Maria Bacardi (from the Bacardi family) is the singer leading the Cuban “Bolero Feelin” revival, will host a benefit concert to raise money for Project MOST, an accessible and inclusive after-school and summer learning program for children of all incomes in East Hampton, NY. The concert will take place on July 14th at 8PM at Guild Hall (158 Main Street) in East Hampton, NY.
At a time when Cuba-US relations have once again deteriorated, Bacardi, in collaboration with seasoned and up-and coming young Cuban artists, is forging new musical bridges between the two nations. In her latest album, titled “Duele”, Maria Bacardi has deftly transmuted traditional Cuban gems into a fresh and vivid sound, the “Neo Bolero,” with contemporary scores, English translations and new turns of phrase.
“It is the task of the artist to reflect the times he or she lives in. With “Duele”, we have attempted to restore to life these classical musical masterpieces of Cuba, with a contemporary musical palate,” shares Bacardi, a multi-talented artist who has also mastered theater and the visual arts.
To achieve this, Duele creates a precise tension between the wrist-slicing lyrics of the old school compositions and bold, up-beat and groovy beats. The result is a sound that plays homage to the tunes Bacardi’s mother used to sing as a political exile in Spain, while steering away from the facile “vintagey” sound that many North Americans associate with Cuban Music.
Indeed, just as Bacardi is out to transform the sounds of the Cuba she left behind, she is out to shatter preconceived notions of Cubanidad through music. Audiences to her East Hampton concert will be treated to a soul-shaking novel Latin sound, a resonance of human grief expressed in a love song that will also put a skip in their step.
“If you enjoy the old school songs of Buena Vista Social Club, Paquito D’Rivera, American Jazz, Gloria Estefan, Omara Portuondo, Elena Burke, Xiomara Laugart, as well as Lounge Music, Soul, Funk and Hip Hop, you’ll enjoy this project,” Maria Bacardi added.
Featured and collaborating artists include: Grammy Award guitarist, arranger and singer, David Oquendo; Hip-Hop master and leader of the new generation of Cuba producers, Edgaro Gonzalez; virtuoso pianist, Ahmed Alom; gifted bassist Jorgito Bringas; brass arranger Kali Rodriguez; drummer Amaury Acosta; percussionist, Tony De Vivo and vocalist Gina Soto.
Through her unique crooning style and sound, Bacardi will move and entertain with a lyrical rejection of saccharine/vintage Cuba, and bringing to life the Modern Cuba; a love note to its raw past, present and future. Concert tickets start at $32 and are available for purchase at Guild Hall. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to East Hampton’s Project MOST.
“Duele” is available on Sound Cloud, Spotify, Apple Music | iTunes, Amazon, Google Playand across all digital platforms.