Benjamin Escoriza - The Voice Of Radio Tarifa

Alevanta! is the debut solo album of Granada-born vocalist and lyricist Benjamín Escoriza whose raw and distinctive voice led the ground breaking Spanish band Radio Tarifa to worldwide acclaim. Known for his blend of traditional North African music with flamenco, Latin rhythms and a pop sensibility, on this release Escoriza develops this powerful Latin-Arabian sound, exploring more acoustic and flamenco directions while continuing to delve into Spain's Moorish roots.

Alevanta! is Benjamín Escoriza's first solo release. He launches it under his own name and shifts from being a contributor to writer of all the material. Still, the Radio Tarifa legacy lives happily on - in fact almost all the old colleagues contribute, including the producer who also worked on Tarifa's first album Rumba Argelina . The same traces of medieval, Moorish, Sephardic, Andalusia folk and flamenco music are still present, but the approach and emphasis are altered slightly. In this flamenco-focused record Benjamín leaves his Granada roots exposed.

Benjamín continues to listen to a wide range of music, including that from Greece, India, China, Morocco and the Middle East. He takes elements from each, folds them into his own music, and performs on instruments native to the countries from which he draws influence.

The songwriting process for the album took place in stages. After writing the lyrics, Benjamín tried them out over his own guitar or small electric keyboard, searching for melodies and chords and jotting them down on a 4-track recorder. He then worked on the roughs with his various musical collaborators, chiefly Vincent Molino, but also Jaime Muela, Fernando Mejías and producer Juan Alberto Arteche. In fact, much of the record was put together in these guys' homes. By working through the ideas and arrangements, the songs gradually took shape and the choice of instruments was selected to reflect the mood and meaning of each. Alevanta! is the result of this process, the title inspired by a Spanish play on words commanding the listener to rise up!

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