NATALIA LAFOURCADE - Musas, Vol. 2 [2018]

Natalia Lafourcade had already mentioned that the recording sessions for Musas, her glorious 2017 tribute to the Great Latin American Songbook, had yielded enough material for more than one album. No sooner said than done, Musas, Vol. 2 was released less than nine months after the first installment. Cut from exactly the same stylish cloth as Vol. 1, Vol. 2 extends the blissful collaboration between Lafourcade and legendary guitar duo Los Macorinos on 13 more selections by iconic authors such as Álvaro Carrillo, Margarita Lecuona, Augusto Polo Campos, and Alberto Domínguez. Lafourcade, her understanding of this material equally exquisite as a singer and as a songwriter, again introduces a few originals that are indistinguishable from classics written in the early and mid-20th century. She also ventures into social commentary, one of the main directions Latin American songwriting has taken since the '60s, but which she left unexplored until Musas with the inclusion of "Derecho de Nacimiento," originally written for the #MúsicosConYoSoy132 collective. And while standards such as "La Llorona," "Luz de Luna," and "Eclipse" have been recorded over and over by giants such as Chavela Vargas, María Dolores Pradera, and João Gilberto, Lafourcade's versions are simply superb, as well as skillfully complemented with less well-known marvels like "Desdeñosa" by Benigno Lara Foster, here graced with the majestic voices of Eugenia León and Omara Portuondo. The worst one can say about Musas, Vol. 2 is that it lacks the novelty factor of its predecessor. On just about every other account, it is just as delightful and lovingly curated a tribute as anyone could hope for.   by Mariano Prunes  
Tracklist 
1 Danza de Gardenias  4:25
Backing Vocals – Ventino
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – David Aguilar Dorantes, Natalia Lafourcade

2 Alma Mía  4:20
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Maria Grever

3 Hoy Mi Día Uno  3:26
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Natalia Lafourcade

4 Tus Ojitos (Vals de la Guardia Vieja)  2:58
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Traditional

5 Duerme Negrito  4:44
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Traditional

6 Luz de Luna  3:19
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Alvaro Carrillo

7 Derecho de Nacimiento  5:49
Backing Vocals – El David Aguilar, Juan Manuel Torreblanca, Ximena Sariñana
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Natalia Lafourcade

8 Eclipse  5:25
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Margarita Lecuona

9 La Llorona  6:55
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Traditional

10 Desdeñosa  4:03
Featuring – Eugenia León, Los Macorinos, Omara Portuondo
Written By – Benigno Lara Foster

11 Te Sigo  3:28
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Oscar Avilés

12 Humanidad  3:48
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Written By – Alberto Dominguez

13 Gavota (Instrumental)  4:07
Composed By – Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar
Featuring – Los Macorinos
Credits
Featuring – Los Macorinos (tracks: 1 to 13)

NATALIA LAFOURCADE - Musas Vol. 2 

[2018] SONY / CBR320 / scans

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