Biography:

Con otro aire is Lamari of Chambao’s most personal album yet. The singer has written 9 of the 12 tracks on the album, has submerged herself in the production of the album and has put her heart and soul on the table. “Now I feel more free to create, and the album is a personal look at other influences and regions”, she says. “There is a fresher, more ethnic sound”, she continues, “there’s loads of great specialist string and percussion players from all over the world playing on the album. And I wanted the lyrics to have more of a fresh feel, to talk about things which influence, worry and entertain me. I believe a better world is possible if you start by looking at yourself”.

To get to grips with Con otro aire it is a good idea to move away from the flamenco-chill label which has accompanied Chambao since their appearance in 2002. “Music is the closest sensation to emotions, love and freedom. It’s very difficult to define with words, with labels, and humans have the tendency to label everything they can’t quite get their heads round”, says Lamari. Con otro aire is an album that does not accept or understand limits. It is open to the east and west, north and south, whilst maintaining its solid Mediterranean and Southern roots. “Chambao’s songs will always have flamenco roots and influences because that’s the music which motivates me most”, says the singer. The acoustic instruments and the album’s natural sound lend it a timelessness which frees it from attempts to label it or put it in a particular box, although there are electronic elements which elegantly add sonic variations to the songs. Con otro aire is certainly Chambao’s most rootsy album.

Con otro aire starts with Papeles mojados, an emotional composition of Lamari’s which starts the album as it means to go on. Instruments such as the kanun, the lute and the saz; percussive sounds from the darbuka, dahola, riq, davul and gunguru; and Arabic vocals combine on this song which assumes a comforting, supporting stance (“Many never arrive, their dreams fall apart, their papers get wet, papers with no home”) and starts to break boundaries with a rhythm that is like a worldwide rumba which nonetheless sounds more acoustic and ethnic than the group’s previous albums. Duende del sur follows, containing elements of the song Caminando por la calle (by the Gipsy Kings and Rubén Blades) on a smooth, loving track of flamenco extraction, with Lamari’s voice sweeter than ever. Detalles is another excellent example of a fusion of flamenco-based inspiration and Chambao’s own aesthetic, while Canto de la ballena (one of the three songs not written by Lamari) has eastern flavours and backing vocals which fall somewhere between Africa and Latin America, in an inspirational fusion of popular musical genres.

The album continues with Caprichos de colores, which rejects linear rhythms in favour of those of flamenco, while Voces is a rumba, this time with Caribbean notes, and is also one of the most emblematic and emotional songs on the album (“Raise your voices for justice, sing out, sing out”). Despierta is a triumph for Lamari, a light and luminous song of hope with children’s voices and a brilliant use of backing vocals. Será finds Lamari uninhibited in a straight-ahead rumba, classic and perfect, while El viejo San Juan has shaking Caribbean rhythms (Plena, Merengue) sieved together with a no less lively funk.

Lo bueno y lo malo is one of the most famous and important Spanish songs of all time. Written by Ray Heredia in 1991, the same year he died, it is a jewel which deserves to be sung by two voices like those of Lamari and Estrella Morente, the most important young flamenco artist of the last few years. Their voices come together in a delicate version of the song which is nonetheless emotional and unforgettable. “I have a great admiration for Ray Heredia, because amongst other things we share some of the same worries”, says Lamari. “This great collaboration with Estrella Morente makes this song stand out even more. Her unmistakeable voice gives it a mysterious and profound air. To be able to work with her has been a great privilege”. Enrique Morente, father of Estrella and the most revolutionary Cantaor in the history of flamenco, has also collaborated with Chambao, singing on Respira. “Enrique is a maestro of life and singing, a magnificent and uniquely unmistakeable creator. His vocals are mature and fresh at the same time, and I was constantly amazed by his ability to paint emotions with his voice”, says Lamari about the song which features the great Enrique alongside Pepe Montosita, who adds some breathtaking guitar.

The surprise of the album comes with the Mexican group Camila on the track Yo soy quién. “Camila popularised the song Nanga ti feo which I revived under the name Yo soy quién. Originally it was based on a traditional Zapotec song and we’ve mixed cultures, planting another seed of musical crossbreeding”, confirms La Mari of the song which ends Con otro aire and helps make it Chambao’s best album yet.

To compelement the 12 songs, Con otro aire includes a DVD with a making of (made by the producer Azul Argenta) about the recording of the album; the documentary Desde dentro, filmed in Marrakech and directed by Marc Donés; and the video of the first single, Papeles mojados. The DVD is an opportunity to get to know Lamari, the person not the character, and she speaks sincerely about herself and her worries. It is also a look at the whole process of the recording of the album, from the first days of production up to the shooting of the video of Papeles mojados, with a word of thanks for everyone who was involved in the making of Con otro aire and interviews with musicians and producers who took part in the recording, in which they talk about the special charisma of Lamari. The DVD which accompanies the album is a fantastic way of understanding the scope of Con otro aire as well as Lamari’s thoughts, ideas and emotions throughout the making of the album.

It was early in 2007 when Lamari began to get some ideas together to start writing songs for Chambao’s new album. Following the band’s long and successful international tour of their last album Pokito a poko, she had a lot to talk about: their travels and collaborations as well as their personal experiences. The fruit of that work is Con otro aire. “The recording process has been fast, fun and with a really creative atmosphere”, says Lamari. “It was recorded at Chicharra Studios in Málaga, and at my house, where the work was split up into two groups. One was composed of Roberto Cantero, Chambao’s flautist and saxophonist, and Alejandro Acosta, the prestigious Spanish DJ. The other group had Bob Benozzo, who produced Endorfinas en la mente and Pokito a poko, and Andrea Valfré”, continues the singer before unconditionally praising everyone who took part in the album’s recording.

Con otro aire arrives at a great time for Chambao, after gaining significant international recognition, the most recent example of which is the 2007 Latin Grammy nomination for Song of the Year for Lamari and Ricky Martin’s duet, Tu recuerdo. With their last album Pokito a poko, Chambao toured the world, broadening the group’s appeal to become Spain’s most international group. Latin America, Europe, The United States... the album was released in more than 20 countries, spent over 70 weeks in the Spanish album chart and was certified Platinum. “In music there are no borders, no barriers, no races, no religions”, says Lamari. “It became more and more obvious during Chambao’s last tour, where we toured half the world for two years. We felt just as at home and were received just as warmly in Puerto Rico as in Bulgaria, in Miami as in London, in Milan as in Caracas”.

That tour was a confirmation of one of the most solid and enduring careers in Spanish music. Chambao had surprised people with their debut on the album Flamenco Chill (2002), before establishing themselves in a big way with their next releases, Endorfinas en la mente (2004), Pokito a poko (2005), the live DVD Chambao puro (2006) and the best-of compilation Canminando 2001-2006. Now it is time for Con otro aire, their new album with 12 songs which were conceived with the purpose of crossing borders. “This is the first time when I’ve taken on the challenge of creating an album on my own and I’m really pleased with the result. I want to show how thankful I am at this stage of my life”, says Lamari. Chambao are back with Con otro aire and Lamari is firmly in the driving seat.