El Último Trago (Con Chucho Valdes)

iTunes Review

The music of Spain, Cuba, Mexico, and Africa come together on Concha Buika’s El Último Trago. Buika, who was born on the Spanish island of Mallorca to parents from Equatorial Guinea, has been getting attention in the last few years for her modern take on flamenco. Her main accompanist on Trago is the pianist Chucho Valdés, a venerable Afro-Cuban jazz musician, and the two, along with other musicians, team up to perform songs associated with the legendary Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas. Flamenco and ranchera are quite different, but both styles require passionate intensity, and Buika is more than up to the task of interpreting these classics. On “Soledad,” Buika is backed by an Afro-Cuban groove, with Valdés bringing an almost classical feel to some of his runs, while the gloomy “Sombras” gets a jazzy bolero reading. Who knew you could bring jazz and classical elements to this great Mexican style without watering down its potency? One reason the album works so well is the contrast between Valdés’s cool piano, and Buika’s finely tuned emotionality. El Último Trago is a must-have for fans of Latin music.