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Presentation concert:
February 16, 2025 at the MATISSE Gallery

PRESS RELEASES

Inner Songs: Sensitivity and Courage in the Voice of Ester Andújar

After 15 years of silence, Ester Andújar returns with Inner Songs, an album that exudes maturity, courage, and a profound sense of artistic identity. This fourth work by the Valencian singer not only reaffirms her as one of the most outstanding voices in Spanish jazz but also redefines "authored jazz," interweaving poetic elements, narrative depth, and rich textures into an intimate and captivating journey.

From the very first track, Els somnis, Ester invites us into a universe where the line between dreams and reality blurs. The harmonic richness and the seamless connection between her voice and the instrumentalists create a magical atmosphere. Accompanied by some of the finest musicians on the scene—who also played a key role in the recording process, including Albert Palau on piano, Iván Cebrián on guitar, Miquel Álvarez on double bass, Tico Porcar on drums, and saxophonist Javier Vercher as a special guest—Ester ensures that every note flows effortlessly. Her scat singing, in particular, is exquisite, demonstrating not only her technical virtuosity but also her ability to transform her voice into an instrument that organically dialogues with the band.

The album explores complex emotions, as seen in Flor del desierto, an autobiographical piece that delves into pain and resilience. Here, Andújar unveils her vulnerabilities and contrasts, achieving a cathartic ending that resonates in every note. Her voice, rich in nuances, balances strength and fragility, becoming a vehicle for reflection and emotional connection.

But this journey is not solely introspective—it is also social and political. Tracks like República and Las mujeres que nos faltan showcase Andújar's commitment to historical memory and giving a voice to those who have been silenced. Las mujeres que nos faltan is particularly powerful, giving voice to victims of gender-based violence with a sensitivity and intensity that are profoundly moving.

Musically, the album is a mosaic enriched by influences from Brazilian music (Beijo partido), folklore, and jazz, always approached from a deeply personal perspective. Ester sings in Valencian, Spanish, Portuguese, and English, with each language adding a unique texture that amplifies the emotions conveyed by each song, showcasing a versatility that reinforces her cosmopolitan essence.

In Abans de tu, dedicated to her daughter, the singer encapsulates her personal transformation over these years. With lyrics brimming with hope and love, she celebrates the artistic and personal rebirth that motherhood has brought her. This connection between the personal and the artistic permeates the entire album, lending it a moving authenticity.

Inner Songs is not just a return; it is a statement. It is the portrait of an artist who poured herself out to rebuild, questioning what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it. The result is a conceptual album that tells a story from beginning to end, full of contrasts, anthems, and tributes that reflect both the light and shadows of life. This work is a bold, poetic, and necessary creation. Ester Andújar has crafted an album that not only amplifies her own voice but also gives voice to those who cannot speak. Her authored jazz is more than music; it is narrative, memory, and emotion. A must-listen for those who love jazz and music with soul.

Claudia Rolando (www.docenotas.com) 23/01/2025

Ester is a singer-songwriter, jazz musician and global. (…) A poet, if I may be allowed to say the obvious. (…) and a “protest singer” emerging like an orchid in the mud, or in the desert, her velvet blue voice crying out against sexist violence (“Les dones”) and oblivion (“República”), for the sake of Historical Memory. Where others deny the genre, Ester asserts herself as a jazz singer, (…). This is the jazz of the 21st century: serene, elegant, subtle... (some would say “minimalist”, I wouldn’t). The listener must take a step back and perceive the painting as a whole before accessing the details. With this, Ester is betting on a pure and crystalline beauty in a world that is neither pure nor crystalline, but corrupt and nebulous (…).

Jose Maria “Chema” Garcia Martinez, Rio de Janeiro, October 2, 2024

“(…) Andújar’s voice is already part of the aristocracy of our female vocal jazz. Her refined technique and expressive capacity contrast with a rigorous knowledge of the language and a surprising command of the stage.”

Pablo Sanz, Scherzo. No. 244, September 2009

«El jazz tiene improvisación, frescura y riesgo» - AQUÍ Medios de Comunicación (aquimediosdecomunicacion.com)Alejandro Plá,  jueves, 23-mayo-2024)

 

Included in the article in the magazine 440 Clásica & Jazz (num. 77). “I la dona va conquistar el jazz” (And the woman conquered jazz) in the section "Mestres" (Teachers)

“We are surely before one of the most international voices of Spanish jazz. A singer and composer of proven quality, exciting, and a lover of “scat”, which she performs with flamboyant lightness (…) far from any superfluous overacting..”

http://lamusicaquenosonoenlos40principales.blogspot.com/2009/08/ester-andujar.html

 

“Ester Andújar has a voice of proven quality, exciting and a lover of scat. Knowing her in these facets, the album she has just released is surprising. After Tristeza de amar (2002) and the incredible Celebrating Cole Porter (2005), Páginas preciosas appears, an eclectic and different album(…) The result? An album of songs. Songs with outstanding moments (…) supported by good jazz musicians. Her voice (so personal) shines above the music and the lyrics (…). Among the ten songs on the album, there is a song by Serrat (Romance de Curro el Palmo) and a delicious and exciting version of ‘Round midnight with lyrics in Spanish, sung a capella and in which the only musical accompaniment that supports Ester Andújar’s voice is the sound of the rain.(…)Andújar is my favorite voice in national jazz and that of many others.(…)”

http://jazzeseruido.blogspot.com/2009/01/ester-andjar.html

 

“Páginas preciosas” is also the title of the piece that I bring you today as Ester Andújar’s letter of introduction. I could almost say that it is the best used 6 minutes and 35 seconds in the history of “La música que no sonó en los 40 principales”. A song that begins with a brilliant and virtuoso “scat”, to continue minute by minute surprising our ears with turns and more turns of exquisite elegance. Harmonies in atmospheres that evoke virtuosity and talent. Melodies that suggest landscapes of houses dressed in whitewash. Songs that nest in sensitivity and feeling. As some expert critic said before when referring to this album: “…lightness, not levity…”

http://lamusicaquenosonoenlos40principales.blogspot.com/2009/08/ester-andujar.html

Ester Andújar practices her jazz in New York. "Ester Andújar (...) begins the year as she ended it: joining the international jazz scene. After winning second prize at the VII Monaco Jazz Soloists Competition and receiving the Jury Prize at the Shure Montreux Voice Jazz Competition from the hands of its president, soprano Barbara Hendricks, the young Valencian singer continues her musical incursions beyond our borders (...) Her refined technique and expressive capacity contrast with a rigorous knowledge of the language and a surprising command of the stage (...)."

Pablo Sanz, El Mundo, 14 de enero de 2006.

 

"A beautiful and educated voice that takes advantage of the colorful pop but displays jazz knowledge and does not forget to improvise, as demonstrated in the two series of sparkling scat that she performed at the end of her performance."

Juanma Játiva, El País, VI Semana de Jazz de la UPV.

"It is precisely courage that singer Ester Andújar displays in her voice as she tackles a repertoire of classic and modern jazz that has caught the attention of the most refined performers. She does so in Tristeza de mar."

Jorge Alcalde, Muy Interesante, 03 de mayo 2009

Tribute "In this work, Ester Andújar recalls the songs of the late Cole Porter with a great voice, jazz rhythm and modern arrangements (...) The singer sings with a voice that is sometimes tender, sometimes seductive (...)."

Interviú, 9 de enero de 2006.

"With top-notch material, taken from the repertoire of one of the best authors of all time; with the soft, sensual and deep voice of the Valencian Ester Andújar and with the collaboration of a handful of top-notch musicians, only an exceptional result can be achieved. This is what happens in this tribute to Cole Porter, which recovers some of his best-known songs, as well as others that are not so well-known, and passes them through the filter of a rising singer, to create a highly recommended album."

(Puntuación: ****) . Cartelera del Levante. Junio de 2005.

"Despite her youth, this Valencian singer is already a prominent voice in our jazz scene. Her tribute to Cole Porter, recorded in New Jersey, is another step in her ascending career, another example of her prodigious vocal and artistic ability."(Score: ***)

Pablo Sanz. La Luna de Metrópoli. El Mundo.  Julio 2005.

"A beautiful and educated voice that takes advantage of the colorful pop but displays jazz knowledge and does not forget to improvise, as demonstrated in the two series of sparkling scat that she performed at the end of her performance."

Juanma Játiva, El País, VI Semana de Jazz de la UPV.

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