Ani Cordero – Recordar

 
 

Ani Cordero has released a mature record featuring Latin American songs of love and protest. Her album, Recordar, includes covers of phenomenal topical songs with messages that remain relevant today. After speaking with Sérgio Dias of Os Mutantes about the project, he became so interested he decided to co-produce the CD with Cordero. The result is a fine display of understanding and appreciation for some of the most important Latin songs from the 1930s to the 1970s, written by Víctor Jara, Piero, Bobby Collazo, Gilberto Gil & Caetano Veloso, Trió Armónico, Alfonso Camín & Chavela Vargas, Placido Acevedo, Luis Kalaff, Violetta Parra, Atahualpa Yupanqui and Alí Primera.

Raised by Puerto Rican parents in Atlanta, at age nineteen Cordero became friends with Dr. Juan Allende, the nephew of Chilean President Salvador Allende, who was overthrown in a U.S. sponsored military coup d’etat in 1973. Her awareness of the Nueva Canción movement grew as she spent time between Atlanta and San Juan before finally moving to Brooklyn, working with Pistolera and her own bi-lingual art rock band, Cordero.

Recordar takes a modern look at these now legendary songs, but that doesn’t mean the album sounds too contemporary. Cordero does a nice job balancing the past with the present, delivering proud, passionate vocals alongside her guitar, drum and percussion contributions. She is joined by a host of experienced musicians, including Sérgio Dias, Charles Giordano, Kelly Pratt, Tim Keiper, Omar Akil Little, Brent Arnold and Erich Hubner to name several.

Cordero’s carefully constructed arrangements are noteworthy interpretations of the vibrant Nueva Canción repertoire. Social awareness is important to Cordero and she believes positive criticism is an integral part of any functional democracy. Her work on Recordar offers a striking reminder of how easily people can forget the past. The Nueva Canción movement was anything but passive and Cordero actively refreshes these songs for a new audience.

Check out the video for Violetta Parra’s classic “Volver a los 17” below and don’t miss her video for Chavela Vargas’ “Macorina” on youtube, where you can also learn more about the making of Recordar.

Ani Cordero will be performing at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Frieda and Roy Furman Stage on Thursday, July 31st at 7:30pm. You can’t afford to miss this free NYC appearance.

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