The first official release of Folklore Urbano NYC’s newest production (El Barrio Project-SALSA), “Black is Beautiful”, bridges continents and cultures, conveying a message of unity as a catalyst for healing and change. Pablo Mayor blends the Afro-Cuban Cha-cha-chá and Beninese “Tchinkoume,” featuring the Folklore Urbano Orchestra and Parisian vocalist Laurent Hounsavi, originally from Benin, West Africa, creating a musical bridge uniting different sounds and different people.
lyrics
You know Black is beautiful
You know Black means free
You know Black is wonderful
Come along with me
Let’s spread love, love is wonderful
Let’s make love, love is beautiful
Let’s spread love, love can conquer all
Love is God
Coro:
Come on board, we’re spreading love
With our love, we’ll have enough to be free
You know Black is beautiful
You know Black is beautiful
Come along with me
You know Black is wonderful
Give your love, it’s free!
Let’s spread love, love is wonderful
Let’s make love, love is beautiful
Let’s spread love, love can conquer all
Love is God
Let’s remember when, back in the beginning,
Let’s remember when, we were dreaming and scheming,
Let’s remember when, we were waiting an believing
To be free, to be free, to be free! (bis)
Let’s spread love, love is wonderful
Let’s make love, love is beautiful
Let’s spread love, love can conquer all
Love is God
Spoken in Fon and Yoruba
Coro:
Come on board, we’re spreading love
With our love, we’ll have enough to be free
You know black is beautiful
credits
from El Barrio Project-SALSA,
released November 23, 2020
Composed by: Cruz de Jesús Bonilla and Pablo Mayor, Arr. Pablo Mayor
Folklore Urbano Orchestra:
Pablo Mayor, piano and direction
Rubén Rodriguez, bass
Oreste Abrantes, congas, quinto, tumbadora,
bongó, güiro, timbal, maracas
Laurent Hounsavi, lead vocals and coros
Jainardo Batista, coros
Deborah Resto, coros
Rafi Malkiel: trombone
Antonio Orta: baritone sax
Scott Englebright: trumpet 1 & 2
The powerhouse orchestra of Colombian pianist, composer, and Folklore Urbano NYC artistic director Pablo Mayor in its new
"Salsa" format, featuring Parisian/Beninese singer Laurent Hounsavi, vocalists Newyoricans Jainardo Batista and Deborah Resto, with Puerto Rican/Cuban percussionist Oreste Abrantes, Rubén Rodríguez on bass, and members of NYC’s elite jazz and Latin instrumentalists...more
supported by 5 fans who also own “Black is Beautiful”
During the first UK lockdown in 2020, this album took me all the way to the Peruvian Amazon. This album's a great introduction to one of the main players of psychedelic cumbia, Amazon style. Each track's full of sunshine j j headington
supported by 4 fans who also own “Black is Beautiful”
I was brought here after listening to a live performance of Makaya's on you tube. I instantly loved the song Holy Lands so much that I had to see if the album version was the same rendition as the live one. Then I listened to the whole album! Universal Beings is a just a groove... It's a mix of traditional and something new, very nice. pandr1900