Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Kevin Cole, co-host of Drive Time on KEXP, is "Yemayá" by Mexican Institute of Sound & Gaby Moreno, a 2020 self-released single.
For the track "Yemayá," singer/songwriter Gaby Moreno teamed up with Camilo Lara's Mexican Institute Of Sound project for an ode to the Afro-Carribean goddess who represents fertility, water, and self-love.
"She's a powerful woman of color taking all forms," Moreno told the Recording Academy. "It's a universal theme and we wanted to incorporate this mysterious and mystic figure into the song, since it's part of the folklore of many different cultures."
"I’ve been a big admirer of [Lara's] work and esthetic and the way he blends Latin folk music with electronic and hip hop," she continued. "I come from a fairly different musical background, having very rarely experimented with synths and those kinds of sounds, so this was a really fun and different collaboration for me. I got to step out of my comfort zone and bring forth something a bit unusual but very much enjoyable, nonetheless."