Hello Marina, how are you?
I’m doing great, thanks for having me.
Congratulations on the release of your album “A Nomad Of Sound” How does it feel?
I’m feeling very happy and quite surprised how it turned out. I’m getting a great feedback from both audience and critics.
What’s your favourite track from it?
That’s a very tough question. There are two different quintets, there is a brass band and also a duo with my daughter, which is very special to me. Maybe the most surprising track in the has been “Bali Blueset” as I’m used to pkay it with my quintet or trio. I even have a version for big band, but this is my very first arrangement for a brass band and I believe it captures that New Orleans energy more than the others tracks in the album.
You wrote and recorded it in New Orleans, what was your stand out memory from those sessions?
I got to New Orleans in January 2024 on a self-made musical residency. My goal was creating connections and meeting musicians that would bring my music to a different level. I did a lot of writing, I went to many concerts and I enjoyed how open the community was to my music. Through this experience, I naturally met the group of folks that ended up being part of my recording. So it don’t happen very organically and by the time we hit the recording studio, I found that I was surrounded by friends and that they were there to bring their own spirit to my music. The whole stay was quite magical and the recording aims to capture that moment. I didn’t have big expectations about perfection or even a pre-considered set list. We didn’t have much time to spend at the studio and that’s why I also wanted to capture that on video. Because there is no over dubs nor post production but instead, I really wanted to have documented the spontaneity and the flow of both sessions.
You assembled an incredible array of musicians for it, what did you learn from this experience?
To me, the biggest learning it’s been the confirmation of how powerful is the language of music when it comes to connecting people. Before I got to New Orleans, I only knew Rex Gregory and my daughter Serena. The rest of the crew is all new friends that I made in my musical experiences in New Orleans during my stay. And what an all stars cast I gathered! I feel truly honored that these great musicians such as Yusa, Pedro Segundo, Amina Scott, and also some New Orleans born and raised rooted musicians such as Chris Cotton, and Tanio Hingle wanted to join me in this humble journey. I could’ve not ask for more, what a joy.
You’re a musician and composer originally from Barcelona, how did it all begin for you?
I was born and raised in a musician’s family. My first memories are already being on stage performing with my mom and my dad. The band was sometimes bigger, but the three of us were the core team. As a trio we toured around the world and little by little my siblings started joining as well. Nowadays, my mom has a band with my sisters and my daughter. My brother Bori Albero is a very demanded bass player, even my kids are professional musicians. So I could say that music is a family tradition, our family business.
What did you listen to starting out?
My parents used to listen to a lot of jazz, flamenco, world, music, as well as classical music. Since I was very young, I started my studies in the classical Conservatory and later on I started learning jazz, drums and jazz piano. Then I went to Cuba tronsrydy piano when I was 15 years old and fell in love with all the Cuban music, folkloric Afro Cuban, Son cubano, filin, bolero and also the classical composers like Lecuona o Cervantes.
You’re a piano player which three pianists inspire you most?
It’s really hard, choosing only three piano players, but based on my musical journey, I’ll say Peruchin from Cuba, Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock. There are so many more.. so unfair picking only three!
Living in New Orleans, a city steeped in history. What have you learned since you’ve been there?
Technically, I’m moving to New Orleans this January. I did spend four months in Crescent city in 2024 to get a a sense of what it means to live down here. I like the role of music in this town. It’s more of a social event than it is in other places. I like the spontaneity and the encouragement when it comes to make music. I like the history they hold in their streets. I can feel it and it inspires me a lot. It also has many musicians passing by or moving here to be part of that experience and that makes it quite vibrant and an ever changing scene too.
What are you listening to at the moment?
I’m about to go back to Cuba after almost 30 years since I lived there and so I’ve been revisiting a lot of Cuban music like the great composer and songwriter Marta Valdes, who passed away recently. The more hype bands that opened to other styles like “Interactivo” or the traditional son by Pancho Amat. Also I’ve been enjoying a lot the Afro Cuban works by Merceditas Valdes and Los Muñequitos de Matanzas. In other styles I’ve been enjoying “Vulture Prince” by Arooj Aftab and the last works by Miguel Zenon like Golden City.
What are you looking forward to most in 2025?
I’m very excited to start a new life in New Orleans and see where the music takes me from here. I’m also looking forward to getting back to Europe to start making my little world tour happen. I plan on being there in the summer and take my music beyond my mother land Spain, and reconnecting with Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam.. I’m really hoping to become an “organized” Nomad Of Sound strengthening my bridges with other cities while soaking in all what New Orleans has to offer me.
