World Village
2008
Gracias
About This Album
Who says you can't teach an old diva new tricks? At 78, Omara Portuondo, the Cuban vocalist who had nearly settled into retirement before the advent of the Buena Vista Social Club in the late '90s gave her international recognition, makes a bold move with Gracias. Although Portuondo's Cuban roots are evident throughout -- as if she could ever lose them -- the singer looks toward Brazilian forms, into jazz and beyond for this collection, produced by Brazilians Alé Siqueira and Swami Jr. And if Portuondo sounds closer to 48 than her actual age, it's easy to imagine that was part of the plan: there is a barely contained youthful spryness to her delivery of this material, an implicit statement that Portuondo is thrilled to be stepping out of the proverbial box in which she's lived -- metaphorically speaking -- for the better part of a half-century. To drive the point home, the producers have recruited an all-star support team boasting wide credentials: Israeli-born jazz double-bassist Avishai Cohen and Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona, Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, and vocalists Chico Buarque (from Brazil) and Jorge Drexler (Uruguay) are among the contributors, as are Cubans Pablo Milanés (vocals), Chucho Valdés (piano), Roberto Fonseca (keyboards), percussionist Andres Coayo and producer Swami Jr.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9)

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