Alevanta!

Vocalist/lyricist Benjamín Escoriza’s claim to fame thus far—and it’s no small thing—has been as one of the core members of the popular and widely known North African pop-influenced Spanish band, Radio Tarifa. Alevanta!, the debut solo album of native Granadian Escoriza, continues the singer’s explorations into music fusing the sounds of Spain and Morocco, as well as France and Latin America. He wrote all 11 songs on the disc. With assistance on some tunes by the capable likes of woodwind player and Radio Tarifa bandmate Vincent Molino and blind Moroccan-born percussionist and string player Hassan Erraji, Alevanta! is a lively and, at times, quite exotic disc. Escoriza’s deep, throaty and passionate vocal vibrato adds to the other-part-of-the-worldliness of this flamenco-tinged album. “Tangos del Vecino,” driven along by bright acoustic guitar, hand drum and snappy hand claps, is happy and dance-inspiring: “Que comunidad / … Que vecindad!” “Niña,” which features piano and French-style accordion, is delicate and lovely.