Prezident Markon’s New Singles Round-Up:
05 March, 2026Listen up, readers! Give yourselves a break from the daily gloom with this month’s dose of good news: the latest crop of good new singles tailor-made for relaxation, movin’ and groovin’ or whatever else helps to take “your troubles, your troubles away” (as Gil Scott-Heron once sang). Onwards, ever onwards!
Charlie Chimi: “Cachú”
Here’s an invigorating way to get things moving. Fresh from his recent inclusion on Coco Maria’s last compilation, New Dimensions in Latin Music, comes this first, hyperactive single from the Dominican-Cuban artist’s forthcoming debut album, Disco Chimi, the first on Coco Maria’s new imprint, Club Coco. As the publicist suggests, “Cachú” is a bit like the opening credits of a 1960s Euro-spy thriller (although now I come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen many of this genre).
Mexican Institute of Sound and Meridian Brothers: “Cumbia Fantasia”
Now here’s a marriage made in musical mayhem. Two of the hardest working men in Latin American show business team up for a nutty single from an album scheduled for mid May on Ansonia Records. This is what happens when you swap traditional instruments for synthesizers and let loose these two mavericks at the mixing desk. “I live in fantasy,” states the chorus, “but I have only a few happy moments.” There’ll be more such moments when the album comes out, of that I can be sure.
Pixvae: “Caminando”
Since we’ve strayed into a Colombian left field, here’s a Franco-Colombian collective made up of two distinct halves: the former French art-rock trio, Kouma, hitched to the traditional currulao rhythms of a Colombian trio supplying marimba, percussion and call-and-response vocals. After two albums on the equally left-field Bongo Joe label, their new album of what has been dubbed “Colombian crunch music” comes out on Compagnie 4000 in early April. The single gives a taste of what to expect…
Leo Middea: “Atabaque”
Time to set sail for Brazil. You won’t be surprised to learn that quite a few of the new singles derive from those abundant shores – in this case, though, transposed to continental Europe. Now based in Barcelona, this young globe-trotting singer (and dancer, I should add, on the evidence of this video) from Rio is soon to embark on a tour of Europe to promote his sixth album, Notícias De Puglia, just out on Agogo Records. The single, I’m told, references his childhood and ancestry.
Dorea: “Até que Seque”
Here’s the former builder from Salvador in north-east Brazil, who now records for the Swedish AJABU! label. His second album is just out and with it this second single, which bears a little more of his self-professed Neil Young influence, or certainly when our Neil is rocking out, than many of his more wistful, introspective songs. I enjoyed his debut album a couple of years back and look forward to sitting down to listen “with a song in my heart” to the follow-up, O Que Mais Você Quer Saber De Mim?
Louie El Ser: “Amor.illo”
Based now in San Francisco, Louie El Ser is a Mexican-Salvadorian multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer. Her latest single comes from a forthcoming EP, Cerebral. With Tommie Phoenix’s slightly Cocteau-Twins-like vocal over a sporadic, pulsating drum pattern, the song conjures up something ethereal in keeping with its subject matter of love in all its complexity. The title is a composite of the Spanish words for love and yellow to capture a love that’s both luminous and damaged. Rather nice in a shimmering sort of way. I’m not too sure, though, what to make of the monochrome video. Mark Rothko might have had a few suggestions.
Nobat: “TELAVIVA”
By contrast, this video provokes a wry grin. The computer geek immersed in water is a nice metaphor for our submersion by all things digital. A singer, songwriter and “cultural producer” from Minas Gerais, this is Nobat’s second single from an ambitious multi-disciplinary project called Movimento, an artistic body of work due to unfold throughout 2026 and 2027 involving music, literature and film. Musically, Nobat cites influences ranging from Radiohead to Caetano Veloso, and this particular number brings into the mix a bit of Brazil’s north-east, a pinch of contemporary pop and a generous dose of electronics to create an upbeat celebration of the colourful world beyond the blue light of our screens.
Fabiano Do Nascimento: “O Tempo (Foi O Meu Mestre)”
The Brazilian acoustic guitar maestro has released a re-working of the song that first appeared on his 2017 album, Tempo Dos Mestres. It’s taken from his new album for Far Out Recordings, Vila. Why the new version? you ask. For a start, it’s almost twice the length of the original and it features the orchestration of Vittor Santos, which broadens the scope of the 2017 version and effectively transforms it into a new song. In other words, it’s both rewarding and entirely justified. The artist will be celebrating the release of the new album with a tour of the U.K. and Europe.
Lucas Santtana: “Liga”
Yes, I know. I featured the France-based Brazilian minstrel’s last single in my January round-up. But what can I do if he’s determined to make such lovely music? This new(ish) single is another track from his latest album for NO FORMAT!, Brasiliano, which may be out by the time some of you read this. It’s a collaboration with the Occitan-speaking polyphonic group, Cocanha. My daughter learnt Occitan for a couple of years in the local collège. It’s a tricky language and, as far as I know. she can’t sing or play their traditional percussion instruments as well as Cocanha can.
Thiago Corrêa with Jennifer Souza: “O Céu e Aquele Mar”
I can’t tell you much about this one because life’s too short to translate Portuguese PR. I can, however, make out that the single is taken from Thiago Corrêa’s second solo album, Claridade, earmarked for April release. The first single came out in November and featured his compatriot, Bruno Berle. This one features the voice of long-time collaborator, Jennifer Souza, and it’s rather good. See what you think…
Alejandro Meola: “Sed De Nacer”
He’s not Brazilian! Alejandro Meola is an Argentine-American singer and guitarist with rock, blues and folk roots. Here he achieves the kind of raw bluesy feel reminiscent of R.L. Burnside’s brand of minimalist electric-guitar blues.
Arthur Melo: “Turismo N.1 / Dinimá”
The Brazilian artist has now set up shop in Lisbon and, to mark the move from Brazil, he has released this double single – on his own label, Mini Mistério. Since he’s handled everything himself – from the writing, recording and production to the artwork and visuals – and since it’s really rather good, it deserves a little airplay.
Fafá de Belém: “Emoriô”
Time for a re-release, and who better to do it than Vampisoul. Their featured February 7″ single was this stomper written by João Donato in conjunction with Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso and interpreted by the beloved Brazilian actress and singer, Fafá de Belém. It marked the beginning of her long and successful career in MPB. The flip side is another Donato composition, “Naturalmente”.
David Hillyard & The Rocksteady 7: “Until Then”
I’m not sure that there’s any Latin blood in this long-running combo from New York City, but my ears are always open to a bit of ska and rock steady when it’s done well – and this is unequivocally done well. It’s taken from an album that’s out now on Org Music, Home For Dinner. That reminds me, it’s my turn to cook. Get cracking, man!
Vitor Araújo & Metropole Orkest: “TOQUE N.3”
OK, then. I’ll leave you with this one. At over eight minutes long, there’s plenty of room for contemplation, plenty of food for thought. Vitor Araújo is a Brazilian composer, pianist and erstwhile child-prodigy from Recife in Brazil’s north-east. Inspired by the great Brazilian classical composer, Villa-Lobos, Araújo is no stranger to strings. This beguiling mix of classical, electronic music and Brazilian rhythm comes from the composer latest live project, TORÓ, out in early April. It follows a live collaborative performance with Amsterdam’s Metropole Orkest at the Holland Festival in 2024. Right… onions, garlic; ready, steady, cook!
(Cover image of Pixvae)
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