New Year’s Honours List for 2025

My co-editor Andy Cumming and I have given ourselves (under separate cover) the difficult task of coming up with 10 of the best albums of 2025. Fingers on buzzers, no conferring… Our resident Brazilian correspondent has focused on his specific area of expertise, which allows me to roam elsewhere around the Latin world and its diaspora. So here’s our Top 20/sorry, 21 (see final selection below) in no particular order.

[AC] Emicida: Emicida Racional VL 2 – Mesmas Cores & Mesmos Valores (Cecropia)

Emicida has had a rough year with the public break-up with his brother/business partner over accusations of embezzling, but pips the post with this late-entry mixtape. Emicida’s work has always been extremely accessible, which has made him the biggest rap star in Brazil, and here he reflects on the death of his mother, Dona Jacira, contemplates family, and pays tribute to Racionais MC’s, a group so important to Brazilian music that they had their own retrospective exhibition at São Paulo’s Museo das Favelas. The project revisits classic beats from Racionais MC’s interspersed with verses from Emicida’s career with the help of guests such Amaro Freitas and Rashid. The Lissajous curve, an image central to the album, expresses the relationship between waves of different frequencies; here it symbolises the connection between the artist and his idols.

[MS] Jaime Ospina: The Vessel (self-released)

Having recently spoken to Jaime about his “Feeding Souls” initiative and mentioned that his solo album was one of my albums of the year, I’d better put my money where my mouth is. Produced by Beto Martinez, a pioneer of Latin music in Austin, Texas, the album was recorded live to capture the spirit of collective creation. The Superfónicos front man is in great form throughout and his gaita playing in particular is something almost to die for, while the Afro-Colombian percussion and the mix of jazz, funk, cumbia and more makes for an album for both dancing and contemplation.

[AC] Cadu Tenório & Taís Lobo: Mãe_Solo (self-released)

Another album that flew under the radar but deserves more attention. There are elements of experimental electronics, indigenous folk music, natural sounds and its minimalist one-word song titles all make for an immersive listening experience. Lobo’s circular guitar picking ground the pieces while Tenório creates at times dissonant sound art and at other times ambient textures, while always being sensitive to the songwriting. Lobo sings about being a lone parent in a country where 30-40% of families are single mothers bringing up their children by themselves – men get your fucking act together!

[MS] Roger Glenn: My Latin Heart (Patois Records)

The multi-instrumentalist (18 instruments and counting) and son of jazz-meister, Tyree Glenn, released his second solo album in almost 50 years. I’ll be publishing as soon as I can manage an article based on my chat with Roger, which throws light on why it took so long. But we should be glad he made the effort, because My Latin Heart is an absolute delight. It has been well received around the globe and probably the best pure Latin jazz album of the year. The octogenarian still emphatically cuts it, and his flute- and vibes-playing especially are top drawer throughout. There’s a warmth, elegance and variety to the eight numbers that leaves you with a glow of satisfaction and an urge to move your body.

[AC] Don L: Caro Vapor II – qual a forma de pagamento? (Caro Vapor)

A sharply intelligent and wide-ranging album that throws as many forms of black music against the wall that can stick: samba, slick R&B, baile funk, and jazz all swinging from a firm hip-hop scaffolding. There is a huge amount of skill on display, from the breathless raps and the percussive bounce to the joyful horns on “aFF Maria”, for example. It’s chock full of references with Don L sampling himself as well as legends such as Itamar Assumpção, while elsewhere collaborating with his daughter, Anelis.

[MS] Rebecca Roger Cruz: Río Abajo (Airfono)

This rather extraordinary debut by a Lyon-based young Venezuelan singer, percussionist and member of the Réunionese-Venezuelan quartet, Parranda La Cruz, is as rich as a Christmas pudding and arguably best consumed in manageable helpings. The drama throughout the 11 numbers is palpable and sometimes a little too much to take in all at once if you’re feeling delicate. The singer’s extraordinary soprano voice sails above the Baroque-sounding string instruments, the traditional indigenous percussion and the sounds of the forest and other facets of a country and a life left behind. There’s a memorable version of “O Let Me Weep” taken from Purcel’s The Fairy Queen; while ‘Alcaraván’ uses the eponymous Venezuelan migratory bird as a metaphorical motif for dislocation. Each number, in fact, holds a potent surprise.

