Soema Montenegro
Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires F.D., Argentina | INDIE
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
She is multiple. She is accompanied by tango, by folk music, by an array of ideas, shifting, protean, keeping the audience guessing. She sounds as if she has a sense of humour, which is a good thing for the rest of us, otherwise we’d be jealous. “Showoff!” “Eccentric!” - Popmatters.com, USA - June 2011
Le chant leur a permis de dépasser leurs peurs aussi bien que de fêter les naissances ou de supporter les pertes, il les a reliés. Soema se tient, fière, au cœur de son histoire, ses ancêtres sont les Indiens guarani, elle vient donc un peu de la forêt mais vit à Buenos Aires, elle fait le pont entre présent et passé, entre nature et cité. Elle crée un lien magique entre tous ceux qui l’écoutent. La magie a traversé les temps, et s’est installée dans l’âme de la chanteuse pour nous être offerte enfin. - Pinkushion, France
In it, Soema Montenegro ......... shows twelve times in the avant-garde sound that, through other entities and poetic words that singing plays, manages to conjure itself, sensing, perhaps , folklore to come. - Clarin Newspaper, Argentina
Keep an eye on Soema Montenegro and your ears primed for more folksy, wailing gooodness - inyourspeakers.com, USA - Mayo 2011
Argentinean songstress Soema Montenegro possesses a surprisingly bountiful vocal range. More importantly, her voice has a singular expressiveness that literally translates the Spanish lyrics she sings into a raw, emotional resonance....The addition of both modern and traditional instrumentation serves to heighten the drama....The result is a dynamic, passionate and outright wild bunch of songs. - Exclaim.ca, Canada - May 2011
Soema Montenegro's voice revitalizes the current folklore.
But alas! of that breath filled Soema's lungs: whispered, humming, moaning, screaming and singing into a profound impact. - Clarin Newspaper, Argentina
Discography
Uno a Uno - (2008) - Noseso Records, Argentina
Passionaria (2011) - Acqua Records, Argentina
Passionaria (2011) - Western Vinyl - USA
Photos
Bio
Soema Montenegro has been described as a poet, a shaman, and an excellent cook. She may be all of these, but above all, shes a world-class singer. Intense and dramatic, her songs echo the vibrant landscape and culture of her native Argentina.
Soema honed her voice and songwriting skills for years before releasing her debut Uno Una Uno (2008), which grabbed the attention of La Blogotheques Vincent Moon. He was so taken by Soemas charm and skill that he chose to film this relatively unknown artist for the websites special 100th Take Away Show. Watching Soema perform we witness her magically shift from a deep smoldering moan to a wild, but perfectly controlled caterwaul. You dont have to understand Spanish to be enchanted by Soemas theatrical and impressionistic story telling.
Her music is so sensual and overwhelming, that it sometimes seems perilously close to madness. Its mystery burns with a heat barely contained by the angular and precise fingerwork of the accompanying musicians. Like Yma Sumac and Meredith Monk before her, Soema is using her voice to innovate and push the boundaries of pure human expression.
Passionaria, Soema Montenegros 2nd album and her first to be released in the US, was produced by Jorge Sottile and Juan I. Serrano. In addition to Soemas vocals, the album features bandoneon, guitar, double bass, bombardino, and the ancient caja.
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