Taína Asili – Resiliencia (Taína Asili , 2019)
Resiliencia is the new album from bilingual singer-songwriter and social justice activist Taína Asili (Taina Del Valle). Although Taína was born in the continental United States, she grew up in a Puerto Rican family and has strong connections to the traditional music of Puerto Rico, Cuba and other parts of the Caribbean.
The concept of resilience has become a focal point in current society, increasingly adopted by many individuals and health providers as well. Taína Asili advocates for resistance to the current American administration and also celebrates the resilience of women, victims of violence, hurricane sufferers, cancer survivors and other individuals who have shown their hardiness and capacity to recover after facing adversity.
Taína sings in Spanish and English. Musically, Taína draws from diverse influences such as Manu Chao-style mestizo music that incorporates ska and rock, traditional Puerto Rican music, reggaeton, cumbia, salsa, electronic dance music, Indian music and American soul. Highlights include “Resiliencia”; the irresistible “La Alegria,” a collaboration with DJ Johnny Juice; the wonderful son cubano “Canción de luz”; and the Indian music-infused “Beyond the Stars” featuring the outstanding Veena Chandra on sitar.
“Before I started writing songs, I conducted interviews with women from New York and California to Montreal and Puerto Rico,” says Taína about Resiliencia. “I had already planned a trip to Puerto Rico, but after the hurricane it became more urgent than ever before to witness and record what happened on the island.”
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.