Mala ft Danay Suarez – Noches Sueños

Two summers ago, Gilles Peterson hosted a night of new Cuban music at the Barbican. The show, part of the excellent Havana Cultura series, had a number of highlights – but no one stood out quite like Danay Suarez.

The young singer made repeated appearances, and every time she arrived onstage the air seemed to cool. Her startling, pitch-perfect voice, spasmed with pain but never affected, was amongst the most impressive I’ve heard live. Her debut EP for Brownswood sadly didn’t live up to the live potential, but I’m still convinced that Suarez has an excellent record in her.

For the minute, though, we can make do with her contribution to Mala In Cuba, the DMZ man’s fascinating exploration of Cuban music. ‘Noches Sueños’ is a pretty perfect synthesis of early, voodoo-down-a-well dubstep and Havana lilt, with the air of the Day of the Dead thrown in for unsettling measure. It’s one of the high points from a record that has caught the imagination like few others this year.

Mala In Cuba is out this week on Brownswood.