"Mi Cancion"

Justice takes time to manifest. Sometimes it comes quick, like swarming pelicans over a hungry lake; at other moments, it may take a lifetime, or, as some cultures profess, many lifetimes. When Augusto Pinochet ordered a coup on Chilean president Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973, a vicious circle began that wouldn't reach fruition until 2004. During his 17-year tenure he led with a terror-filled fist, and even after his ousting in 1990 in a democratic election, Pinochet was appointed commander-in-chief of the army. He would later be dismissed from court hearings due to "vascular dementia," a psychological ruling that allowed him not to be tried for human rights violations. In May of 2004, he was finally tried and convicted.

Pinochet's initial office resulted in the death of 3,000 natives, 27,000 more imprisoned or tortured and many more exiled. A young singer named Mariana Montalvo, whose work would be compared to Peruvian folk interpreter Susana Baca and Argentinean great Mercedes Sosa, fled to Paris to pursue the arts. Back home, singers like the great Victor Jara, a supporter of Allende, were murdered, and those wishing to salvage traditional music either fought or flew. In Paris, Montalvo would be introduced to an incredible array of international influences, shining throughout her new album, Piel de Aceituna . With Andean folk living on in the music of groups like Inti-Illamanti, Montalvo fuses regional instrumentation (the mandolin-like charango; quena, a notched flute; zampoña, pan pipes) into a globally informed mix spanning reggae and French chanson. Front and center is her voice, a weathered, husky tool with the feel of a long history--many lifetimes confined to just this one.

The brilliance of Montalvo's ballads resides in patient tempering; her surroundings and songs are the same. "Hombre Pequeñito" speaks of a "little man" whose love she shared briefly, though it's time to open the cage, as we hear personal relationships and social misconstructions deconstructed simultaneously. The following number, "La Canción Los Amantes," probes a more realistic love, confirmed by gentle accolades. In softer moments like these, backed by a guitar, maybe a flute and accordion, we hear an accomplished vocalist intent on sharing her soul. When the rhythm is heightened, fusion commences, as with "Sud'Americano," the opening cut, which explores Jamaica's greatest export, and "Encuentro," a conga-led duet with Congolese troubadour Lokou Kanza.

If Montalvo's path was to suffer early and share later, Piel de aceituna is destiny manifest. This may not be her Canto General, as topically she mostly shies from politics; let's consider it her Extravagaria, another Neruda collection of exceptional quality. The famous poet's silken pen lives in the voices of countrymen and women whose passion for living and creation of art is indistinguishable. To this list, Motalvo is a welcome addition.

Contributed by: Derek Beres for www.afropop.org