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Echoes of Iberia
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San Jose Mercury News, Echoes of Iberia >>
VOCALISTS REVEAL LINKS TO SPAIN, PORTUGAL By Mark de la Viña
From the warm, rhythmic strum of the acoustic guitar to the soul-rending tunes about men away at sea, the music of Spain and Portugal casts a 500-year-old shadow. Of all the European regions that colonized or plundered Latin America and West Africa, the nations of the Iberian peninsula had perhaps the biggest musical influence. In the next few weeks, six female vocalists from Iberian-rooted cultures in such places as Cape Verde, Peru and the Spanish island of Majorca will present sonorous samplings of those connections. Though language is the obvious link, these musics are also sonic melting pots. From Totó la Momposina's Columbian folk music to Mariana Montalvo's literate celebration of her native Chile, their music incorporates ingredients from Africa and indigenous America as well as Iberia. Maria del Mar Bonet, who hails from Majorca, says her music is greatly influenced by the other cultures, especially those that ring the Mediterranean Sea. A similar multicultural stew exists in the music of the lands conquered by Spain and Portugal, but their Iberian legacy is undeniable. ``It can be very sad music,'' says Bonet, ``and it came out of colonialism.'' The connections run deep, from African rhythms to folkloric traditions of Spain and Portugal. World music fans can hear for themselves at upcoming concerts in Saratoga, Stanford, Santa Cruz and Berkeley. Maria del Mar Bonet (Spain) Background: The vocalist started in the '60s during the regime of Francisco Franco, when singing in her banned language of Catalan was a political statement. Style: Her lush, seductive voice and music, imbued with the kind of longing associated with Portuguese fado, conjures images of the Mediterranean. Show: Pre-performance discussion at 6:45 p.m., performance at 8 p.m. Nov. 19; Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University; $34-$38; (650) 725-2787, http://livelyarts.stanford.edu; Also: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 302-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz; $21; (831) 427-5531, www.zookbeat.com/events/. Maria de Barros (Cape Verde) Background: The goddaughter of ``barefoot diva'' Cesaria Evora. Style: A sensuous combination of the rhythm-happy coladeira and the melancholic morna. Show: 8 p.m. lecture, 9:30 p.m. performance Nov. 19, Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley; $15; (510) 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com; Also: 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Nov. 20, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 302-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz; $17; (831) 427-5531, www.zookbeat.com/events/. Mariana Montalvo (Chile) Background: The Paris-based Chilean singer fled her homeland in 1974 after dictator Augusto Pinochet took power. Style: Rich, poetic songs that draw from South American literature and the traditional music of her homeland. Also listen for Andean, European and African influences. Show: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; Carriage House Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga; $35-$45; (408) 961-5858, (408) 998-8497, www.ticketmaster.com Totó la Momposina (Colombia) Background: La Momposina performed at the Nobel Prize ceremony for Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Márquez in 1982. Style: Specializing in traditional Colombian folk music and dance, she is a vocalizing celebration of her homeland's multicultural mix of Spanish, African and indigenous cultures. Show: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; Carriage House Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga; $35-$45; (408) 961-5858, (408) 998-8497, www.ticketmaster.com. Belô Velloso (Brazil) Background: The niece of Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania. Style: Heartfelt, melodic tunes colored by samba, bossa nova and Brazilian pop. They reflect the African cultural heritage of her home state of Bahia. Show: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; Carriage House Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga; $35-$45; (408) 961-5858, (408) 998-8497, www.ticketmaster.com. Tania Libertad (Peru) Background: The South American diva scored her first recording contract a few days after performing with her friend, singer Carmen Salinas, in Mexico in 1978. Style: Her roots are in romantic boleros, but Libertad's songs also explore the connections between Afro-Peruvian and African music. Show: 8 p.m. Jan. 12, Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University; $34-$38; (650) 725-2787, http://livelyarts.stanford.edu. 11/11/04 >> go there
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