.png){kind=small}
ESTER ANDÚJAR MUSIC
Presentation concert:
February 16, 2025 at the Sala MATISSE
PRESS RELEASES
From: Ester Andujar: Inner Songs album review @ All About Jazz
Ester Andujar: Inner Songs
By Anastasia Bogomolets
April 28, 2025
Ester Andújar Rico's album Inner Songs is a mesmerizing journey through language, culture, and emotion. Andújar effortlessly transitions between Spanish, Valencian, Portuguese, and English, making each track feel like an intimate conversation across borders. Even if you are not fluent in all of the languages, the album provokes introspection on how language modifies the listener's perception of music.
Andújar's vocals carry a subtle but powerful influence from Spanish vocal traditions, particularly in the way she infuses her phrasing with emotional depth and lyrical expression. This is likely inspired by the rich heritage of Spanish singers and genres such as flamenco and bolero, where vocal delivery often emphasizes emotional storytelling and ornamentation.
There are also echoes of George Benson and Al Jarreau in her scat techniques, while at times the album's polished, sophisticated sound brings to mind Basia Gąsienica-Giewont signature blend of jazz and pop. The rhythmic textures and subtle voice-guitar improvisations evoke the spirit of Brazilian bossa nova and Joao Gilberto. Some tracks also carry high-energy funk and soul-infused jazz, adding a dynamic contrast to the more ethereal moments.
Inner Songs is not just a reflection of personal emotion; it also carries an underlying message of social consciousness. Tracks like "Les dones que ens falten" stand as a protest against gender violence, while "República" contemplates historical memory.Andújar describes "Les dones que ens falten"—"The Women We Are Missing"—as "a cry of anger, a topic that I cannot and do not want to avoid, an ugly topic. No one wants to talk about this, to assume that male violence surrounds us, but it is what it is." On this track, Valencian saxophonist Javier Vercher joins the band and, according to Andújar, "brings all the emotional storm that this theme inspires in her."
"República" is another track with a powerful social message. Andújar's comment on this song says, "On April 14, 1931, the beginning of the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. It marked a period of our history before Franco's dictatorship, during which the social advances that would later shape our democracy began to take form. Many people died defending the Republic, and they fought for the rights we enjoy today. To forget them would be to forget who we are."
Instrumentally, Inner Songs is elevated by a group of exceptional musicians. Albert Palau's piano brings lyrical elegance and harmonic depth, blending classical sensitivity with jazz sophistication—reminiscent of Bill Evans, yet grounded in the rhythmic vitality of Latin jazz.
Tico Porcar's drumming is equally nuanced—balancing Afro-Cuban and Brazilian influences with jazz precision to create a dynamic, layered foundation.
Iván Cebrián's guitar work stands out for its expressive clarity and stylistic fluidity, drawing from jazz greats like Wes Montgomery and Pat Metheny while embracing the warmth of Brazilian music. His smooth transitions between genres add versatility and color to the album.
Meanwhile, Miquel Álvarez's bass anchors the ensemble with both subtlety and strength, qualities that support the album's emotional and musical breadth.
With Inner Songs, Andújar offers more than just a collection of beautifully crafted tracks—she delivers a deeply personal and socially resonant statement. Through her multilingual lyrics, genre-blending arrangements, and fearless engagement with complex themes, Andújar invites listeners into a rich emotional and cultural landscape.
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.