Latin Grammy nominated singer Claudia Acuña’s new album DUO is now available via Ropeadope

Singer Claudia Acuña is vulnerable and poised on her latest recording, DUO, which is available now via Ropeadope. The remarkable 9-track collection includes an original composition by Acuña as well as arrangements of a variety of South American compositions and a reimagining of “Crystal Silence” by Chick Corea. Starring Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, Carolina Calvache, Fred Hersch, Regina Carter, Arturo O’Farrill and Russell Malone, DUO is rooted in thoughtfulness and dedication.

This new record follows her dynamic debut on the New York scene in the 1990s – Acuña released five albums as a frontman before slowing down to adjust to motherhood and restore her power. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she came back refreshed and reborn and in 2019 she released the Latin Grammy nominated album Turning Pages, depicting recovery, recovery, survival and documenting a major creative leap.

Exploring new musical intentions and goals, Acuña relishes her Chilean roots on DUO, a disc of duets of songs from her home country. After the world slowed down amid the 2020 pandemic, Acuña began to explore the past, finding the core of his dedication and the power of music. The resulting 9 songs, recorded with some of the best musicians in the world, find Fred Hersch, Christian Mcbride and Kenny Barron alongside Acuña in an intimate, vulnerable, yet all the more heartwarming recording. The simplicity of just two, feeling the music and letting it flow through them, took her to a new place as a singer.

Seven of DUO’s songs come from composers from Chile, Cuba, Argentina and Mexico. The final track is Acuña’s only original composition and is about his relationship with Mother Earth. ‘…at the end of the day, we walk on our own, and we can discover our beauty when we see the Earth and ourselves as one’

Born on July 3, 1971 in Santiago and raised in Concepcion, Acuña established herself on the Chilean jazz scene in her early twenties. When she arrived in New York in 1995, Acuña was quickly recognized as a leading voice on a stage quickly transformed by a wave of brilliant Latin American musicians. Part of the tumultuous scene centered on Small’s, she immersed herself in collaborations with masters such as Jason Lindner, Harry Whitaker, Arturo O’Farrill, Guillermo Klein, Avishai Cohen, Branford Marsalis, George Benson, Louie Vega, Danilo Perez and Tom Harris.

His five albums as a leader have made Acuña a creative force, from 2002’s Rhythm of Life (Verve) and 2004’s Luna (MaxJazz) to 2008’s In These Shoes (Zoho Music) and En Este Momento (Marsalis Music) from 2009. Whether putting his stamp on popular Latin American ballads, reinventing jazz standards from a South American perspective, or bringing Afro-Caribbean material with a broad rhythmic sensibility, Acuña stands out as a passionate and emotionally incisive singer with a bright, burnished bronze tone.

For much of the last decade, she put her recording career on hold to focus on raising her son. Instead of touring, she stayed closer to home, where her keen intelligence and fearless spirit made her the singer of choice for many of jazz’s most creative personalities.

DUO is out now and available on all streaming platforms.