Album title: Residente
Artist: Residente
Genre: Alternative Hip-hop/World Music
Nationality: Puerto Rican
Release date: March 31
Position in Discography: Debut solo
Estimated Rating:
Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.39
That's one hell of a high rating for a debut album. Let's see if in my opinion it deserves it. Given that this is mostly not in English, I won't be able to comment on the lyrics, but then, as far as hip-hop is concerned I tend not to do that anyway, so it won't make that much difference. Nevertheless, the opener is in English and I love the rhythm of the music, plus Residente seems to really know what he's about. But now we're into the Spanish songs, so I'll have to rely mostly on the music and the structure of the songs. I like the idea that he travelled to various countries (all of which he was said to have DNA from) and worked with mostly unknown musicians to produce this album. It's certainly got a lot of energy, from tribal rhythms to Gabrielesque hypnotic percussion.
There's certainly a lot of what is generally referred to as “World Music” (sorry Frown!) here, with ethnic instruments and rhythm patterns, some even sounding like chants or prayers or ritual music, and it's a very different album than I had expected. Honestly, if this guy were American (and not from Puerto Rico; what a difference a few hundred miles makes) and this was in English I think this could have been a major hit. There's a short
acapella track, children singing, lots of exuberance and joy and a whole hell of a lot of talent. What's really great about this is that these other musicians don't just form a kind of backing band or support to Residente, but make their own statement, and he allows them to, at times stepping completely back and opening the floor to them. This is not only unexpected, but refreshing and admirable in any musician. We all know there are few things larger than a musician's ego, so it's nice to see someone prepared to allow others the limelight. And it really works too.
Residente says that this is not his most organic album, and not having heard any from his band I can't comment, but it's certainly one of the most organic records I've heard in a long time. Very much more than a hip-hop album, very much more than a solo album, this is collaboration at its very finest and its very humblest too. “Desencuento” is a beautiful ballad, on which Residente shares the microphone with French singer SoKo, “Guerra” features a choir, its melody reminding me both of the African chant “Senzeni Na?”, which forms the intro to Peter Gabriel's “Biko” and the hymn “O Come All Ye Faithful”, and “Apocaliptico” is almost desperate in its intensity, then slows down on a female vocal before picking up again.
Dammit, if you want to hear an album that's the perfect synthesis of hip-hop and world music, I think you may have found it. Certainly deserves its high rating, no question about that. I'll look forward to an English version, which is in the works at the moment. Maybe then Residente may receive the praise and fame he deserves. For now, this album certainly proves one thing: that music is without question the universal language.
Check out more from this artist? Yes
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes
Actual Rating:
