Album Reviews

Alfredo Rodríguez will free your mind with Tocororo

Alfredo Rodríguez is one of the best Cuban composers and jazz pianists. Rodriguez left Cuba for the United States seven years ago. The classically-trained pianist and composer has been mentored and produced by music legend Quincy Jones. But leaving Cuba, doesn’t mean he forgot Cuba, and that is much obvious in his new album Tocororo.

The album is represented by the national bird of Cuba. The Tocororo is a bird that if caged dies of sadness, reflecting not only the desire for liberty, but the necessity of it. Tocororo has 13 magnificent songs,released on March 4, by Mack Avenue Records. The album’s title track mashes up jackhammer latin swing, brooding neo romanticism and anxious Indian classical motives, sung with an aptly dynamic, meticulous intensity by Doraiswamy. Besides Ganavya Doraiswamy, a big role in this album took Richard Bona, Ibeyi, Ibrahim Maalouf and Antonio Lizano. Kaleidoscope, is a propulsively dynamic mix of Middle Eastern classical, Indian carnatic, neoromantic and balmy cinematic styles.

Tocororo will make you begging for more. This is a album that will bring heaven to you ears. You will feel that you are in a enchanted forest, where the nature is described to you thru every song. You should not miss this album, it’s a masterpiece that will take you beyond your boundaries.

Milena Staniskovska

March 12th, 2016

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