Yasser Tejeda Shares 'En El Naranjo (feat. Vincente Garcia)' From Upcoming Album 'La Madrugá'

Artist and composer Yasser Tejeda announced the May 19 release of his new album, La Madrugá, with the uplifting single, "Tú Ere' Bonita." The composition praises the natural beauty of women, with a chorus that affirms their power and connection with nature.

La Madrugá is all about offering an alternative perspective of Dominican music to the listener, which is a tactic that Yasser has always felt passionate about. Today, Tejeda releases "En El Naranjo" and while working on the track, he sought help from one of his oldest friends, Vincente García, to secure this mission of producing a playful and engaging song. Tejeda had found inspiration while listening to a congo de Villa Mella, a traditional rhythmic style found in the Dominican Republic, and decided to share his progress with García, who heard it and immediately replied with complimenting ideas.

"We kept building the track together," Yasser says. "And after I developed the horn lines and finished the arrangement, which was fueled with colors of soul, R&B, Congolese guitar, and jazzy harmonies, it was time to invite Dominican sax virtuoso Sandy Gabriel to do an improvised tenor sax solo." Tejeda calls the final result a "dream come true" and hopes that people sense the same love and joy when they listen to it.

La Madrugá is a transcendental Afro-Caribbean offering that hopes to honor both the ancestors and allies who have challenged the times by immersing themselves in the study, preservation, and exaltation of their African roots.

According to the Chicago Reader, Yasser's "elegantly polished compositions contain a fascinating, delicate interplay of past and present...underlined by raw, ancestral music meant to move bodies and bring about communion," while Juan Luis Guerra, the most influential Dominican artist in the world, has praised his mission calling it a "marvelous example of what's happening with Dominican music."

The process of recording a full, independent album has its challenging moments but that constant movement fits perfectly within the cycle that the record exquisitely portrays. It also offers a level of creative freedom that both Yasser and the album's co-producer Quinn McCarthy immensely benefited from while working on La Madrugá. The duo had worked together before while Yasser recorded guitars for Xenia Rubinos' latest album.

"I loved the atmosphere and the sound quality that was achieved at the Creamery Studios so, a few weeks after, I was back there filming and recording my NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and practically never left", says Tejeda. Quinn added that he "couldn't help but be attracted to something amazing that was also new to me."

Tejeda has released two commercial albums, Kijombo (2019) and Mezclansa (2009), with his group Palotré, as well as an acoustic EP called Interior (2021), where he features some of his most acclaimed compositions in a raw and intimate setting. Mezclansa was dubbed one of the 100 essential recordings of Dominican music by the Dominican National Association of Art Writers (Acroarte).

His second album, Kijombo, received six awards from Dominican Republic's Premios Indie, including Best Album. Tejeda's versatility as a guitarist has also landed him features on praised albums and recordings with artists like Vicente Garcia, Flor de Toloache feat. Miguel, Sotomayor, and Alex Ferreira, to name a few. Lastly, his experience as a touring musician has expanded his knowledge of the industry to an all-star level, having traveled the world with Latin GRAMMY-winner Prince Royce.

When it comes to his music, Yasser hopes to incite an awakening and inspire future generations to explore, promote and uplift their Afro-Dominican roots.

Photo Credit: Sullion Sang

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