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Bright Shiny Things Launches if the Night Grows Dark to Benefit Sing for Hope

News
June 26, 2020
NEW YORK, NY, June 26 – Acclaimed indie record label Bright Shiny Things launches IF THE NIGHT GROWS DARK [BSTC-0140, CD], an overview of Spanish song—in both its early-music and traditional folk guises—arranged by Graciano Tarragó and brought to vibrant life by soprano (and SFH co-founder) Camille Zamora and guitarist Cem Duruöz. The album includes several recorded premieres, and features works by sixteenth-century composers Juan del Encina, Cristóbal de Morales, and Miguel de Fuenllana, as well as traditional songs from Andalusia, Galicia, Asturias, Canaria, Salamanca, Castile, Catalonia, Mallorca, Euskadi (Basque Country), Santander, and Extremadura.  100% of the purchase price of each album will fund Sing for Hope’s Healing Arts programs, bringing inspiring creative arts experiences (in-person and online) to isolated hospital patients, seniors, veterans, and frontline healthcare workers. Critic Rafael de Acha, in his review of the album for Music Notes, writes “IF THE NIGHT GROWS DARK is a treasure trove of Spanish songs exquisitely performed by soprano Camille Zamora and guitarist Cem Duruöz… Throughout the impeccably engineered album, the two artists make magic with their honest, straightforward approach. With Zamora’s perfect diction in Castilian, Catalan, Gallego and Basque, and a supple, clear voice perfectly suited to this music, and Duruöz’s elegantly idiomatic playing, the two artists deliver musical gems.” The album launches on June 26th, the birthday of Zamora’s late father, Stephen Zamora. The second of seven children, Steve was the first person in his family to go to college, later becoming the first Hispanic dean of a law school in Texas and receiving the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest distinction awarded by the Mexican government to a foreign national, for his work promoting U.S.-Mexican understanding. A lifelong human rights advocate, he was someone for whom music was balm and fuel.  Camille Zamora says, “To launch this album on what would have been my dad’s 76th birthday, and to know that all of the proceeds will benefit Sing for Hope, is super meaningful for me. I am grateful to my producers Kabir Sehgal and Marlan Barry, my executive producer Louis Levitt, and my associate producers Jami Greenberg, Monica Yunus, and Jennifer Walsey for their vision and support. It makes my heart sing to know that this collection of songs – so many of which were beloved by my dad – will benefit Sing for Hope’s programs, bringing music and comfort to isolated hospital patients, seniors, veterans, and frontline healthcare workers during this difficult time.”  Click here for more information and to purchase copies, with 100% of the purchase price benefiting Sing for Hope. Click here for full feature on Medium.com. FROM ZAMORA’S ALBUM NOTES: “In Tarragó’s setting of the 16th century song ‘Si la noche se hace oscura’ (‘If the night grows dark’), we hear a woman’s soul… It is a song of heartache and withdrawal. It is also a song of the quiet joy of choosing to love completely, with abandon, even in the face of separation and uncertainty. Delivered by Tarragó across centuries to this moment, to a world suddenly defined by lockdown and distancing, it feels like a gift.” (In English) “En el contexto de la canción de Tarragó del siglo XVI ‘Si la noche se hace oscura,’ oímos al alma de una mujer… Es una canción de dolor y ausencia. También es una canción de deleite al escoger amar completamente, con abandono, aún enfrentando la separación y la incertidumbre. Traída hasta este momento por Tarragó a través de los siglos, un mundo repentinamente definido por el encierro y el distanciamiento, se convierte en un regalo.” (En Español) https://youtu.be/FYijSnsm7Rg “Jaeneras,” Traditional, arr. Graciano Tarragó (Camille Zamora, Soprano & Cem Duruöz, Guitar) from IF THE NIGHT GROWS DARK (Si la noche se hace oscura): Four Centuries of Spanish Song