Shannon's Select Sounds
When asked to write a column for GoodSound! about
current music releases within a given genre, I carefully thought about where to begin:
rock, reggae, folk, world . . . the choices were endless. I finally decided to focus this
initial exploration on contemporary female artists whose uncontained originality blurs the
lines of nationality and genre. The four I’ve chosen touch on music from China,
Ecuador, and the US, and sing in Spanish, Portuguese, English, Mongolian, Tibetan, and one
self-invented tongue. Ultimately, though, these artists prove that music is universal,
rhythm is instinctual and new, and creative styles are ever-unfolding.
 Esperanza Spalding,
a bassist from Portland, Oregon, has received the most media recognition of the four,
mostly for her latest release, Esperanza [CD, Heads Up 3140]. Interviews with Jimmy
Kimmel, David Letterman, and on NPR have rocketed this 23-year-old into the spotlight, and
her original approach to jazz has critics predicting that she’ll take the reins and
steer the entire genre into new territory (her first name means hope in Spanish).
In concert, Spalding sings and dances while playing double bass. In the studio, she’s
approached each track with a professional yet youthful aesthetic and signature style, her
vocals lending a funky groove to smooth jazz and Latin-flavored melodies. Counterpointing
vocal scat and intricate bass lines, Spalding is as hep as any jazz cat of old, and brings
that sound to new audiences who find themselves captivated by her exuberance.
 Raya Yarbrough, too, hails
from the West Coast, and her self-titled debut album [CD, Telarc CD-83658] is a refreshing
approach to blues, neo-jazz, pop, and folk that showcases the singer’s broad range of
inspiration and ability. The catchy hook of "You’re So Bad for Me" will
have you singing along by the second chorus, while "Listen, Emily" cautions a
young girl to grow slowly, and look beyond the highs and lows of young love.
Yarbrough’s covers range from jazz standards ("Mood Indigo," "Early
Autumn") to a soulful Southern rendition of Queen’s "Dreamer’s
Ball." Altogether unexpected, this debut is an early indicator of a crossover
vocalist capable of greatness.
 Eljuri was born in Ecuador and
raised in New York City. Her latest release, En Paz [CD, Manoville 12340], is
captivating Spanish rock with tinges of Latin, rumba, and son, and is aided by the
instrumental contributions of reggae producers Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. This
infectious music is capable of packing a dance floor, but its subject matter is a serious
look at today’s war-torn world. "El Aire" has a groove and lyrics
reminiscent of French-Spanish artist Manu Chao, while the title track is a lyrical lullaby
with soothing and ethereal vocals sung in Spanish, but universally understood to be a cry
for paz (peace) for all people.
 For those looking for
music to transport them to an altogether other world, Chinese composer Sa Dingding is
sure to satisfy. Her debut album, Alive [CD, Wrasse 213], is at once pulsing beats
and enchanting mantras, sacred and surreal, and unlike anything I’ve ever heard --
though it did call to mind Tan Dun’s score for the Ang Lee film Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon. Raised on the grasslands of inner Mongolia, Dingding brings ancient
Chinese cultures together with a modern flair and originality that defy the confines of
Communist uniformity. She sings in Tibetan, Lagu, Chinese, and, most fascinatingly, in her
own language, which she created on the spot in the studio by channeling herself as an
infant and attempting to mimic the first sounds she ever uttered. Her meditative global
grooves are as hypnotic and entrancing as Dingding herself, who on the album cover is
clothed in colorful exotic silks and whose eyes are as deeply dark as her coal-black hair.
Each of these women, in her own way, revitalizes the global
music scene. Though their paths lead to different destinations, the opportunity to examine
each has left me feeling as if I’m standing at a musical crossroads, peering down
each road in eager anticipation and honest admiration, excited to hear where these ladies
will next lead us.
. . . Shannon Holliday
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