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Almasäla (a.k.a. Paloma Povedano) was part of the Ojos de Brujo collective and sung on their Vengue album. Since the end of the 90s she has been letting the mish mash of cultures that reside in Barcelona wash over her and this is the result. Her background is flamenco, and that is obvious throughout the album, but she also incorporates elements from Latin America, northern Africa and southern Europe.

Her vocal style is very much that of a flamenco singer with its slightly nasal tone and beauty coming from power rather than a delicate touch. The album opens with the rocky ‘Caminando Por La Calle’ before moving on to the almost floaty ‘Pa Ti No Es Ná’ and ambient drum n’ bass sound of ‘Els Nens Sense Memòria’. There is an electronic element present throughout the album but for the most part it remains subtle and is overshadowed by the excellent Juanjo Barreda “Potato” on flamenco guitar.

Eohl is the name of an ancestral stone that means union and is said to signify the arrival of new influences, often through unconscious emotions. It is also a personal form of understanding flamenco and that is what the album provides, Almasäla’s own personal view of flamenco music.

The album may lack that distinctive stand out track but it is a good listen none the less and certainly marks Almasäla out as one to keep an eye on

Links:
www.frusion.co.uk