Clouds gracefully drift by, roaming the sky for the last bit of sun light as dusk is about to color the sky with an orange glow. The perfect setting for Belisia, the soundtrack to my last couple of days off. Originally from Argentina, Ignacio Maria Gomez has in a similar way roamed the world since his early teens in search of inspiration and answers, guided by the spirit of his ancestors. He lived the life of a street musician traveling parts of Latin Amerika, Europe and Afrika. 10 years in the making, he released his debut album in 2020 named Belesia that draws inspiration from all the different people, cultures and music that he has crossed paths with. His Latin American roots is most prominent in the Samba or the Samba derived Bossa Nova undercurrent apparent in almost the entirety of the work presented on Belesia. The use of indigenous instruments, like the Ribab and Kora, underpin the folkloric direction of the music that for me make the difference between something good and something special. The narrative is as elusive and mysterious as the music itself. Largely written in a made-up language closely related to the Icaros (songs performed by shamans of the Amazon) and transformed into soothing hymns thus transcending prejudices by not saying a word and purely focusing on the emotional power of his music. Belesia itself refers to a paradise on earth in which all living entities live in perfect harmony. Something that came to Ignacio in a dream. It is from within this reoccurring dream that he found the guiding hand to complete this stunning piece of music, lasting exactly 45 minutes. Nimble, melodic and pure are words that come to mind listening to Belesia. Having learned from many musicians on his journey so far, Caetano Veloso and Arthur Verocai among them I assume, Ignacio carved his own path and made his own rules bringing us a fresh adaption of his Latin heritage.
The wonders of Belesia
