Acclaimed bisexual Spanish singer Concha Buika will perform in Philadelphia for the first time on her latest North American tour.
If that announcement doesn’t get you excited, then you’ve never heard her music.
Recently hailed as one of NPR’s “50 Great Voices,” Buika grew up in Spain, the daughter of political exiles from Equatorial Guinea. Her family members were the only people of African descent living in a community of gypsies. Buika got her start performing at clubs in Ibiza and, later, Las Vegas, where she performed as a Tina Turner lookalike.
Almost a decade later, Buika is known internationally for her powerful and sultry voice, as well as her unique blend of jazz, funk, flamenco, copla and soul. Her latest album, “El Ultimo Trago” [The Last Drink], was nominated for two Latin Grammys this year.
Before her Oct. 26 Philly Debut at Kimmel’s Perleman Theater, Buika answered some of PGN’s burning questions about her music and career thus far.
PGN: Will your upcoming show in Philadelphia be your first time visiting the city? B: Yes. I’ve never been there. It is one of the few cities where I have a day off, so I plan to take a look around.
PGN: What singers do you draw inspiration from? B: Many of them: Chavela Vargas, Nina Simone, Queen Latifah, Billie Holiday. And also many instrumental players inspire me: Coltrane, Bill Evans, etc.
PGN: How did your upbringing influence your style of music? B: I don’t think I have a style of music. I just recognize music as a total. I prefer not to choose between jazz, flamenco, copla, R&B. I can use all of them and it is much more fun for me.
PGN: How would you describe your experiences early in your career when you worked as a Tina Turner impersonator in Las Vegas? B: That was a very strange thing. I used to works in hotels in Palma de Mallorca [Spain] during the summer season. One day, a friend of mine told me that in Las Vegas there were a lot of hotels and casinos. I did not even know that place before arriving. I took the father of my child and my baby and we arrive in a very strange city: Las Vegas. And because I did not have a U.S. work permit, the only job I found was singing covers of Tina Turner. And I did it. It was very strange … I thought before arriving there that someone would hear me and would help me with a musical career. But of course, musical managers or record companies never went to those kinds of places.
PGN: You’re highly regarded for bringing a wide range of musical styles into your music. Is that fusion something that is rare to hear from Spanish/Latin musicians? B: I don’t think so. I think that all musicians make fusion. Life is fusion indeed!
PGN: In the United States, the press is almost always interested to know about the sexuality of its entertainers. Are international audiences as concerned about sexuality? B: No. And I did not know that it was interesting in the U.S. Why is that? Who cares about that?
PGN: Do you ever address political or social issues in your lyrics? B: Not at all. I think that politics have nothing to do with music. And I am a musician.
PGN: Is the issue of gay marriage any more or less complex in Spain than it is in the United States? B: I don’t know how it is in the U.S. In Spain, there is a new law from a few years ago that recognizes gay marriage.
PGN: Do you have any interest in recording an English-language album and, if so, what style of music would it be? B: Yes, of course, I am interested in recording in English. In fact, I just recorded a duo with Seal in English from a beautiful song. Styles of music? I don’t recognize them.
PGN: What artist(s) would you most like to collaborate with in the future? B: Chick Corea, Queen Latifah, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis … thousands of artists …
Buika performs at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 260 S. Broad St. For more information, visit www.buika.net or call (215) 790-5847.
Larry Nichols can be reached at [email protected].