[AC] Various Artists: Avenida Paulista, da Consolação ao Paraíso (Selo Risco)

The Avenida Paulista is a pulsing vein running through the heart of São Paulo. This is a soundtrack to a play by Felipe Hirsch who roped in a literal orchestra of top-tier modern MPB names to contribute to the album. There’s 25 tracks, but highlights include Thalin’s phenomenal rap on “São para poucas”, which samples Sufjan Stevens’ “The Black Hawk War..” from Illinois, the tuin and mandelão funk on DJ K’s “Artigo de São Paulo”, some minimalist samba by Arnaldo Antunes and the industrial blues of “De Reis” with Juçura Marçal. A clear continuum of the contemporary and challenging MPB that is being produced at the moment in the city.

[MS] La Cumbia Chicharra: Quinto Mundo (Music Box Publishing)

Here are some more artists based in France; eight, to be precise. The Franco-Chilean Marseille-based octet have now clocked up five albums together and, in this case, familiarity breeds comfort and confidence. Apart from a version of Simon Diaz’s “Tonada de luna llena”, the longest and most ambitious track on the album, the eight other numbers are all band originals, and all display brio, variety and an engaging joie de vivre. Polished brass, infectious rhythms and classy vocals: a recipe for success. Here’s the opening track to give you a taste of what to expect.

[AC] Bruno Tonisi & Sensational: Sensational Conversations (Lugar Alto)

Not the easiest of listens but a bold experiment in the outer limits of rap. New York rapper Sensational is paired with Bruno Tonisi’s absolutely out-there electronics. There are some beats that clatter and fall apart and then we hear snatches of WhatsApp messages from Sensational, a mind completely at the end of its tether. The album is made up of two side-long pieces, taking the form of a collage but seemingly made from a mixtape that has got mangled in the tape player while simultaneously being mixed with the tape’s other side that is playing the most out-there selections from Warp records.

[MS] Rita Donte: Ritual (Ansonia Records)

No New Years Honours list would be complete without something from or pertaining to Cuba. In this category, it was a very close-run thing between this one by the Cuban-born singer based in Mexico and the Richmond,VA-based bolero band Miramar’s Entre Tus Flores (also on Ansonia). In the end, I plumped for the singer and flamenco dancer with the rich, distinctive voice whose retro-tastic album recalls the golden age of 1950s Cuban music. I said at the time that the album would delight anyone who has ever embraced the Buena Vista Social Club and I stand by my judgement. A gem.

[AC] rés – Peba (Hominis Canidae REC)

That rés’ profile didn’t rise stratospherically after my lead review of this album leaves me gutted (irony may be involved). But this is a hidden gem from a criminally undersung songwriter that ticks all the right boxes: Charming bossa-nova guitar lines mixed with caipira song-writing, the falsetto voice, the non-binary image, the creative home-recording, all sung by an obviously sensitive personality. I hope next year rés releases more music and more recognition for their talents comes their way.

[MS] Bobby Matos And The Combo Conquistadores: Tema De Alma Latina (Mr. Bongo)

Time, I reckon, for a reissue. There’s a fighting chance that it will come from Vampisoul or Mr. Bongo. Madrid or Brighton, jury? We’ve had a “Latin heart”, so why not a “Latin soul”? Given my personal Brighton connection and the sheer dynamism of this 1968 original, Bobby Matos and his conquistadors just shade it over Vampisoul’s reissue of Óscar Agudello y el Combo Moderno’s splendid Discos Fuentes reissue, Pa’ mi muñeca. As far as the Nuyorican sound of the era goes, this is almost as good as it gets: rough, raw, vibrant and heavy on the percussion. The album includes a great version of “One Mint Julep”, made famous by a certain Ray Charles, and the fabulous title track, compiled by Gilles Peterson back in the ’80s for his Street Sounds Jazz Juice series. For some reason best known to myself, I managed to miss this one for my Nunca Tarde column, possibly because it came out in the summer and my brain was overheated.

Nyron Higor: Nyron Higor (Far Out Recordings)

A short, leve, relaxing record of bossa nova that almost seems to whisper into your ear. The brief, almost sketch-like, songs all contain delightful lead instrumentation, be it trombone, lead guitar, whistling, or a Hammond organ, accompanying joyful and playful melodies. When the voice of collaborator Alici Sol is eventually introduced on “São só palavras”, your heart melts at the sheer beauty of it.

