Grammy®-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla, renowned for her powerful voice, emotional honesty, and boundary-defying songs, is set to release her eighth full-length album, “A Letter to Leonard Cohen: A Tribute to a Friend” on September 20th. This date marks a special tribute, as it is the day before what would have been Leonard Cohen’s 90th birthday. The album will be released via Symphonic.
First Single and Video Release: “Democracy”
Today, Batalla releases the first single and video from the album, the stirring and provocative track, “Democracy”, available on all DSPs and her YouTube page.
A Unique Tribute
Batalla was not only a collaborator but also a close friend of Leonard Cohen for over two decades. Cohen, the revered Montreal-born Grammy®-winning singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist, is considered a global icon and the poet laureate of Canada. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and honored as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
What sets this album apart from other Cohen tributes is Batalla’s unique perspective, shaped by Cohen’s personal guidance and encouragement in her early career. The album offers fresh interpretations of eight classic Cohen songs, along with two original compositions by Batalla: “Awakened” and “The L of Your First Name”. It also features her stirring rendition of “The Partisan”, a poignant 1943 anti-fascist song of the French Resistance.
The Journey of the Album
Batalla began this project in Barcelona in early 2020, just before the pandemic struck. When she returned to Spain after the world reopened, she discovered that the project hard drives had vanished. Undeterred, Batalla restarted the project in her home in Ojai, California, with the support of friends and fans.
Re-tracking in Barcelona, New York, Ojai, and Santa Monica, Batalla’s diverse sonic palette blends her magnificent voice with the splendid ferocity of flamenco musicians, a moving gospel choir, a plaintive oud, and a live string section. In a stroke of good fortune, Broadway star Patrick Page (Hadestown, All the Devils are Here, Gilded Age) joined her on Cohen’s “Democracy”, a timely ode to the fragility of the American experiment. The track was produced by multi-Grammy-winning producer Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Justin Timberlake, Encanto).
A Voice Like No Other
Hearing Perla Batalla’s voice is an epiphany. Listeners may come for the classic songs but will stay for the profound joy and pathos she brings to the music. Her transcendent voice, with its subtlety of tone, depth of emotion, and sublime expressiveness, makes the experience of this album deeply moving and unforgettable.
Track List:
- Awakened
- A Thousand Kisses Deep
- Democracy (feat. Patrick Page)
- Sisters Of Mercy
- Everybody Knows
- Ain’t No Cure For Love
- The Partisan
- You Want It Darker
- The L Of Your First Name
- Take This Waltz
- A Singer Must Die
Mark your calendars for September 20th and prepare to be captivated by “A Letter to Leonard Cohen: A Tribute to a Friend”.
For more updates, follow Perla Batalla on social media:
- Instagram/Facebook/YouTube: @PerlaBatalla
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