In 2017 Betsayda Machado y la Parranda El Clavo self-released Loé Loá – Rural Recordings Under The Mango Tree. Next week the landmark album will be released on vinyl through Olindo Records.

The stunning field recordings marked the first time that La Parranda El Clavo was recorded after thirty years of playing together.

The recording took place out in the open in Betsayda’s home town of El Clavo in Barlovento, where she is known as ‘The Black Voice of Barlovento’ is a community with a vast Afro Venezuelan tradition. The ‘Parranda’ of her backing band is a traditional Venezuelan genre that literally translates into party.

Musically the recording is filled with shimmering vocals, hip shaking grooves and uplifting percussion while lyrically they speak often about many of the most painful topics of daily life in Venezuela, as prevalent in 2019 as they were in 2017 when released initially: hunger, poverty, and shortages of essential medicine.

Machado has an incredible voice, and La Parranda El Clavo creates the perfect accompaniment with the Venezuelan Afro-Soul genre known as ‘tambor’ said to make dancers float. Watch the Tiny Desk concert below to sample a taste of their postive and uplifting performences.

It’s challenging to write about an album like this because the music on this record is so extraordinary that you have to listen for yourself and delight in its greatness.

Loé Loá – Rural Recordings Under The Mango Tree is out on limted edition 12″ vinyl on July 19th. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

1. Oh, Santa Rosa
2. Pueblo de fiesta
3. No la peles, papá
4. La situación
5. Borracho de aguardiente
6. Gaviota
7. Merengada e’ ron
8. Alaé Alaó
9. Sentimiento
10. Barlovento