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Sing Out!, Feature >>
You have to let the word "natural" roll long off the tongue, with a buzzing reverberation midway through. The choppy three-syllable habit of English won't do here; in Pedro Luis Ferrer's world, a word like this deserves a bit of Cuban gusto. The second of this singer's four planned albums exploring a self-invented style dubbed changuisa, in actuality his style is tinkering of previous formats: trova espirituana and coros de claves. Really, it's not far from the usual play of clave, guitar, bata drums and maracas we expect of Cuban folk. Ferrer's inventiveness, for the most part, arises from two sources: his lyrical playfulness and (surprise) natural songwriting ability. His aim to mimic the mountains of which he was born shines through in this rustic recording. Joined by daughter Lena, the familial tapestry is woven beautifull--her voice, gleaming vocal. At time Ferrer sounds like a slightly more attuned Leonard Cohen, allowing room for error in his pitch with an inviting demeanor. This becomes more evident when considering the topics he sings about: acid-inspired soirees where women strip bare and reveal antennas and one-armed men in love with beautiful, though clueless, women. Ferrer laughs his way through every tragedy. When the vocal duo flex on the more philosophical "Repeticiones," a questioning of old patterns of thought and custom, the sparse percussion allows a sonic spaciousness between each syllable. By this Ferrer achieves his goal: storytelling, be it political, spiritual or social (and often all three), set to the music of his homeland. And with proud sons like this, Cuban folklore is in great hands. 08/01/06
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