Raquel Bitton toasts Latin composers with new album

French Jazz singer Raquel Bitton celebrates renowned Latin composers in her hot new French/Latin Jazz recording “Boleros” which will be released on March 17.

“Boleros”, Raquel Bitton’s 7th recording to date, sung in French and Spanish was engineered by 11x Grammy award winner Rafa Sardina and showcases the music of legendary Latin composers including Armando Manzanero, Consuelo Velasquez, Augustin Lara, Isolina Carillo and others.

Raquel Bitton is accompanied by a 28 piece orchestra featuring notable Latin Jazz musicians including: Ramon Stagnaro on acoustic guitar, (Andrea Bocelli, Shakira, Luis Miguel) Cuban percussionists Orestes Vilato (Santana, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades) and Jesus Diaz (Tito Puente, Pete Escovedo Orchestra) and Rebeca Mauleon on Piano (Santana, Cachao, Joe Henderson)

The CD cover illustration is by award winning Martin French (Los Lobos, The Chronicles of Narnia) Included is an exquisite 20 page booklet with Spanish and French lyrics, and biographies of each composer as well as historical research on the birth of the Bolero.

“Romance intertwined with passion, this is the Bolero, a true expression of my heart said Raquel Bitton. I fell in love with the Bolero when I listened to the sultry voices of Tona La Negra and Maria Dolores Pradera. This music transported me back to my birthplace and the songs I heard growing up in Marrakesh where Spanish music was on everyone’s lips, Spain being so close to then French Morocco”

Bitton’s journey in researching the composers and songs, led her to Mexico City where she met Armando Manzanero (composer of Elvis Presley’s hit song “It’s Impossible”) who is widely considered the premiere Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era.

“Raquel Bitton’s new CD Boleros is magnificent; her version of my song, "Adoro" is so beautiful!” said Armando Manzanero

Raquel Bitton sings "Aranjuez mon amour" from Joaquin Rodrigo’s "Concierto de Aranjuez", one of the most recognizable compositions in the Spanish Guitar repertoire in tandem with the extraordinary Acoustic Guitarist Ramon Stagnaro.

Classic songs including; Solamente una Vez by Augustin Laura or Dos Gardenias by Isolina Carillo, the song that helped revive Ibrahim Ferrer’s (the Buena VISTA Social Club) career and Besame Mucho, by Consuelo Velasquez are sung with Bitton’s captivating voice and set to an entrancing beat.

Boleros will be available at retail outlets nationwide, Amazon, iTunes and most online music sites. To listen to selected tracks visit www.raquelbitton.com and click on the media player.