CANTARERAS by Carola Ortiz

Cantareras represents Carola Ortiz's fourth solo music project, available both as an album and as a live performance. This project encompasses a curated collection of songs and romances drawn from the rich female oral tradition of the Iberian Peninsula, reimagined with a contemporary twist, incorporating elements of folk, medieval music, jazz, and electronic influences. The primary aim of this project is to delve into and shed light on the historical experiences of women, highlighting significant milestones in their life cycles and rituals, including courtship, marriage, motherhood, and death.

Historically, Cantareras were the women responsible for fetching water from springs and rivers to fill the community quarries—a profession traditionally associated with women, which has now become nearly obsolete or extinct in Europe. The term "Cántera" (clay vessel) is a fusion of two words: "sing" and "womb". Through singing, these women conveyed their sorrows and struggles, expressing sentiments they might not have dared to articulate publicly. Moreover, voice and percussion served as their sole means of creating music during that era, often employing everyday objects and kitchen utensils like spoons, plates, liquor bottles, pans, thimbles, and even mortars.

The album has been meticulously produced by Mario G. Cortizo and features notable collaborations with steemed vocalists such as Xabier Díaz, Eliseo Parra, and Rosario 'La Tremendita'.

Tracklist

1.	La doncella guerrera (feat. Rosario La Tremendita)	3:12

2.	Ahechao de las malas lenguas	2:38

3.	L'Angelet del Vetlatori	3:22

4.	E vira e Vira (feat. Xabier Díaz)	3:10

5.	Cançó de Pandero Lliure	2:42

6.	La Mare de Déu	2:56

7.	Muñeira de Turmaleo	2:36

8.	Serrana 'La Matadora'	3:39

9.	Romance de Santa Elena	1:05

10.	Canción de Bodas de Peñaparda (feat. Eliseo Parra)	2:59

11.	Pasodoble de las Cantareras	3:02

12.	Coir Figues a Nes Figueral	4:20

Credits

released November 27, 2023

TECHNICAL CREDITS:
Carola Ortiz - original idea, conceptualization, musical composition and lyric adaptations.
Mario G. Cortizo - Musical production.
Mario G. Cortizo and Carola Ortiz - musical arrangers.

Musicians:
Carola Ortiz - vocals, clarinet, bass clarinet, square tambourine and synthesizers.
Mario G. Cortizo – tambourine, square tambourine, bass drum, snare drum, pans, samplers, synthesizers and mandolin.
Miriam Encinas Laffitte - dilruba, medieval viola, daf, bass flute and reed flute.
Alex Guitart - lavta, davul, bombo legüero, bağlama, darbuka, karkabas and bendir.
Pau Lligadas - double bass and Spanish guitar.
Andrea Jiménez - castanets in "Canción de pandero libre".

Choirs:
Adufeiras de Salitre (Patri, Iria P, Iria L, Maite, María, Cris, Carol and Noe) in "L'angelet del vetlatori" and "Muñeira de Turmaleo".
Coro Barcelona (Pau, Miriam, Irene, Ana, Clara, Viv and Carla) in "E vira e vira", "La mare de Déu" and "Serrana La matadora".

Collaborations:
Xabier Díaz - voice and tambourine in "L'angelet del vetlatori".
Rosario La Tremendita - voice in "Doncella guerrera".
Eliseo Parra - voice in "Canción de bodas".

Recording:

Recording in Barcelona by Daniel Weiss (Sulam), Gerard Porqueres (Heartworks) and Mario G. Cortizo and in Santiago de Compostela (Garaxeland) by Edu Vidal.
Gerard Porqueres - mix.
Jan Valls - master.

Visual Team:
Duna Vallès Mestre - photographs.
Miriam Sánchez - makeup.
Carola Ortiz and Miriam Gómez - costumes.
Carola Ortiz and Andrea Jiménez - art direction.
Hugo Cornelles - album design and covers

With the support of:
Ajuntament de Barcelona (ICUB), Ajuntament de Girona (La Marfà), Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, Generalitat de Catalunya (OSIC) and the Museu del Càntir d’Argentona.

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