Yelfris Valdés is a talented musician making some of the most exciting Cuban music out at the moment. He recently released his debut album titled For The Ones... which is a gorgeous, rhythmic and percussion-heavy album with a lot of fantastic grooves that just captivate me throughout.
Starting with the vocal intro “Canto Congo” and the meditative and bass-heavy “Aceleyo Aña,” the album goes into a mystical, percussion-heavy sound that pulsates with the sound of the drums and trumpet. The soulful vocals from Simo Lagnawi on “Maktub” is another highlight for me, with colourful trumpet leads as well as synths and basslines that add texture to the record. The slow-paced and emotive “Carmen” is another phenomenal track, with hypnotic humming that is able to grab me into a trance. The gorgeous and anthemic trumpet leads on “Ancestry” are complemented by vocals from Modou Touré who absolutely steals the show with a stunning voice. “After Sly” is another tribal, percussion-heavy track and the closer “Worlds” is this other-worldly, poetic ending to this staggeringly beautiful album. Overall, Yelfris Valdés comes through with a memorable body of work, a tribal, raw and authentic project that completely surprised me in the best possible way.
Listen to Yelfris Valdés’ brand new album For The Ones... below via Bandcamp and don’t forget to support! Released via Música Macondo.
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Hi Martin,
Thank you for such a nice review of this, my first LP For the Ones..