes’ message is strong and it uses the most powerful weapon to fight injustice: knowledge.

The musicians
Susana Baca – voice
Oscar Huaranga – double bass (1,2,3,4,6,7,8,10) batácajón (3,6)
Hugo Bravo – cajón (1,3,4,6,10) congas (3,6,7,10) djembe (2,6,7,8,10) kaxixi (8) cajita, quijada and campana (6,7)
Enrique Purizaga – marimba de agua (2, 7, 10) piano (5,6,7,9)
Ernesto Hermosa – acoustic guitar (1,3,4,10)
Marielena Pacheco – violin (1,4,7)
Aaron Abuid – soprano and alto saxophone (2)
Abiud Mucha – soprano and tenor saxophone (2)
Felix Ayllon – alto saxophone (2)
Jeff Coffin – alto flute (1,2,3,4,6,10) tenor saxophone (3,6 solo,7,10) whistles (3)
Carolina Araoz – tenor saxophone (2,4,10) voice (7,10)
Becca Stevens – charango (8)
Magda Giannikou -accordion (8)
Rodrigo Castillo – spoken word (10)
Daniela Ghersi – choir director (7,10)
Paola Cuadros – choir director (7,8)
Music Solutions – choir and voices (3,7)
Michael League – riq (4,8) dohola and solo darbuka (7) electric guitar (1,8) and voice

All songs conceived by Susana Baca
Arranged by Michael League
Produced by Michael League
Co-produced by Ricardo Pereira and Fab Dupont