La Voz Del Mar

La Voz del Mar introduces the stunning singer Xiomara Torres (pronounced See-o-mar-a), who hails from one of Colombia's most illustrious musical families in Guapi, Cuaca. Spearheaded by San Francisco vibraphonist and arranger Dan Neville (currently based in NY), the album was created in tribute to the recently departed maestro Diego Obregón, a revered marimba player, instrument builder and repository of música del Pacífico. While drawing on her deep traditional roots, she also finds inspiration in a panoply of contemporary styles including salsa, bolero, cumbia and vallenato. La Voz del Mar features guest artists including bassist John Benitez, harpist Edmar Castañeda, percussionist John Santos and trombonist Wayne Wallace, as well as some of the finest musicians in Cali, Colombia. Says Wallace, CEO of Patois records, "This album embraces the past without compromising it and looks forward to what music in the diaspora can be without losing it's roots." Recorded in a Cali studio built for Obregón, La Voz del Mar is part of an ongoing effort to share an extraordinary cultural heritage from a little-known region that's overlooked even within Colombia. While La Voz del Mar only scratches the surface of the region's musical riches, the album makes a compelling case that música del Pacífico stands alongside better known African diaspora blooms.