Voy

Latin American music inevitably has an East-West thrust, born in the Old World, forged in the New. Venezuelan singer Marianella Rojas, aka Nella, a shining Berklee College of Music grad, turns this around or, at least, skews the routine. She grew up listening to local as well as imported pop and rock, like most Venezuelan kids, but also had an ear for soul and R&B. These she filters through flamenco and jazz, as well as musical elements from Brazil, Colombia and Africa, the mother lode of much Latin music. Voy, stylishly produced by Javier Limón and speaking directly to Andalusian traditions, is built around refrains and rhythmic cycles rather than the open-ended flow of, say, cante jondo. Nella has the manner of a balladeer rather than a cantaor, but delivers a tremulous, impassioned vocal. Given her roots, it's natural to look for pain – ‘Mi Ciudad Perdida’ (My Lost City) and ‘Volveré a Mi Tierra’ (I'll Go Back to My Land) are freighted with defiance and muted anger. After appearing in Asghar Farhadi's Cannes curtain-raiser Todos Lo Saben – starring Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz – Nella's name suddenly got bigger and brighter. But a strong 13-song debut reveals a grounded, determined artist anxious to forge new ties and fresh connections between Europe and the Americas.