Daymé Arocena – Alkemi (Brownswood Recordings, 2024)
Daymé Arocena has just released her latest musical offering, Alkemi, marking her return since her 2019 recording, Sonocardiogram.
Alkemi, crafted under the guidance of Puerto Rican producer Eduardo Cabra, renowned for his multiple Grammy Awards with Calle 13, draws from the Yoruba language, where it symbolizes the essence of transformation. As Arocena elaborates, it embodies the holistic approach of mixing diverse elements to create an unparalleled outcome, resonating with luminosity akin to gold emerging from within.
In Alkemi, Daymé embarks on a radical reinvention, seamlessly merging silky and appealing neo-soul vocals in English, Spanish, and Yoruba; Cuban, reggaeton and Jamaican rhythms; and contemporary pop sensibilities. While traces of her Cuban roots still linger within Alkemi, Arocena boldly embraces a mainstream neo-soul aesthetic, signaling a significant evolution in her musical direction.
Buy Alkemi.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
