No matter the numerous musical terrains
Santana have traversed since the late 1960s, their trademark Afro-Latin sound is so recognizable it often dominates the band's material. Not here; on
Africa Speaks that sound is just one among many -- some tunes here are almost unrecognizable as
Santana). Produced by
Rick Rubin,
Africa Speaks was compiled from a whopping 49 songs, all recorded over ten days at Shangri-La in Malibu -- many in a single take -- most inspired by African melodies and polyrhythms. Throughout, the
Santana octet is on fire, fronted by Spain's inimitable force of nature
Concha Buika, a singer, songwriter, poet, and producer. She is so versatile, she's been nominated for Latin Grammys in several genres, and is equally adept at flamenco, jazz, soul, funk, and Anglo-Latin and Afro-pop.
Conga drums introduce
Carlos' brief spoken narration to the title cut; his stinging guitar joins with
Buika's pained modal moan in Andalus flamenco style in an improvised percussion-rippled interlude. A walloping Afro-Cuban bata rhythm precedes "Baytonga" before the band kick in with biting guitar riffs, Benny Reitveld's whomping bass line,
Cindy Blackman Santana's rolling tom-toms (this set provides some of the finest drumming in her long career), and
Karl Perazzo's congas.
Buika,
Andy Vargas, and
Ray Greene chant as a choir countering David K. Mathews' fiery piano montunos toward a cascading crescendo. Driving, unfettered, bass-wrangling Afro-Latin funk fuels "Oye Este Mi Canto" and the single "Los Invisibles" as
Buika's forceful vocals exhort, plead, and declare (the former also offers a scorching Mathews B-3 solo).
Buika is a rock singer on "Yo Me Lo Merezco," as entwined guitar leads, fingerpicked chords, and the straight-on 4/4 rhythm section plod morphs to halve its time signature, becoming an unfettered jam where
Carlos and Rietveld play head to head. (Look for it to become much longer live.)
Laura Mvula guests on the simmering jazz-blues nocturne "Blue Skies," trading verses with co-composer
Buika. "Breaking Down the Door," is a humid cumbia with
Buika and a chorus relating a murder ballad while indicting patriarchy and class division. It's adorned by trombone breaks and accordion fills. "Luna Hechicera," is another fusion tune where rumba, jazz, and funk commingle and writhe as exquisite instrumental dialogues occur under
Buika's soulful singing. "Bembele" is a Latin jazz groover that finds
Carlos quoting from "Song of the Wind" (off 1972's
Caravanserai) in his solo, with
Buika's expressive vocal soaring and swooping in time to the rhythm section.
Africa Speaks is breathtaking in terms of energy and scope of vision. Here, the
Santana band are -- more than at any time since the mid-'70s run of
Caravanserai,
Welcome,
Lotus, and
Borboletta -- a rangy, intense, restless, and musically hungry outfit aware of their potential.
Africa Speaks is the surprise of 2019, the album
Carlos has been desiring to make for decades but was unable to given contract restrictions -- Concord offered complete artistic freedom. He,
Buika, and the
Santana band made the most of it. ~ Thom Jurek