trésmininu
febrero 29, 2020
Mayra Andrade - Lovely Difficult - 2013
Cape Verde perfectly fulfills its bridge element between Africa, Europe and America. The opening to the sea; the idiomatic connection with the creators of bossa nova or tropicalism, and the ever-present presence of the forgotten continent as a reference of rhythms and nostalgia are the main strengths of Mayra Andrade's music.
Mayra Andrade represents miscegenation turned into a way of life: she was born in Cuba, daughter of Cape Verdean parents, grew up between Senegal, Angola, Germany and Cape Verde, and has lived in Paris since 2002.
In LovelyDifficult, his fourth album, Andrade is ready to leave behind the shadow of the worldmusic to get into fertile pop land with wide international views. The first proof of this comes from the hand of its opening to other languages, listening to it unfold in Portuguese, Cape Verdean, French and English.
Produced in Brighton, England, by Mike Pelanconi, the composition of the three cuts is the responsibility of Mayra herself who has the contributions of Pascal Danaë, Krystle Warren, MárioLúcio, YaëlNaïm, HughColtman, Tété and BenjaminBiolay, thus characterizing each of the pieces and providing them with a greater international aroma.
LovelyDifficult opens the heart of Mayra at various times, such as the appealing song "Weused to callitlove" or "96 days", which oozes melancholy under a jazz structure. It allows us to relive with her her Cape Verdean childhood in "Ilha de Santiago" (her eternal place of vacations) with joy and even summer self-confidence that also presents "Les motsd´amour"; the strange symbiosis between reggae and chanson, as present in this album, as the ballad "Le jour se lève". It builds bridges back and forth to Brazil in "Rosa" and "Trésmininu", to return to briefly rescue the sounds of sub-Saharan Africa in "Téralonji", ending with the beautiful ballad "Meu farol" (dedicated to his mother, Dina Stela) .
The opening to pop and the internationalization of sounds is clear and evident. Listening to his latest album take us to visit the places and common transits of his life and, perhaps, that yearning to grow beyond what one is, beyond the roots that bind a never forgotten past. In LovelyDifficult, Mayra Andrade draws a map of the world that runs from her native Cape Verde to European pop, getting what she calls "tropical pop".
Tracks list:
01. Ténpukibai
02. We used to call it love
03. Build it up
04. Ilha de Santiago
05. Le jour se lève
06. A-mi-n kre-u txeu
07. Rosa
08. 96 days
09. Les motsd´amour
10. Trésmininu
11. Téralonji
12. Simplement
13. Meu farol
