Why Latin musician Yasser Tejeda is turning our music critic’s head : NPR

Eric Deggans, host:

Now let’s listen to some tunes that will set the right atmosphere for your Sunday. NPR’s Felix Contreras is here to share what’s in his new music playlist. It happens to be one of his favorite artists of his.

Felix Contreras, signed: Yasser Tejeda, guitarist, composer, arranger and producer from the Dominican Republic. Yasser Tejeda comes from an island with very unique traditions that he has absorbed. He has mastered them and now extends those traditions with jazz, rock and his own musical palette. He is an innovator and always looks out for innovators.

(Sound bite of the song “TU ERE’ BONITA”)

Yasser Tejeda: (sings in Spanish).

Contreras: His new album is called ‘La Madruga’ and this song is called ‘Tu Ere’ Bonita’. Now, what you’re hearing is a mixture of things. His guitar parts borrow from the folk-style guitar tradition known as bachata. Well, bachata is a very popular musical form in the Latino community these days. But Yasser Tejeda has returned to its roots, featuring intricate guitar pickings with African polyrhythms. And if you listen closely, the guitar parts intertwine to create a sort of rhythmic counterpoint.

He uses traditional bachata guitar chords, but occasionally incorporates jazz. And get this – he’s doing them all on top of this pretty fast meringue beat, but it’s completely different. This is a popular musical form in the Dominican Republic, which is also based in Africa. It’s a deeply thought-out hybrid, deftly played and very danceable. And check out this delicious guitar solo.

(Sound bite for Yasser Tejeda’s song “TU ERE’ BONITA”)

Contras: Okay. The song is called “La Verdera”.

(Sound bite of the song “LA VERDERA”)

Tejeda: (sings in Spanish).

Contreras: It starts with a combination of traditional chants and rhythms and progresses well. And this happens.

(Sound bite for Yasser Tejeda’s song “LA VERDERA”)

Contreras: Check out the hard rock voice and attitude. But for me, rock guitar doesn’t feel out of place. In fact, the tone and rhythm add drama to the song. Here’s what I mean when he talks about how he innovates on tradition. And finally, he musically shouts out to another guitarist, a man named Carlos Santana, who used Afro-Caribbean rhythms to innovate a new sound. At least that’s what it sounds like to me. Check this out.

(Sound bite for Yasser Tejeda’s song “LA VERDERA”)

Contreras: And sometimes he even slows down.

(Sound bite for the song “AMOR CONGO”)

Tejeda: (sings in Spanish).

Contreras: “Amor Congo” is the name of the track, a love song with a mellow beat. Mellow is very relative compared to other songs on the record. Also included are guitar solos that echo a bit of the bachata guitar tradition, parts that sound like part of Fela Kuti’s Nigerian band, and his own distinctive approach to guitar playing. Check this out.

(Sound bite for Yasser Tejeda’s song “AMOR CONGO”)

Contreras: Special mention to co-producer Quinn McCarthy. It’s the first time they’ve worked together. And in “La Madruga”, they both created a magnificent musical expression that incorporated jazz, rock, folk music, African traditional and contemporary music, all set against the rhythms of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. .

(Sound bite for the song “AMOR CONGO”)

Tejeda: (speaks).

Deggans: I know what to expect after the show. Felix Contreras is the co-host of NPR Music’s podcast Alt.Latino. Get a podcast and listen anywhere.

(Sound bite for the song “AMOR CONGO”)

Tejeda: (sings in Spanish).

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