4 new songs from Ken Yates, Alex Cuba, Desiree Dorion and Angela Amarualik
Here at Roots Music Canada, we stay on top of the new releases so you don’t have to, and every now and again, we highlight a few new things you might like – or at least that you might like to know about.
Are are a few favourites that from the current crop of new releases.
Ken Yates – “Fairweather”
Ken’s last album, Cerulean, was nominated for Contemporary Album and Contemporary Singer of the Year at last year’s Canadian Folk Music Awards, a pair of awards that are particularly competitive I might add. Now he’s followed it up with this lovely, sad and thought-provoking song about, to quote Ken, “what happens to relationships when someone puts their dreams ahead of the people who love them. Ambition is what drives us to get up every day, but if we don’t nurture our relationships with friends, family, partners, etc., they may not be there for you in your darkest moments.”
Alex Cuba – “Quiero Quedarme”
It’s been a huge couple of years for Alex Cuba, who won his first ever Grammy for his most recent album, Mendo, and was presented with an honorary degree from Queens University. Now, he’s got a brand new single out, which he released just in time for Valentine’s Day. “Quiero Quedarme” (“I want to stay” in English) is an avant-garde Latin song that blends son and bolero with soul, R&B and some organic urban sounds. It’s serene, dreamy, and comforting and feels like a natural progression from his most recent three albums.
Desiree Dorion – “Love You To Death”
Desiree has just released her sixth studio album, That’s How I Know, and the stand-out track is the highly personal “Love You to Death.” It was inspired by her real-life experience of setting boundaries between herself and a loved one struggling with addiction. “I wasn’t going to release this song until I heard Charles Kelley’s personal song about being an addict,” she wrote on her website. “For me, music is most touching when its honest. His honesty compelled me to share this story.”
Angela Amarualik – “Summa Tamaani”
Born and raised in Igloolik, Angela is part of the roster of Hitmakerz, the Nunavut record label that has been cranking out compelling folk-pop records from Inuktitut speaking artists. This single, which is currently in the top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown, comes from Angela’s sophomore album, Uvannik, released last year. Her musical style is a mix between ancient Inuit melodies and throat-singing, and the pop music of her childhood heroes Beatrice Deer and Hilary Duff.
