AFRICA SPEAKS

After the classic period of Woodstock and the fusion of the '70s, where he marked his mark of psychedelic rock with Latin rhythms plus a lot of funk and soul, he entered the path of so many great musicians, and as hybrid albums of such dissimilar duos are not to my liking, I do not think his spirit is there, I will emphasize from Shape Shifter, from 2012, the reunion with his old friend Jhon McLaughlin in Montreux, Santana IV (his project with the 1973 band), the album with the Isley Brothers of covers, and finally the album in question, Africa Speaks, from 2019.

Inspired by African music and with the Spanish singer Buika, he puts together a series of deeply inspired songs, revisiting the spirituality present in his greatest works, and that curved saber that makes the incision where it should be, echoing the sound of his guitar. Buika truly creates hypnotic atmospheres, such as "Oye este mi canto" (Hear this my song). "Yo me lo merezco" (I deserve it) is an anthem that rivals his older songs; the color of his voice brings a lot of feeling, and he manages to sound modern at the same time. There's soul and funk, like in "Paraísos quemados," "Breaking down the door" includes wind instruments very appropriately, while "Los invisibles" and "Luna hechicera" seem to explore a new sound, more modern but true to itself at the same time. That's one of the greatest virtues of this album, rescuing the sound of the '70s (like in Santana IV) but venturing into new territory, not only in African tradition but also in fusion with other climates, as heterogeneous as they are earthly.

With "Bembele," Africa not only sings but also dances, albeit in a sophisticated way, and "Candombe Cumbele" reunites us with the furious, catchy funk that stirs the soul. Teaming up with new musicians always renews and revitalizes influences, sounds, and feelings, but in the service of a cohesive and almost conceptual work, even if that wasn't the intention, because it tells us, in many ways, a story of resilience, love, and courage, of course with oceans of rhythm.

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