Soema Montenegro

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. Passionaria is Montenegro's sophomore release and her first for a North American label ― the 12 song-poems are barely contained within the small silver disc from which they spin. Packed with an intense sense of the theatrical, Montenegro's tales are, at times, carnival-esque and at others extremely sensual. The addition of both modern and traditional instrumentation serves to heighten the drama. The most compelling instrument, however, is Montenegro's unique voice: she caterwauls, gurgles, moans and wails her way through Passionaria as if every ounce of herself is being poured into the music. The result is a dynamic, passionate and outright wild bunch of songs.