Andean flutes, a steady bassline, and dreamy, repetitive chants. Nicola Cruz has once again shown his skill for blending the sounds of his country’s past and future. The airy melody and vocals of “La Cosecha” transport you to the Imbabura province of Ecuador, giving you a feel for the land and musical imprint that have greatly influenced his most recent work.
“La Cosecha is a song inspired in the province of Imbabura here in Ecuador. For me this place holds a lot of the musical richness of Ecuador, it has a particular sound and personality to all the Andean music you’ll hear along the continent,” Cruz told me via e-mail. “I found out about this when digging and investigating material for Prender el Alma. The season of Cosecha is very important in this lands; it is the time to give thanks to the earth for all that it has given back. Certainly a ritual of reflection as well, about how we treat this place.”
Straight off of his forthcoming album Prender el Alma, which is set to be released October 31st through ZZK Records, “La Cosecha” pays homage to Ecuador while showcasing Nicola Cruz’s ability to blend the old with the modern.