Susana Baca

First time on Vinyl for this 1997 album. Susana Baca’s singing – sometimes plaintive, sometimes a purr, always evocative – hangs gracefully over sophisticated songs, equal parts rhythm and emotion. Ms. Baca, with her cool, distinct voice, as beautiful as any working in pop, has the strength to create her own tradition. Her debut album for Luaka Bop, produced by Greg Landau, brought her to the attention of World Music audiences worldwide. Her songs are poetic (with lyrics composed by some of Latin America's premier poets, with whom she collaborates), rich with evocative imagery, and her voice is delicate yet soulful. She has an elegant and engaging stage presence, gliding gracefully about the stage while singing. Her delivery is so deeply felt and emotion-filled as to project a spiritual character, even in songs that are not expressly religious in subject matter. Baca is an important figure in the revival of Afro-Peruvian music within Peru, which, like the culture that produced it, had previously been little recognized, but which is now regarded as an important part of Peruvian culture.