Ritual Sonoro

How far can you fuse without creating the musical equivalent of brown plasticine? Andalusian singer-songwriter and musician Amparo Sánchez (aka Amparanoia) loves to test the theory, adding fresh ideas and influences with each new release. On Ritual Sonoro, we catch son, bolero, blues, chacarera, Tex-Mex and reggae. An all-acoustic set, including a rework of her signature song, ‘Alma de Cantaora’, moves the whole towards a folk-noir simplicity that is beguiling. Opener ‘Plegaria’ has a lovely, lilting rhythm and a sweet country solo. ‘Siempre es Azul’ sways coolly from cumbia-style verses towards a Cuban-inflected chorus of ‘Yo Te Quiero’. ‘Corázon de la Realidad’ is melodramatic and pained, with hints of Chavela Vargas. ‘Pa’ Llegar a Tu Lado’ – dedicated to the memory of Mexican-based American-Canadian singer Lhasa de Sela – is trippy, trancey and has something of the bar-room singalong quality of mid-career Leonard Cohen (including a Greek-sounding guitar). Sánchez’ husky, deep voice is alluring alone, and works well when harmonised with Catalan producer and singer Willy Fuego’s higher tones. Argentinian folklore musician Raly Barrionuevo plays guitar and contributes vocals. With just the three, the sound is tight, intimate and without any kind of tension. Do the nine songs blend too many influences to work? Not at all. Spain was recently in the news for its pro-immigration values (which are paying off economically). Spanish artists pioneered European mestizo music. Amparo Sánchez is the payoff.