As chosen by survey on Mastodon, today’s spotlight is on number 456 of The List, submitted by platenworm.
I’m tempted to have the entire write up just say “This album made me happy, go listen to it”. Because I was having an absolutely crappy, anxiety-filled day when I put this on, and – nearly immediately – it calmed my brain down. Like human catnip, or something. I’m not familiar with this music style nor this musician, and I have no idea what any of the songs are about since I don’t speak Spanish, but I loved it. So, in some ways, for some of you, perhaps that’s all you need to know – that it’s magic.
For those who need a bit more, here are some facts, according to the Internets. Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist Guillermo Portabales was an active musician for nearly 40 years, moving between Cuba, Columbia, and Puerto Rico. He was most known for popularizing the guajira style of Cuban music, the traditional music of the “guajiros”, slang for countryside people or “peasants”. Portabales’ particular flavor of the style was known as “la guajira de salón”. This album is a compilation of recording sessions from the 1960s. Portabales died in 1970 when he was hit by a car after leaving a gig.
An interesting tidbit in the Wikipedia article on Portabales is that Kékélé, a primarily Congolese band, recorded an entire album of songs either written or performed by Portabales, but in a Congolese style and with the lyrics in Lingala rather than Spanish – the 2006 Kinavana. I can’t tell offhand if any of the songs that appear on Kinavana are also on this Portabales compilation, but it’s also a lovely album to check out.
[Alt text for accompanying image: The album artwork is a bright painting of four (presumably Cuban) men, wearing hats and yellow or blue shirts. There is a black horse with a rooster sitting on its back. Houses and hills are in the background, with a yellow sky. The artist’s name is at the top in black font, followed by the album title.]
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/03/26/guillermo-portabales-el-carretero-1996-cuba/
