Unlocking the Rhythms of Rosalia

Published: Nov. 5, 2019, 8 a.m.

b'Back in the fall of 2017, our producer Megan Lubin went for a stroll near her house, popped in earbuds, and heard a song that\\u2019s stuck with her ever since: \\u201cSi T\\xfa Supieras Compa\\xf1ero\\u201d (\\u201cIf you only knew, my friend\\u201d), by the Spanish pop star Rosal\\xeda. Since then, Rosal\\xeda\\u2019s star has continued, especially after the 2018 release of \\u201cEl Mal Querer,\\u201d Rosal\\xeda\\u2019s genre-blending album of R&B and flamenco.\\xa0\\nOn this episode, we dig into Rosal\\xeda\\u2019s sound to try and figure out what stopped Megan in her tracks back then, and what keeps us coming back. With the help of New York Times Magazine writer Marcela Valdes, we break down key elements of the flamenco tradition, like the hard-to-define magic of duende, and count out some of the diabolical rhythms that keep us dancing.\\xa0\\nSongs Discussed\\n\\nRosal\\xeda - Si T\\xfa Supieras Compa\\xf1ero\\n\\nRosal\\xeda - BAGDAD (Cap.7: Liturgia)\\xa0\\n\\nRosal\\xeda - PIENSO EN TU MIR\\xc1 (Cap.3: Celos)\\n\\n\\nEpisode Spotify Playlist:\\nhttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/4zRce31m3RhCjVwmSSMz2Q\\nRead \\u201cRosal\\xeda\\u2019s Incredible Journey from Flamenco to Megastardom\\u201d by Marcela Valdes: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/08/magazine/rosalia-flamenco.html\\nWatch Rosal\\xeda performing \\u201cMe quedo contigo\\u201d: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32d1bq-kG5c\\nMore coverage of Rosal\\xeda from The FADER magazine: https://www.thefader.com/artist/rosalia\\n\\n**A previous version of this episode claimed that Alicia Key\'s "Fallin\'", Aretha Franklin\'s\\xa0"I Never Loved a Man", "Marvin Gaye\'s "Here, My Dear" and Kelly Clarkson\'s "Breakaway" were all written in 3/4 time. That was in error, and we\'ve edited the episode to reflect that.\\n\\nCORRECTION\\nAfter airing this episode, listeners informed us that many Romani people consider the term \\u201cgypsy\\u201d to be antiquated, discriminatory and derogatory. We apologize for airing this this word in the episode, and will avoid its usage in all forgoing work. See the NOW foundation\\u2019s explanation for further detail: The \\u201cG\\u201d Word Isn\\u2019t for You: How \\u201cGypsy\\u201d Erases Romani Women\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices'