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| Josh Rouse's 'El Turista' Will Be Released On March 9, 2010 On Josh Rouse's new Mediterranean idyll of an album, 'El Turista' (Yep Roc, March 9), he sings a Cuban lullaby called "Duerme, " an invitation to dream. The song, a bossa nova, is emblematic of the sun-kissed, romantic nature of the album, which blends Spanish, Cuban and Brazilian songs with Rouse originals sung in English and Spanish. Rouse, a Nebraska native, lives in Valencia, Spain with his wife, Paz Suay and their child. Describing the album's genesis, Rouse says, "I was just searching, looking for a new direction. A couple of years ago, my wife put this Bola de Nieve record on and I said, 'Wow, what is that?' Hearing that record was a breakthrough for me.'" Both "Duerme" and another track, "Mesie Julian, " are versions of songs made famous by the legendary Cuban singer/pianist Bola de Nieve, who, says Rouse, inspired the entire project. He sings them in a laid-back style reminiscent of bossa nova master Joao Gilberto. Bola de Nieve was the stage name of Ignacio Jacinto Villa, a cabaret star of Havana's Golden Age, whose nickname translates, ironically, as "Snowball." Often called "the Louis Armstrong of Cuba, " he had an urbane style, an international repertoire that included songs in French and English, and a legion of famous fans including Edith Piaf and Pablo Neruda. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |