ANI CORDERO
El Machete
(Panapén Records)
Ani Cordero is mad as hell and this album is her way of coping. The Puerto Rican activist and artist’s latest was inspired by a dream in which she battled her enemies with a wooden machete. In 10 tracks, Cordero fights off corruption, misogyny, and oppression with hope. The electro bop “Préstame Tus Penas” asks for compassion for her people, while “Pan Pan (Sin Mantequilla)”’s chants of “Bread, bread/Without butter,” is about fighting for more than government scraps. What may be lost in translation for non-Spanish speakers is made up for in heart. You may find yourself storming the streets after listening. (4/5)
By Shannon Carlin
El Machete was released September 20, 2019. This article originally appeared in the Winter 2020 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
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