Adrian Quesada’s “Boleros Psicodélicos” 6.8.22

Michael Minasi/KUTX
Adrian Quesada’s “Boleros Psicodélicos” Full Session w/ Jody Denberg

As the title suggests, Boleros Psicodélicos turns the bolero, a traditional genre of love songs originating in Cuba, into a groovy, psychedelic-tinged collection of songs featuring some of Latin music’s most powerful voices, including Gabby Moreno, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, and iLe among others. While Cuban folk songs might not sound like the genesis of a psych-rock record, the bolero’s unique history and widespread popularity made it the perfect vehicle for Adrian Quesada’s latest project. From its origins in Cuban barrooms, the bolero style quickly spread to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the rest of Latin America, even finding fans as far away as Vietnam by the late 1930s. The universal themes of love and loss popularized by the bolero were quickly incorporated into other genres, creating a longstanding tradition of musical fusion that continues today. Over the course of the album’s 12 songs, Quesada navigates these crossroads, weaving the past with the present, joining disparate musical styles into boleros that transport listeners to uncharted territory.

Last week, Adrian Quesada brought Boleros Psicodélicos to Studio 1A for what might be the only time these songs will be recorded live. Joining him in person were Puerto Rican singer iLe performing the album opener, “Mentiras Con Cariño,” Los Angeleno Angelica Garcia reprising her otherworldly vocals on the organ-heavy “Ídolo,” and Guatemala’s Tita on “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes.”

Watch the entire session in the player below and keep up with Adrian Quesada’s latest at the links provided.

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FEATURED SINGERS / ARTISTS
iLe – “Mentiras Con Cariño”
Angelica Garcia – “Ídolo” and “Puedes Decir De Mi”
Tita – “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes”
Adrian Quesada – guitar on all tracks

BACKING BAND
Drums: JZone – Jay Mumford
Keys: JaRon Marshall
Flute: Jaime Ospina
Vibraphone: Carolyn Trowbridge
Bass: John Michael Schoepf

CREDITS:
Cameras: Michael Minasi, Gabriel C. Pérez, Patricia Lim
Audio Engineer: Jake Perlman
Audio Mix: Jake Perlman
Edit: Michael Minasi

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