Michele Green's second album, Luna Roja is a satisfying mix of North America folkmusic and Latin rhythms and instrumentation. A real musical change of pace, it's perfect music for an evening when you're too tired to dance and too wired to call it a night.
Review
Most of us know Michele Greene as the young attorney, Abby Perkins, in the legal drama “L.A. Law”. What isn’t as well known is that Michele has been writing songs since she was 17 years old, was brought up by a Mexican / Nicaraguan mother, is fully bilingual and is a talented musician / vocalist / songwriter.
Luna Roja (Red Moon) is her second album, following 2002’s Ojo de Tiburon. Greene’s music is a fusion that melds North American folk music with Latin ballads. Her voice is unusual for Latin music, a sweet-sounding, lyrical soprano that is more common in the folk music genre than in the Latin. The songs, written by Greene (except for the final Springsteen number), are thoughtful, dealing with issues like cultural borders and a woman’s place within these borders.
Teaming with Greene is Peruvian Ciro Hurtado, who produced the album, directed the music and performs acoustical guitar on Luna Roja. It’s difficult to say enough about Hurtado’s exceptional guitar work which creates a sometimes lush, sometimes dramatic compliment to Greene’s voice.
The liner notes contain all the words as well as the English translations, which is a definite plus since Greene’s message is as much in the words as in the music. While not traditional Latin fare, Luna Roja is a great change of pace combining a unique, satisfying sound with lyrics that give you something to think about as you enjoy the music.
Who knew that North American folk music and Latin rhythms/instrumentation would go so well together?
