Dõlette McDonald
(Xtra) Special

Elia and Elizabeth Fleta were two Colombian sisters who briefly lit up their country’s music charts in the early 70s before disappearing, disenfranchised with the music industry, to pursue respective careers in teaching. This retrospective, compiling tracks from the two LPs they produced alongside ace arranger Jimmy Salcedo, suggests that the Latin music world lost a major talent with the change in vocation. While the lyrics are shot through with a wide-eyed naivety (Mis 32 Dientes – My 32 Teeth – is a song inspired by the number of gnashers Elia had), there’s assured songwriting and a sophisticated ear for melody at work on the breezy, whimsical bossa-inspired pop of Alegria, Soy Una Nube and La Gran Ciudad. Additionally, the Gal Costa-esque screams on Ponte Bajo El Sol suggest that a more fiery brand of music may have been just around the corner. Alas, it was not to be, but this fine collection makes a worthy celebration of prodigious talents and may just be the Latin discovery of the year.

Born out of an impromptu post-pub jam session in Margate, the 5-piece group Pigeon swoops onto the scene with their blistering debut EP Yagana.As the tracks cross effortlessly between Afro-disco, grunge, no wave and jazz, the cohesive symbiotic relationship of the band members is obvious from the start. The powerful vocals of Guinean singer Falle Nioke are complemented by a wealth of talent from Graham Godfrey on drums, Steve Pringle on keys, Tom Dream on guitar and Josh Ludlow on bass.