Buika, Barbican

Concha Buika, one of the brightest stars in contemporary Spanish music, returns to London for the first time in two years to perform in the Barbican Hall. Playing as part of La Linea, the London Latin Music Festival, Buika promises to transform the cold concrete venue into something warm, exotic and alive. Prepare for sultry, smoky vocals, delivering both classics and self-penned songs that mine the rich history of Latin music. And be sure to book well in advance – her 2013 appearance was a sell-out.
Born in Palma de Mallocra in 1972, Buika’s initial work cast her as a staple of the nuevo flamenco scene, which fuses the traditional Spanish guitar with different styles from around the world. Her debut album Mestizüo (2000) showcased her voice – often compared to that of Nina Simone, and dubbed ‘velvet gravel’ for its combination of strength and tenderness – with only a piano for accompaniment. NPR, the highly respected American public radio station, appointed Buika one of the fifty greatest vocalists of all time, ‘the voice of freedom’.
By the time of 2005’s self titled follow-up, however, Buika’s palette had widely expanded to embrace both the sounds of her Equatorial Guinean heritage and modern genres including jazz, electronica and funk. With each record, her vocal and musical command has grown – Nina de Fuego (2008) and La Noche Mas Larga (2013) were both nominated for Grammys, and in 2011 she featured on the soundtrack of Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In. A published poet as well as a singer, Buika holds a unique role in Latin culture.
Since La Noche, Buika has been working on an as-yet untitled album that promises to integrate more electronics into her sound. Expect this new material scattered alongside both originals and favourites, all delivered with a heart-quivering passion. If you’ve even the slightest taste for Latin music, this is one opportunity that shouldn’t be passed over.