In the last few years, we’ve seen how the Dominican music scene has managed to burgeon, diversify, and expand at such a rapid rate to include genres that were seldom explored, like different forms of electronic music and pop. With artists as diverse as Mediopicky, Las Acevedo, Nelson García, and Juango Dávalos getting some amazing exposure in the past few years, it’s no surprise there’s more where that came from. That’s where scene veteran Carolina Camacho comes in, and she’s already being touted as the Juana Molina of the D.R. by none other than La Casetera. Her roots are in classical and theatre, but she’s just released her new EP, Atabey, which couldn’t stray further from her formation. The record features a mixture of minimal electronic music with Afro-Caribbean folklore that, along with her jazz style vocals, are utterly hypnotizing.
Sadly, her EP is only available in physical copies for the moment, but we get to preview one of its singles, “Ninfa de las aguas,” on her SoundCloud. The track begins with synths and percussion in crescendo, reminiscent of Chancha Via Circuito’s production style. Yet Camacho’s vocals are what anchor the track and give it her unique stamp. Her voice is ethereal, singing about embracing the elements of nature. She manages to sound like the mythical water nymph in her natural element; subtle yet intimidating. This follows the theme for the rest of her EP, an exploration of female empowerment using a taíno framework.