In the last couple of months, Mariel Mariel has taken her music in many different directions, ranging from tropical to bossa nova influences and even toward hip-hop. The last we heard from her was “Foto Pa’ Ti,” a Rita Indiana–style, techno-merengue jam built specifically for your hips. Now, we get some more new music from her in the form of “Toque y Rol,” her take on Juan Cirerol’s 2009 track.
It’s not like Juan Cirerol ever needed anyone to cover his music, but Mariel Mariel gives the track an interesting makeover. She throws Cirerol’s signature acoustic melodies and boozy voice out the window to turn “Toque y Rol” into a quasi-hip-hop track full of vintage, Rick Rubin-inspired beats and that little shout you can probably recognize from Snoop Dogg’s (or whatever he’s calling himself these days) “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”
In the Bala Films documentary De la calle al estudio, which recently premiered and is available on YouTube, she mentions that she has an affinity for drums; they drive her music. There’s no better way to describe what’s happening with “Toque y Rol.” I want to attach the “trap” label to it, but the song is all over the place, with that typical hard edge and urban urgency that characterizes Mariel Mariel’s style.