Brenda Navarrete – Mi Mundo (2017/2018) [HDTracks FLAC 24bit/192kHz]

“Mi Mundo” introduces a shining new star on the world music firmament. This is the solo debut of Brenda Navarrete, a Cuban-based singer, songwriter, percussionist and bandleader of rare skill and musical originality. The stylistically eclectic album features a variety of group settings, with the primary instruments consisting of drums, piano, electric bass and percussion, including bata and congas played by Navarrete. The Cuban musical cast includes drummers Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Rodney Barreto, José Carlos, pianists Roberto Carcassés, Rolando Luna and Leonardo Ledesman, bassist Alain Perez, trombonist Eduardo Sandoval, and Adonis Panter on Quinto drums.

Brenda’s warm and fluent voice and songwriting ability that take center stage on Mi Mundo. A genuine highlight on an album devoid of low lights, A Ochun is a dynamic and delightful treat that begins with percussion and call and response vocals, which then fade away in favor of gentle piano and flute stylings. When I was a little girl, my sister and I loved to listen to jazz greats like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. I also gravitated to artists like Nat King Cole, John Coltrane, Bobby McFerrin, Miles Davis, Yellow Jackets and Cassandra Wilson, but also BoyzII Men and Take 6. My home environment also featured music from great Cuban artists like Cecilia Cruz, Benny More and Celeste Mendoza. All those artists and musical styles have contributed to my musical growth since I was a child. I adore Cuban music, and mixing all of those styles together with traditional Cuban music is powerful and exhilarating. An example of this original and compelling fusion is Caravana, Brenda’s distinctive take on the Duke Ellington classic Caravan. Brenda Navarrete’s focus is now firmly set on Mi Mundo. This beautiful expression of her musical universe is now going out into the world, and it deserves your close attention.

Brenda Navarrete makes the sun shine with her debut album, Mi Mondo, My World, which has been widely recorded in Cuba with local musicians and mixed in the far, far colder Canada. And so much shall be briefly anticipated: recording and mixing result in a first-class transparent sound, which receives the final kick as a high-resolution download. Too bad that the album although including ten songs, is too early coming to its end after only 37 minutes. It only helps to set the player to automatic repetition in order to keep the Caribbean sun in the form of Brenda Navarette continuing to spread good humor. That Brenda Navarette is of Cuban descent may be heard listening to each of the ten songs, four of which are from the singer’s own pen. One does not believe it, but the Cuban has taught herself singing, having already had an extremely successful career as a drummer, especially with the Batà drum, which she discovered with new years and whose playing she refined later at the Music Conservatory. Originally from Nigeria, the Batà drum, which is covered with drumheads at both ends, also plays a role in Cuban music far from Africa. With this drum, Brenda Navarette was active as a member of an Afro-Cuban drumming group and her drum arts were awarded a prize in 2010 at the National Cuban Drum Festival. No wonder the Cuban woman cannot leave the Batà drum behind her also as a singer. If you want, you can classify what you hear on Mi Mundo under the heading World Music. In any case, Brenda Navarrete combines Cuban folklore with elements of jazz and western pop on her debut album. What is pleasant is that the Cuban predominates, so that the Caribbean sun does not come up short in any of the songs. Also responsible for the extremely well-feeling nonstop sunshine is a whole phalanx of competent first-class accompanying musicians, who build the necessary foundation for the songs in different compositions. Outstanding are Horacio Hernandez, Rodney Barreto and Jose Carlos on the drums, Roberto Carcasses, Rolando Luna and Leonardo Ledesman on the piano, Alain Pérez on the bass, Adonis Panter on the Quinto and Eduardo Sandoval on the trombone. The songs turn out to be pearls of rhythmically sparkling vocals mostly light as a feather and danceable if desired. Especially shiny pearls are “Baba Elegguà”, a song based on primal call and response vocals with a trance-like atmosphere, “Rumbero Como Yo”, a rumba-based song with a spiritual feel and “Caravan”, extremely creative and free after the eponymous title by Duke Ellington.

Mi Mundo is a thoroughly sun-drenched pleasure that can be enjoyed without the risk of sunburn, and that is a promising debut of a thoroughbred musician who deserves to be internationally perceived.

Tracklist:
01 – Baba Elegguá
02 – Rumbero Como Yo
03 – Anana Oyé
04 – Caravana
05 – Drume Negrita
06 – Namaste
07 – Taita Bilongo
08 – Mulata Linda
09 – Cachita
10 – A Ochún

Musicians:
Brenda Navarrete, lead vocals, coro, batá drums, percussion
Melvis Santa, coro
Luis Orbegoso, coro
Munir Hossn, bass, guitar, percussion
Adonis Panter, percussion, quinto
Osaín del Monte, percussion
Pete Locket, tablas, percussion
Adel Gonzáles, percussion
Guillermo Del Toro, percussion
Roberto Carcassés, piano
Hilario Durán, piano
Rolando Luna, piano
Leonardo F. Gil Milian, piano
Alain Pérez, bass, coro
Michel Salazar Delgado, bass
José Carlos Sánchez Portilla, drums
Horacio ‘El Negro’ Hernández, drums
Rodney Barreto, percussion, drums
Josué Borges Maresma, flute, harmonica
Tommy Lawrie, trumpet
Eduardo Sandoval, trombone