Album Review: Passion from Raquel Cepeda
Album: Passion Artist: Raquel Cepeda Label: Raquel Cepeda Music LLC Website: www.raquelcepedamusic.com Contemporary arrangements fuse classic American swing with Afro-Cuban accoutrements and Afro-Brazilian rhythms for a lively recording presented by vocalist-producer Raquel Cepeda on her latest release Passion . The recording features re-imaginings of classic jazz standards like Duke Ellington's "Carvan" and "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing," alongside contemporary tunes like Cepeda's original works "From Afar" and "Luz De Luna." Both a party pleaser and conducive to intimate settings, Cepeda's recording finds it way into every lifestyle. The bobbing pulse of the keys and shimmying strut of the percussive beats form a conga-line style parade along "Berimbau," radiating a sunny ambience as Cepeda's vocals jangle a samba swivel, enhancing the festive mood. Her vocals modulate to a tender...