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Various Artists Women of Latin America Putumayo, 2004

There exists a sensuous air in the voices of Latina culture, a strain of breathy beauty decorating these predominantly acoustic-based songs. While the very term "Latin America" is rather ambiguous (given the vast stretch of countries covered), the underlying thread on this compilation - and indeed, on much homegrown fare from these countries - heartfelt folk songs swirl with a gorgeous touch of femininity. All 11 women here fall into that category in one way or another. Sensuality does not necessarily denote eroticism, but rather a deeply passionate exploration of life through music shared between these artists.

Colombian native Marta Gomez's "La Ronda" is case in point. Besides being a stellar opening track (as she was a stellar opening performer on the Putumayo tour of the same name), the seductive swing of her vocals hang lightly above a cajòn-led rhythm. A reworked children's song in the Afro-Peruvian lando form, a jazz bass and drum section keep the heartbeat for the guitar to strum tastefully. A smooth transition segues into Chilean vocalist Jacqueline Fuentes, whose roots stem back to the nuevo canción of the 1970s. The protest folk movement may have been her inspiration, but on "Sinuso Trópico" the topic is living to the fullest means possible - a certain revolution for many listeners who fall entranced by Fuentes' far-reaching poetics.

The collection revisits Chile with Mariana Montalvo, one of the two headliners on the Putumayo tour. The label pulled "India Song" from Cantos del Alma, a record she released with them in 1999. While the hauntingly mournful quena (cane flute) matches her equally wrenching lyrics, they may have fared better by spending the bucks to license from her recent Piel de Aceituna on World Village to get an idea of where she's at now.

While Chile is represented fully, Brazil falls slightly flat, although Justo Agora's "Adriana Calcanhotto," a bass-heavy bossa nova cut, is one of the album's highlights. When turning to Mônica Salasmo, however, there exist much better choices to representing this up-and-coming singer than "Dancapé." This is from her 2002 release Voadeira, but she has recently shown how much one learns in two years on the beautiful Iaiá. As for Belô Velloso, whose claim to fame is being niece to Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia, her songs are prime material for Brazil's tourist board marketing, coaxing unknowing foreigners to the land with polished luster and little soul.

Mexico is twice as nice, with Lila Downs kicking it off with "Iconcuicatl." The Oaxaca native is equal parts musician and ethnomusicologist, adding an academic levity to her compositions. This does not detract from the soulful revelry she spices all her albums with. This ballad is equaled only by country mate Lhasa de Sela, a Canadian resident whose The Living Road was one of 2003's top Latin releases, hands down. Her dusky vocals linger effortlessly atop the soft, horn-led music. "Today I cross the border/Beneath the sky/It's the wind that commands me/Beneath the iron sky/I am the black point that wanders/On the outskirts of luck." The beauty of her voice and poetic depth merge, one in the same.

While Lhasa is a perfect comedown, we end as we began, in Colombia. Totó La Momposina is the country's most famous folk musician, tracing the lineage of African, Native American and Spanish traditions into her cumbia-derived "Yo Me Llamo Cumbia."  The high-energy track matches her fueled personality perfectly; she closed out the tour with an unbelievable tribal mix that swerved between percussive brilliance and a cappella perfection. There's no better ending to a strong compilation of strong women; while a few rough spots pop up, the rest are strong enough to iron them out.

 


Contributed by Derek Beres for www.afropop.org