Concha Buika

“A singer like Buika comes only once in a generation.” – The New York Post

“[Buika] has a husky, layered and imperious voice, something like Nina Simone’s but more flexible and virtuosic.” – The New York Times

Recommended if you like: Music without the fear of letting go

It takes a lot of guts to expose your true self to others, and acclaimed singer songwriter, poet, composer and music producer, Buika (pronounced BWEE-ka), does that every night she goes on stage. As plain as the tattoos on her skin, Buika bears her soul to her fans across the world, whom she affectionately calls ” The tribe”. This upcoming year Buika begins her journey of storytelling across America, Miami, DC, NY, Boston and L.A; Tokyo and Mexico will follow by March, in support of her brand new sound, band and repertoires while working on her ninth release. Buika’s new sound is an intense blend of musical styles that has been meticulously selected by it, seeps through a rich and eclectic sound of jazz, latin jazz, afro beat, funk, soul, reggae and pop, all seasoned with a flamenco accent that won’t leave anyone indifferent.

Her latest release “Vivir Sin Miedo” (Warner Music- 2015) was co-produced by Grammy Award-winning, and 2016 Latin Grammy nominee along with Buika, Martin Terefe (Mary J. Blige, Aha, Coldplay), features Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, German neo-soul artist Meshell Ndegeocello, and Spanish underground flamenco legend Potito. Included in the 2016 Latin Grammy nominations, on the Record of the Year category for “Si volveré”.

María Concepción Balboa Buika “Buika” from Majorca, Spain, daughter of African parents of the Bubi tribe (Equatorial Guinea) immersed and surrounded by multiple cultures throughout her life, had a variety of musical influences, from jazz and flamenco to pop, soul and African polyrhythm; as she affirmed, “My mother would listen and dance to many musical genres, she had a great record collection” . This eclectic upbringing shaped Buika’s ability to make music without limitations. During her 15-year recording career, her albums flow seamlessly between pop, jazz, soul, reggae, afro beat, R&B and flamenco. Equally diverse are her collaborators, which include Pat Metheny, Anoushka Shankar, Chick Corea, Niño Josele, Bebo and Chucho Valdés, Seal or Nelly Furtado to name a few. Filmmaker and longtime fan, Pedro Almodóvar, remarked about Buika, “Seeing her draw from such different genres… Mix them all together with such grace and spontaneity, one cannot help but think that there is a brighter future as long as one can witness the boundless evolution of this infinite performer”.

A brighter future did arrive for Buika with each new album. Her 2006 album “Mi Niña Lola” (My Little Girl Lola), won Buika high praise from the US media, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Miami Herald and NPR. She received two Latin Grammys, one for her 2009 album “El Ultimo Trago” (The Last Drink) and for her 2013 album “La Noche Más Larga” (The Longest Night), which also won a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz album. Other Latin Grammy nominations included Best Album and Best Production for “Niña de Fuego” (Girl of Fire), special 2 CD’s Edition, which included her first collection of poems – 2008), Record of the Year for her songs, “Se Me Hizo Fácil” (2010) and “La Nave del Olvido” (2013) as well as the new Record of the Year nomination for Vivir sin Miedo for the song “Si volveré”(2016)

Buika knows no boundaries when it comes to language or geography. She has collaborated with musicians and singers in Spanish, Catalan, English, French, Portuguese, Iranian, Italian and Armenian. Her last year tour spanned the globe, covering Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean Islands, Asia, Africa and the US.
A great music ambassador, she reaches any small or large crowd, – a great 4th of July celebration at the US Embassy in Madrid, Spain, or at the Spanish Embassy in DC a year later, a larger audiences would receive her with open arms at different music festivals, such as “Womad“ in Australia and UK, “North Sea Jazz festival” La Notte della Taranta” Italy or “Jazz al parque” in Bogotá.

She has no barriers in terms of artistic expression and rejects any kind of self-limitation, a business owner, singer / songwriter, producer and poet, whom on her time off immerses herself in the world of photography, some of her most intimate self portraits have been published in her books, “Niña de fuego” (Girl of fire) “special edition” and “A los que amaron a mujeres difíciles y acabaron por soltarse” (To those who loved difficult women and ended up letting go)

For Buika, her music is more than a career. She says, “ I am music and I follow my free note (…)”