Tracks
1.Tornar 2.Cambalache 3.Black Ship 4.Bitter Truth 5.Roseret 6.Senhora do Almortão 7.Leyenda 8.Modinha 9.Guantanamera 10.La meva àvia
Interpreters
Magalí Sare – voice, flute, small percussions
Manel Fortiá – double bass, bass ukulele, small percussions
David Domínguez – percussions (1-4,6,7,9)
Record label: Seguell Microscopi|
Recorded at El Local Estudi (Vilablareix, Girona, Spain) in January 2023.
Released on May 4, 2023
Magalí Sare is a singer and multi-instrumentalist, coming from a family of musicians. Graduated in Jazz singing at the Liceu Conservatory, she obtained the honorary prize at the end of her studies. From 2012 until the end of 2020, she was the soprano voice of Quartet Mèlt, an a cappella voice quartet.
Manel Fortià has played alongside big names on the jazz scene such as Dave Liebman, Chris Cheek, Arturo O’Farrill, Chano Domínguez, Antonio Lizana, Raynald Colom, Romain Pilon or Marco Mezquida to name just a few.
As a leader, he has published the albums “Despertar” where he performs, together with the Balearic pianist Marco Mezquida and the French drummer Raphael Pannier, his own compositions inspired by New York “Arrels”, a free-flamenco-jazz project with the multi-award-winning singer and saxophonist Antonio Lizana. In addition, he has appeared on more than 60 albums as a co-leader and as a sideman.
Sare and Fortià have published “Re.Tornar”, an album in which both leave the piano and voice duo to enter a world richer in sounds, accompanied by David Domínguez on percussion on seven of the ten songs on the album. In addition, Sare herself plays the flute and Fortià the bass ukulele. They both also play small percussions. All of this contributes to the enrichment of the final result.
The album is a journey through Ibero-American folklore, mostly well-known songs, which are transformed based on rhythmic variations, flooding them with other rhythms. Percussion plays a primary role in carrying out these rhythmic transitions.
The first song is Gardel’s well-known tango, “Volver,” which they translate into Catalan and which is the basis of the name of the album. Along with the tango, the habanera and the guajira mix and reveal the different fusions that we will find throughout the album.
Another tango follows, “Cambalache”, this time in Spanish. The apparent fidelity to the original theme is pleasantly truncated when the percussions enter, taking us to Brazilian carnivals.
It is Brazil, the country of origin of the following song titled “Barco Negro”, originally called “Mãe Preta” and which was censored by the Portuguese dictatorship at the time, changing its name and lyrics. Sare and Fortià are based on the version popularized by fado singer Amalia Rodrigues, although they nod to the original censored lyrics.
A bolero takes the word, “Bitter Truth,” from the Mexican composer Consuelo Velázquez. Nice bolero, deep with Sare, Domínguez and Fortià inspired.
“Roseret” begins with a powerful double bass. It is a traditional Menorcan song, which adds a certain note of humor to the album.
Back to Portugal with the traditional Portuguese song “Senhora do almortão”, where as the album progresses the clapping takes us to Andalusia.
And there we go with the next song “La Leyenda del Tiempo”, popularized by Camarón de la Isla and with lyrics by Federico García Lorca.
“Modinha” follows, a not very well-known song by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, but which retains its spirit. The double bass with a bow gives the theme deep seriousness and gives it tango nuances.
The well-known “Guantanamera” is covered in a “wild” way with a double bass and percussion, totally integrated and committed to not going unnoticed.
The album ends with “La meva àvia”, from Catalan folklore. A soft and delicate lullaby that somehow breaks the line maintained until now, but that does not clash with the rest.
It is a surprising album, somewhat far from jazz, closer to folklore, with daring fusions, but one that can be listened to with great pleasure, due to the instrumental interpretation and Sare’s beautiful way of singing.
La Habitación del Jazz