[MS] Alvaro Lancellotti: Arruda, Alfazema e Guiné (Amor in Sounds)

Andy spared me a choice with his selection of Nyron Higor’s eponymous debut and obviously I thought long and hard about Sessa’s ravishing third album, Pequena Vertigem de Amor, which came out in November, but comparing like with like-ish, I couldn’t possibly exclude this one from Domenico’s brother. It actually came out on streaming platforms last year, but the hard copy release gives me the excuse I need to flag it up here. There’s so much beguiling variety within the dozen songs of the Portugal-based artist’s album that it’s simply impossible to overlook what might prove to be Lancellotti’s masterpiece.

[AC] Kombi: Alimentando o Dor (Self-released)

I could have chosen the Test & Deafkids collaboration, Sem Esperanças. I mean, what’s not to love: heavy-as-concrete chords with driving Afro-Brazilian percussion? But I feel this album needs more attention, plus the fact that João Kombi, one half of Test, is a real force of nature and a crucial component in Brazil’s underground metal scene. Moreover, there is the importance of drone in the modern music-scape and that its hypnotic vibration is such an integral part of contemporary experimental music. The sounds that Kombi forces from his limited set-up mean that you can almost hear the circuitry frying as it’s pushed to the limit. If you dig Sunn O))) or anything Sabbath-related, then try this.

[MS] Julia Mestre: Maravilhosamente Bem (Mr. Bongo)

Reluctant though I am to overload the Brazilian contingent, it’s hard to ignore the march of Bala Desejo. After Dora Morelenbaum’s solo effort, Pique, came out in October of last year, her band-mates Julia Mestre and Zé Ibarra both released their own contributions. It’s hard to draw a line between the two; both are rather pop-tastic in their slightly different ways. But Julia Mestre’s holds a special place in my heart for the ebullience and joy she brings to numbers like the title track, in the process emulating the winning feel of Bala Desejo’s break-out SIM SIM SIM.

[AC] BaianaSystem: O Mundo Dá Volta (Máquina de Louco)

Undoubtedly the best-known album on this list, it has already won a Grammy this year, even though it was for the particularly niche category of “Portuguese language Rock or Alternative album”. It is, however, a monstrously successful recording that has been seamlessly translated into their live shows, making them possibly one the best live acts touring out of Brazil at the moment. The moment they step on the stage and the monstrous bass lines reverberate, you can’t help but dance. Politically astute and musically adventurous, they’re still far ahead of their contemporaries.

[MS] The Waitiki 7: Exotica Reborn: In Studio and Live at House Without A Key (self-released?)

How about some classy kitsch to finish with? And if that sounds like a contradiction in terms, it didn’t stop this band of seven top-notch musicians from bringing out one of the most charming albums of 2025, and one good enough to edge out Resonance Records’ reissue of tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse’s lost jewel of Brazilian jazz, Cinnamon Flower. It’s a kind of dual studio/live album from a group that has dedicated itself for quite some time to keeping Exotica alive, a somewhat cheesy music that drew its inspiration from the diverse ethnic influences of post-war Hawai’i. Musicians of the calibre of pianist Zaccai Curtis (who talks about his introduction to the music on a fascinating video), vibraphonist Jim Benoit and violinist Helen Liu manage to underline the links between the genre and those of Afro-Cuban jazz and cha-cha-cha. Listening to it is enough to make you don a garish shirt, book a flight to Honolulu and shriek Aloha! as someone garlands you with flowers. (Or close your eyes, smile beatifically and stay at home.)

Sessa: Pequena Vertigem de Amor (Mexican Summer)

I put it down to too many Christmas spirits. Somehow I got it into my head that Andy was covering this one in his Top 10, confused the Nyron Higor album with Sessa’s latest and sat back thinking he’d thereby let me off the hook. Fool that I am. The nine new numbers of this modern minstrel’s third album are simply ravishing. Anyone familiar with 2022’s Estrela Acesa won’t be particularly surprised by the follow-up; it’s more of the same – the lazy, melodic songs sung in that warm, lazy voice that seduce you into believing that you’re drifting up a lazy river in a wooden skiff with the sun peeping through the weeping willows on either bank – but there’s less emphasis this time on acoustic guitar and more on piano, synth and wah-wah guitar: “a bit more… open-ended, crooked funky,” Sessa describes it, with a distinct feel of one of the influences he quotes, Shuggie Otis.

It just remains for us both to wish y’all a happy holiday. We’ll be back next year, full of beans and other Yuletide fare.

(Thanks to Kelli Bullock for her cover photo of the Waitiki 7.)

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