To say that Reyna Tropical's debut album release has been long-awaited is a little on the nose.
The band has been releasing music since 2018 through a series of singles and EPs. Malegría marks the first full-length release and proves it was well worth the wait.
Originally a duo, Reyna Tropical is now led by guitarist, singer, songwriter and co-producer Fabiola Reyna following the tragic death of her collaborator, DJ Nectali Díaz in 2022.
Reyna has created an album celebrating wide-reaching cultural traditions, including Congolese, Peruvian and Colombian rhythms, while talking about topics like feminine sexuality, queer love and human connections to our natural earth.
Throughout Malegría, there are interludes with spoken word and low-fi instrumentals that give personal context and story to the album, from Reyna's discomfort with singing to talking about making music with a purpose. Those snippets embedded throughout create vulnerability and a through line for the album.
The word "malegría" is a blend of the Spanish word "mal," which means bad, and "alegría," which means happiness. Both can exist and be true at the same time. The sound of the album also holds that balance between of electronic and organic in Malegría. Both can exist and be true at the same time.
Must listens
- "Cartagena"
- "Conocerla"
- "Suavecito"
- "La Mamá"
- "Puerto Rico"
- "Conexión Ancestral"
