Haydée: Haydée
On her debut album, Haydée Milanés—like so many pop stars since Madonna—simply goes by her first name. But I suspect that in her case her reason is less vanity, and more an attempt to stand outside the shadow of her father, famed Cuban singer/songwriter Pablo Milanés. Then again, using simply her first name better invokes Che’s guerrilla compañera Haydée Tamara Bunke Bider, for whom Haydée Milanes is undoubtedly named.
The songs on this album, however, are sung by a lover, not a warrior. Collaborating with Yerba Buena co-founder Descember Bueno, Haydée explores the issues of the heart and identity that always seem at the fore for the young (and, not infrequently, for the rest of us as well).
“Como crecerá un rosa en las cenizas?” [“How does a rose grow from the ashes?”] she asks in “Mi Pasíon, Mi Vida”. “Esperanza y fe, todo lo pueden...si el amor te guía” [Hope and faith can do anything...if love is your guide”]. If the lyrics seem banal, Haydee’s clear voice carries them far beyond the trite phrasing of most pop stars. The words, sung with simple elegance, resonate.
This album highlights Haydée’s voice, honed from her early years in the Milanés household, and later years of choral training at the renowned Manuel Saumell conservatory in Habana, Cuba. Her voice, soft, yet fervent, is the jewel of every song; the orchestration behind it is clearly accompaniment, never competing.
That is not to say that the music is superfluous. The jazz horn arrangement on “Tu y yo,” rises with Haydée to the upper reaches of the soul. This song transports the furthest: “Tu y yo, viajando en el amor sin rumbo, perdidos en el cielo, desnudos” [You and I, voyaging in love with no direction, lost in the clouds, bare”]. This song will bring hope and joy to the most cynical heart.
The sweetest song on the album is “El Guije.” Tinged with North African rhythms, and backed by a chorus of children, the song tells the tale of a Cuban spirit who comes out of the jungle to share his song of joy. Your kids will love this song, even if they don’t understand Spanish—so be prepared to turn it up if you are listening to it in the car with your kids in the back seat.
Haydée is still relatively unknown to U.S. audiences, but not for long.
—Eric Bond