SUSANA RAYA – Wind Rose
aaamusic | On 20, Feb 2017
The sensitive Spanish singer, guitarist and composer Susana Raya, now Amsterdam based, has been influenced by jazz, folk, classical, Spanish, Brazilian and American music. She graduated from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and has often been compared with Astrud Gilberto and Norah Jones. She’s sometimes called The Andalucian Eva Cassidy.
Susana composed all the songs on her inspiring and carefully produced album Wind Rose except for two covers: ‘All I Want’ (Joni Mitchell) and ‘The Wind’ (Russell Freeman). She recorded it in New York with talented musicians Steve Swallow (bass), Clifford Carter (piano, keyboard), Leo Amuedo (guitars), Ira Coleman (double bass) and Cyro Baptista (percussion).
From the beginnings of this intimate album ‘Camino a Casa’ (Road Home) is a beautiful and affectionate travelling song, whilst ‘Ave de Paso’ (Bird of Passage) sounds dreamy and ‘Running’ tells a very personal tale. Later we find delicate ‘La vida contigo’, an almost childlike magic in ‘Abrir los Ojos’ (Open Eyes) and enchanting calmness in ‘The wind’.
These are rich and emotional songs performed with great creativity and spontaneity. As Susana Raya says on her Twitter page: “I sing. I play. I believe in magic”. Listen and you will be moved when you discover moments of charm and mystery.
