Latin women have a flair and style all their own and three of the hottest talents out there are about to hit the region as part of Putumaya Records "Latinas: Women of Latin America" tour. They may not be household names in the United States, but Toto La Momposina, Belo Velloso and Mariana Montalvo are all internationally known Latin American female singers.
Appearing Thursday night at the Porter Center at Brevard College, they're on a 28 city North American tour that sizzles with flamboyant South American sights, sounds and rhythms.
"We are three different women with Latin souls and people will discover music that they have never heard before if they come," said Montalvo. "The show begins with Belo Velloso, Brazilian music. Imagine it with the percussion. Then there is me with my mix. After the intermission there is a Colombian traditional singer, Toto, very traditional and moving music from Colombia with traditional instruments," she described enthusiastically. "Then we perform together."
All three of the singers appear on Putumaya's newly released CD "Women of Latin America" and while they are all household names in Latin America, most Americans aren't familiar with their music. This tour is a chance to connect a growing fan base for Latin music in this country with the real thing.
The concert is an interesting mix of traditional and progressive. One of Colombia's musical icons, Momposina is a flamboyant singer and dancer. The quintessential Latin star, she takes the percussive music called "roots cumbia" and turns it into a show-stopping event.
Brazil's Velloso has a gentler, warmer, more "pop-ish" style. Younger, with a willowy look and feel, she blends Brazilian styles like bossa nova, forro and pagode samba. Montalvo mixes cultural styles and sounds, she describes it as "new traditional". "I take traditional rhythms and make them mine, something quite special," she said. Her songs might incorporate everything from Jamaican reggae rhythms to South American Indian flutes. And her background is more eclectic.
"I did not choose to leave Chile. I was very young, 20 years old and had a beautiful life," said Montalvo. "With the Pinochet coup I had to quit Chile, leave. I was young enough to start over in Europe, move to Paris," she said. After acquiring a job singing in a Latin club, Montalvo wanted to stay in touch with her culture and started researching poetry by Latin American women, putting it to music and incorporating other world music sounds into the mix. "France is a cultural crossroads with people from all over the world," said Montalvo.
The tour has given them a chance to introduce their music to the American market, and to get to know each other. "We are all strong women, all Leos," she laughed. "That's funny but true."
"It's folklore with beautiful words, a mix of urban and traditional music," said Montalvo. Panpipes and charango mix with African drums and Spanish guitars, the melting pot of South American music evident in the arrangements. "With my history, the exile, I try and explain what I'm singing to people," she said. "Our reception in New York, New Jersey and Delaware has been wonderful." Carol Mallett-Rifkin writes about music for the Asheville Citizen-Times. E-mail to cpmallett@msn.com
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