Marina Heredia, ‘La voz del agua’. Review

Marina Heredia returns. And she does so battling against the impediments of the industry's big recording companies, with an album that’s privately edited and produced, a fine portrayal of her current professional abilities. The cantaora from Granada has cast off all that is superfluous in her new project, with a predominant simplicity throughout the album. This puts her vocal prowess firmly in the spotlight. Sometimes as a cantaora, sometimes as a singer, but always flamenco.

Marina Heredia (Photo Daniel Muñoz)

On this album the cantaora opts for a light-hearted 'acancionado' repertoire, whether it's using flamenco forms or other genres - like on the Argentinean-sounding track ‘Tango de las madres locas’ by Carlos Cano with which she opens the album. And this option has a lot to do with the lyrics, most taken from poets. From Rafael Alberti come the verses of ‘Balada del que nunca fue a Granada’ - the ballad of the man who never went to Granada. From José Bergamín, ‘Illo y Romero’. And, return to the bullfighting theme, from Granada-born poet Manuel Benítez Carrasco there's ‘La gran faena’.

Marina Heredia also pens the odd tune of her own - ‘Mil vidas’ and the bulería ‘Una rosa tardía’ (a late-blooming rose). And the lyrics of the soleá por bulerías ‘El calor de un beso’ are provided by José Quevedo ‘Bolita’, the album's producer. The guitarist from Jerez's work on the album is characterized by the polished subtlety and the uniformity of the production work, oozing warmth and doing great service to the cantaora's vocal work.

And the truth is the vocalist's cante is brimming with a new maturity. In a flamenco key, she exceeds all expectations with styles such as home-grown tangos granadinos (which she tackles with daring and vibrancy), soleá and the closing pregones. As for the singer's approach, her nuances, solidity and charisma are all convincing. 'The voice of water' is a transparent, fresh and beautiful, truly beautiful album.