– THE PEACEFUL PROTEST –

Cuban trumpet player Yelfris Valdés continues his emergence from the shadows of his previous band, Sierra Maestra (as well as high-profile guest slots with the likes of Madonna and The Clash) with his first proper solo album, For the Ones…

Following hot on the heels of last year’s debut EP The World of Eshu Dina it’s once again a musical odyssey that takes in different cultures, textures and moods – all while faithfully reflecting the vibe of its London birthplace.

It’s an album I’ve been absorbing from start to finish with Ancestry, for me, the absolute stand-out performance

The track – as with the rest of the album – is dripping with groovy Latin American and African rhythms and percussion as well as psychedelic electronics, with the some-time Moses Boyd, Yussef Kamaal and Quantic-collaborator somehow managing to keep the essence of jazz throughout.

And yet above all the otherworldliness, it’s the incredible, earthy vocal contribution of Modou Toure that sees the track take flight half-way through. His melodies and timbre are part shaman, part soul-man and 100% jaw-dropping.

On the video above – a ‘Making Of…’ documentary of the album – Project Manager, Carmen Martorell is seen describing Valdés’ sound as ‘grandiloquent’; a word that, frankly, I thought she’d made up or which had been lost in translation.

Perhaps for music so amazing, normal words just don’t cut it.

For the Ones… is out now through Música Macondo Records.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

DA LATA: THUNDER OF SILENCE
TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON: TRAPPED IN THE AMERICAN DREAM
THE KUTIMANGOES: MONEY IS THE CURSE
JULIA KENT: SALT POINT

P.S. You can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the 45 RPM Playlist on Spotify itself.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

– SV –