Berta Moreno - Tumaini (2021)

Tiger Turn is delighted to announce the release of Tumaini, a new album by Madrid-born, New York-based saxophonist and composer Berta Moreno. To be released on all digital platforms on April 30, 2021, Tumaini is an uplifting and joyous musical journey that takes listeners on a vibrant tour of Kenya. Informed by the bandleader’s life changing experience volunteering in the Kawangware region several years ago, this heart-led new release seamlessly intertwines elements of soul, jazz and traditional African styles.

Joining Moreno is a multicultural outfit she calls the Afro-Jazz Soul Project made up of a versatile rhythm section featuring bassist Maksim Perepelica from Latvia and Raphaël Pannier from France. This rock-solid duo hits the many rhythmic guideposts of the pieces with ease and precision while the enigmatic Argentinian percussionist Franco Pinna provides an expansive sonority to the project. The pianist and keyboardist Manuel Valera from Cuba proves to be an inspired choice as he infuses the material with lush harmony and creative improvisations. Vocalist Alana Sinkëy from Guinea-Bissau shines as the emotive core of the group, delivering beautiful renditions of the lyrical material while displaying a rich variety of surprising timbres.

Tumaini, which is Moreno’s sophomore album, takes inspiration from a life-changing experience Moreno had in Kenya several years back when she visited and worked with the children of the Kawangware neighborhood - one of the most economically challenged locales in the country - through the Little Ray of Hope School. The eight original compositions on Tumaini (“Hope” in Swahili”), are directly inspired by this resilient community and particularly the children, whose positive outlook and joyous attitude deeply moved Moreno. The resulting work is a powerful and profound narrative that takes listeners on a journey through Africa’s Savannah landscapes and sunsets to the heart of Kawangware. Much of the music maintains an uplifting tone, deriving its momentum from the use of rhythmic ideas that can be found in the music of East Africa and juxtaposing it over contemporary jazz concepts of harmony and melody.

Tracklist:

01. Make Them Hear You
02. Down By The Riverside
03. New Jim Crow
04. How Can I
05. Moanin'
06. Don't Ask
07. Lonely
08. Return to Spain (Ode to Chick Corea)
09. If It Only Took Love
10. Let's Fall in Love
11. Please Take Care of You For Me
12. Pride