Spanish artist Judeline’s debut album, Bodhiria, melds the flamenco and Arabic traditions of her native Andalusia with modern electronic production.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
There’s a new album out by the Spanish artist Judeline. It’s called “Bodhiria,” and it melds the traditional music of southern Spain with modern electronic production. One song, in particular, traces the singer’s family history, as NPR’s Isabella Gomez Sarmiento reports.
(SOUNDBITE OF JUDELINE SONG, “JOROPO”)
ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO, BYLINE: When you first hear one of Judeline’s songs, it can transport you back in time. The 21-year-old grew up in Canos de Meca, a small seaside village in the south of Spain. Her music is rooted in the flamenco and Arabic traditions of Andalusia.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “JOROPO”)
JUDELINE: (Singing in Spanish).
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: But there are other rhythms that are part of her sound and lineage, too, like Venezuelan folklore.
JUDELINE: A lot of my family moved there during the civil war in Spain.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Judeline’s dad was born in Madrid, but…
JUDELINE: He was raised in Venezuela, so he feels Venezuelan.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: She honored that on her debut album with this song – “Joropo.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “JOROPO”)
JUDELINE: (Vocalizing).
So joropo is a Venezuelan genre. I think Colombian too. (Speaking Spanish).
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: It’s often led by the bandola and cuatro venezolano – a four-string instrument that Judeline’s dad taught her to play when she was young.
JUDELINE: So I called him, and I told him, like, hey, Papa, (speaking Spanish) joropo.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “JOROPO”)
JUDELINE: (Singing in Spanish).
He was so excited about going to the studio and being with me and playing the cuatro venezolano. It was really beautiful to share time with my dad in that way and create this with him.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: But the song is not a straightforward joropo. There’s also Spanish guitar, thumping percussion, flutes.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “JOROPO”)
JUDELINE: (Singing in Spanish).
At the end, I was, like, so happy because it has these flamenco vibes, Venezuelan vibes. It’s a crazy mix of a lot of stuff.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Judeline says this song reflects the changing generations of her family. Her dad eventually moved back to Spain, where he raised her. But she says that tide of migration across the Atlantic and back, taking one culture, combining it with a new one, is still part of her family’s DNA, and it’s embedded in her music. Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “JOROPO”)
JUDELINE: (Singing in Spanish).
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
