During this time of confinement, while much of the artistic community has been greatly impacted, the cultural institution Folklore Urbano NYC has made great strides in crystallizing its mission to create universal and inclusive music and bring joy through the power of the arts. Its motto, #GlobalSalsa, is the premise for this first single "Black is Beautiful," to be released on September 29th on iTunes and the most important digital platforms.
"El Barrio Project-SALSA," the fourth production of Folklore Urbano NYC, was born in East Harlem, colloquially called El Barrio, upon the closing of the historic Latin music institute known as Boys and Girls Harbor, where Pablo Mayor was involved as an artist and educator for 16 years. It was Pablo's intention to give homage to the musical legacy of this neighborhood and inspire young people to continue connecting with its musical roots.
"Black is Beautiful," the preamble to the album, takes the listener into the heart of the historic birthplaces of salsa: Spanish Harlem and the Bronx. It was written by the composer Cruz "Chino" Melao and Pablo Mayor before the events which have recently occurred in the United States.
"When Cruz shared the lyrics with me, I sought out rhythms and sounds which would represent what I have always heard and sensed from El Barrio; and now, by establishing a community partnership with El Museo del Barrio, we put the song in the hands of the community where these sounds and message resonate the most. "Black is Beautiful" connects cultures and continents, conveying a message of unity and dialogue to promote the change that our contemporary society needs," says the artistic director of Folklore Urbano NYC, pianist Pablo Mayor.
Pablo Mayor, Artistic Director Folklore Urbano
The lyrics of the song underscore respect for the struggle of Afro-descendants throughout their history and their cultural and artistic contributions to society, and in turn, repudiates those who want to deny them by performing unforgivable racist acts. "Black is Beautiful" is a call for people of all races to come together to celebrate the spiritual and musical beauty of Africans and their descendants. The video choreography was created by the renowned dancer and choreographer Daniel Fetecua; the steps have the double message of enjoying the dance while the hand movements invite us to unite. The video includes people from around the globe, coming together to share this message of unity through music and dance.
The soul of the song is in its lyrics, an invitation to sing together: "Come on board, we're spreading love! With our love, we have enough to be free! You know black is beautiful." It speaks not only to Afro-descendants but is a call for unity of people from all races to celebrate the beauty of people of color.
"Black is Beautiful" is performed by the Folklore Urbano Orchestra, featuring Parisian vocalist Laurent Hounsavi, originally from Benin. Laurent achieves with his luminous and versatile voice, the perfect balance between Tchinkoume, a Beninese rhythm from West Africa, and the dynamic Cha-cha-chá, embodying the mission of #GlobalSalsa that Pablo Mayor envisioned for this new album. Laurent Hounsavi sings in English and the West African dialects of Fon and Yoruba, and his presence, along with the rhythm and language of his native Benin, draws a direct line to the continent of Africa that has historically provided the backbone to much of the music of Latin America, including salsa.
The percussion parts recorded by Puerto Rican/Cuban maestro Oreste Abrantes, and the legendary bass lines of Rubén Rodríguez, together with Pablo Mayor's renowned energetic, bright horn lines executed by NYC's elite jazz and Latin instrumentalists, reinterpret the sounds of NYC salsa, while retaining its rich Puerto Rican, Cuban, and jazz roots.
"Black is Beautiful" is a collaboration with songwriter and Co-Executive Producer Nick Chavarria, and expresses the vision of Pablo Mayor, the artistic director of Folklore Urbano NYC, in continuing his quest for #GlobalMusicToUnify. Special thanks to its Proud Community Partner, El Museo del Barrio.
