Ely Guerra

Posted on Sunday, August 8

produced by RATIO Nation and Arte Y Vida Chicago

Monterrey, Mexico-born alt-rocker Ely Guerra is one of the most original and arresting musicians Mexico has produced and one of the most intriguing songwriters in Mexican rock. Ms. Guerra sings about passion: gazing at it from a distance, then plunging into the turbulence. Her songs incorporate rock, electronica and the torchy emotion of Mexican pop in a shifting balance of poise and obsession.

Her songs are magnificently unpredictable. She sings long nonverbal passages that seem to ponder things she cannot say. Amid volatile desires, Ms. Guerra’s songs seek not calm but equilibrium, a shifting harmony. She balanced contemplation and ardor, poise and clout, in songs that could be serene or fiery within moments.

The gorgeous Lotofire recorded in New York with a raft of well-known musicians, including guitarists Marc Ribot and Chris Whitley, bassists Melvin Gibbs and Greg Cohen, and violinist Eyvind Kang was released in 1999 in her own country and it still manages to sound utterly fresh these days. A remarkable achievement for an excellent talent.

Freewheeling, jam-filled rock with unpredictable start/stop tempos, sprinkled with psychedelic and jazzy flavorings, is about the closest way to describe Guerra’s follow-up, Sweet & Sour, Hot y Spicy.

September 25, 2010
8pm doors | 9pm show

Concert Moved to Republic
1520 N Fremont St

$15 in advance | $20 at the door