Sagüita Al Bate (independent release, 2014)
Leticia Rodriguez covers a lot of musical ground as a singer, musician, bandleader, dancer and choreographer. That’s just a start considering that this Texas-born songstress is also the producer, writer and director of the one-woman show Canciones For Generations. Unearthing her own Mexican musical heritage through family tales about the music and movies of her 1940s and 50s singing and acting star aunt Eva Garza, Ms. Rodriguez makes current that music with her 4-track EP Saguita Al Bate, set for release on August 16, 2014.
Ms. Rodriguez explains, “While I was researching material for Canciones For Generations, my mother and aunt told me I needed to record a song of Aunt Eva’s called ‘ Sagüita Al Bate.’ They let me know that, of the many songs my Aunt Eva recorded, this was the one song they felt I absolutely had to record. The Cuban composer, Nico Saquito Fernandez Ortiz, wrote it. It’s about a baseball player named Alberto ‘ Sagüita ‘ Hernandez and describes the lamentations of a man being driven crazy by his ‘lady’s’ obsession with baseball.”
Revisiting songs from her first recording La Americana, Ms. Rodriguez along with her band reworks title track “Saguita Al Bate,” veering from the original 50s mambo and turning it into a cumbia and salsa combo. Lively and cleverly worked, “Saguita Al Bate” is a real treat with sassy percussion and brass lines and of course Ms. Rodriguez’s sharply executed vocals.
“Milonga Sentimental” gets a similar makeover, but this time with drummer Mike Koenning dipping into a Mozambique flair to the percussion and conguero Henry Brun, Travis Davis on piano and accordion by Carlos Alvarez. Equally delicious is the Mexican tinged Cuban son “La Cumbancha” and the dreamy, lovesick infused “Incertidumbre” with its lush vocals and backdrop of guitar, accordion and percussion. Ms. Rodriguez has put her personal stamp on the music of her aunt Ava Garza and the effect is more than memorial – it’s about expanding the reach of these songs.
Ms. Rodriguez reflects on the recordings of her aunt by saying, “When I played them again, I remembered hearing them when I was a girl. To me, her music was a banana split, creme brulee, or las tres leches.”
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
