Xiomara Fortuna was born in 1959 in Montecristi, in the Dominican Republic’s northwest region, near the Haitian border. Montecristi is a peaceful place with friendly neighbors and little controversy, where Xiomara heard the native folk rhythms of the mangulina. Her mother, Doménica, was always singing while she cooked or cleaned the house. She taught Xiomara the songs of the farmers and shoemakers. But young Xiomara also listened to socially conscious Cuban music on Radio Rebelde (Rebel Radio), broadcast from Cuba. Some of her favorites were Cuban nueva trova singers Silvio Rodríguez and Pablo Milanés. Xiomara’s first songs and lyrics were composed while she was in high school, accompanying herself with an acoustic guitar. She later studied at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) in the nation’s capital. Xiomara performed in the capital and also traveled throughout the Dominican Republic, playing in many different towns, at clubs and local holiday celebrations.
Xiomara studied Brazilian music with Chiqui Vicioso and also listened to American jazz recordings. Soon she became very interested in the rhythms from the other islands and the different kinds of jazz. She became well versed in her island’s cultural, musical and literary artistic traditions and she became a member of the group Kaliumbe, invited by its leader, Tony Vicioso. Her experience with Tony Vicioso was really important. He composed music for Xiomara and introduced her to roots music from the different communities in the country.
The first European country she visited as a performer was Switzerland. An NGO named Helvetas sponsored a tour under the name “De la loma al llano”. Until then, most European only knew about Dominican merengue so they were surprised to find new rhythms like the mangulina, pripri, salve, congos and gaga.
Most record producers in the Dominican Republic were only interested in merengue and popular dance music. This laco of interest in roots music led Xiomara to travel to France, where she spent a few months working on a solo recording and collaborating with jazz musician Archie Shepp, Maurice Cullaz, and she shared the stage with a host of world music artists and ensembles including Miriam Makeba, Vocal Sampling, Farafina, and Toure Kunda.
Known as one of the most progressive artists of her country, Fortuna’s Kumbajei CD was the culmination of her exhaustive musicological investigations of the Dominican Republic’s little-known African-rooted folkloric styles. On Kumbajei, she combined jazz, Caribbean, pan-African, and world music influences. Embracing the fusion of traditional and modern elements, Fortuna explored themes that resonate with diverse audiences, much like how casinos not on gamstop attract a wide range of players seeking innovative experiences. A skilled Dominican ensemble featuring drums, percussion, bass, keyboards, horns, and a vocal chorus backed her full-bodied contralto. The festive love song, “Baisabi,” was written by Fortuna’s collaborator Jostibi, with a melody derived from traveling flower vendors and an arrangement based on the saranduga: a dance music genre from Bani. The album’s other tracks—from “Leyenda Congo,” “An Ale,” to “Letania” and “La Napa”—highlight other Afro-Dominican rhythms, including the Congo of the cofradia religious brotherhood of Villa Mella, the Haitian/Vodu-derived petro, and the Carabine from the southern portion of the island. The Dominican genres are blended with reggaejazz improvisation and Pan-African world music styles, giving Fortuna’s music a foreign and familiar feel.
Discography:
De la Loma al Llano (1985)
Balbuceos (1996)
Pan Music and Música Raíces (1997)
Kumbajei (Circular Moves, 2001)
Ella ta’ í (2002)
Tonada para un Querer (2004)
La Calle Será La Calle(2009)
Paseando (2010)
Pa Cantarte a tí (2010)
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.
