(MENAFN- Arab Times) Lila Downs 'Balas y Chocolate' (Sony Music)
Fluency in Spanish isn't necessary to understand Lila Downs' shape-shifting voice: It transcends language carrying pure emotion. On her latest album 'Balas y Chocolate' (Bullets and Chocolate) the Grammy-winning Downs expresses outrage and pain over events in Mexico her birthplace. And she capably blends traditional Latin rhythms with modern elements in an array of popular standards and her own compositions her themes treason loss death and love woven throughout the 13 songs. Downs' romantic bolero 'Cuando Me Tocas' (When You Touch Me) is rendered achingly beautiful and accented by wavering breaths. 'Mano Negra' (Black Hand) demonstrates her range of style in a terrific mash-up of pre-Colombian instruments and mariachi horns with rhythm and harmonics borrowed from Jewish klezmer. The gorgeous production allows Downs' voice to soar solo to the edges of falsetto and contralto or dive into a blend of audio samples. Operatic Downs moves from operatic stylings to rap and everything in between with both artistic exploration and pop sensibility such as on the first-release single 'La Patria Madrina' (Motherland) in which she pairs up with Colombian rocker Juanes. She sings: 'You are the country of all of my dreams/He who doesn't respect I'll split his heart in two.' More politically charged than her previous collections the album's lyrics are as much a lament as a call to action. Van Morrison 'Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue' RCA Records The duets format can be a lazy way to go a predictable romp that showcases familiar old songs. Not so with Van Morrison's new collection 'Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue' which skips obvious hits like 'Moondance' and 'Brown-Eyed Girl' for overlooked sometimes eccentric tracks from memorable albums like 'The Healing Game' and 'A Period of Transition.' The result is a warm refreshing look at the stunning breadth of Morrison's poetic compositions dating back nearly five decades. It's all here: The devotion to American rhythm and blues roots the moody introspection the search for transcendence. There is no particular concept no chronological tale but the music is unified by his fierce vision and set off by his magnificent voice (untrammeled by time) and some tasty horn work. The choice of collaborators is revealing: Mavis Staples with her golden voice and long family history; jazz singer Gregory Porter (who finally makes some of the mumbled lyrics to the exuberant 'The Eternal Kansas City' intelligible); and Taj Mahal who seems to nail 'How Can A Poor Boy' on the very first take. Their easy camaraderie makes one miss the late John Lee Hooker who teamed with Morrison for some of the finest duets of their respective careers. Morrison also includes some of the early English rockers who were on the way up when he first surfaced in the mid-'60s. Chris Farlowe who has joined Morrison on stage at times teams up with him on 'Born To Sing' and former bandmate Georgie Fame duets on 'Get On With the Show.' PJ Proby makes a surprise slightly self-mocking appearance in 'Whatever Happened to PJ Proby' a nostalgic homage to the early days. Some of the songs may send fans back to the original albums particularly 'Streets of Arklow' a cut from Morrison's brilliant Irish-tinged 'Veedon Fleece' presented here in tandem with Mick Hucknall. There's plenty to hear and there's plenty more hidden away in Morrison's impressive archives. (AP) By Michelle Morgante By: Michelle Morgante
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