Brenda Navarrete.
Read her name. Say it. Commit it to memory.
She is the most exciting new artist that I have heard in Afro-Cuban music in at least a decade.
I first heard her in the fall of 2017, when her U.S. label sent me a copy of Mi Mundo, her debut album as a solo artist. I don’t know what excited me more, her passionate vocals or her mastery of multiple percussion instruments. Though the official release date of her CD was not until January 2018, I decided to, in my excitement, include Mi Mundo on my list of the Best Jazz Albums of 2017. I could have easily included it on my 2018 list as well.
A native of Cuba, Ms. Navarrete has been making her mark in her homeland, since the age of 9. She grew up in a musical home where in addition to the legends of her native island, such as Benny More, Celia Cruz and Celeste Mendoza, she was also exposed to and gravitated to the music of American jazz artists, like Nat King Cole, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Cassandra Wilson and Take 6.
In 2010, Brenda won a national competition during Cuba’s prestigious Fiesta del Tambor, wining first prize in the category of Bata drums, as well as for best interpretation by a female artist. She quickly came to the attention of modern Cuban greats such as Roberto Carcasses, Joaquin Betancourt and Alain Perez, who put her right to work in their groups. In a field that is dominated by men, Ms. Brenda Navarrete has quickly set herself apart from the pack.
As for Mi Mundo, which was recorded in Havana, I will simply quote my own words from my 2017 year-end review: “I was floored from the first notes of “Baba Eleggua”, as in this young woman’s playing and vocalizing, I felt the spirits of Carlos “Patato” Valdes and Armando Peraza. Yes, she is that good. The album, which includes four of Brenda’s compositions, is deeply rooted in Afro-Cuban traditions, with a touch of modern influences, such as American R&B. Her version of “Caravan”, is a killer, as is her original, “Rumbero Como Yo”, with its multi-tracked vocal line. She demonstrates her jazz chops on “A Ochun”, with its flute driven mid-section and a call and response finish, over insistent jazz chords. There’s not a bad track here… A very impressive instrumental and vocal debut.“
Alma Records recently released a rather captivating and sensual video clip of “Mulata Linda”, one of the tracks from Mi Mundo. I also came across a wonderful clip of Ms. Brenda from the summer of 2018, as she opened the “Havana Meets Kingston” concert, at Royal Albert Hall, in London. I hope you enjoy them both.
Click on the links throughout this post to get your own copy of Mi Mundo You can also hear several tracks from the album, now in heavy rotation on CurtJazz Radio. To listen click HERE.
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